Driver updates on XPS8500

Question

Has anybody in recent times managed to get any use from the 'Analyse System for Updates' function for their particular service tag/system? From an old Precision workstation and an Inspiron laptop (going back years...) I used to think that Dell aftersales service had some value. Since I took delivery of an XPS 8500 system with premium support in April 2013 the above mentioned functionality has never worked. I manually took the BIOS update predating my system build date (?) and mentioned to the 'premium' telephone support in connection with other issues that the auto detect feature wasn't working, which seemingly wasn't taken seriously. I have had NVIDIA driver updates via Windows Update and subsequently the NVIDIA application itself (which were flagged as W8.1 updates) and now I have taken the W8.1 upgrade from within Windows. Several drivers have since appeared recommended in relation to W8.1 when I manually go to the Dell downloads for my service tag and OS. The auto-detect always comes back with a 'sorry we were unable....' message and no other explanation, and that takes a fair while. But, I can see that the NVIDIA driver Dell offer is older than the one I have downloaded from the NVIDIA application and I frankly cannot see why I with a 2013 system within Premium Warranty should manually go through deciding which drivers to download amongst several download format choices and then decide which order etc. to apply the updates. It has got to be more reliable if that is entirely automated by the system builder. Support is supposedly on the case, but any 'next day' promises are clearly just hot air these days. In fact, I have to say that the support I have tried to receive since this purchase has been rather poor. No problems (all software related)  have been resolved or returned to yet, including the ones raised in April, I have had to experiment myself and Windows Update has taken care of the rest apart from that initial BIOS update. Sony, HP, Apple, Google....seem to be able to automate updates that are pertaining to their hardware/software combinations sold. I Do like the Dell hardware, but I can not see that I in 2013 should have to be keeping abreast of individual component's driver updates when bought as part of a standard configuration from a Global Brand supplier. It has to be automated. I have other things to spend time on, but it is annoying that software is still seen as something that customers beta test for free and/or sort out themselves. Does it work though, or will it be a case of a big pile of downloads on my disk to sort out manually? Hopefully not!

rdunnill · Answer

Does it work though, or will it be a case of a big pile of downloads on my disk to sort out manually? Hopefully not!

I have an XPS 8500, but I figured the best results were to be had from manually downloading and installing the five or so needed drivers. It only had to be done once and didn't take long.

MMMSM · Answer

Thanks for your reply!

Does that mean that the 'auto analyze' actually works for you, or did you just not try it?

I am not sure I trust the suggestions given on the support pages at the moment given that e.g. the 'My Dell' app links to suggestions for the wrong country and the wrong OS initially, before attempting the 'Analyze' button (which fails every time), combined with what I was told by support about this back in April.

Anyhow, I see that a BIOS update has now been added.

Does anybody know of any requirement for install order, - and indeed what the changes are in the drivers? The descriptions are rather poor, hinting a just a new version number?

Regards

MMMSM · Answer

.....

and now no BIOS downloads for my service tag at all !?

Dell UK support does not seem well enough informed by Dell's developers to be of any help.

Is it possible to obtain Dell US support for remainder of this premium warranty?

Maybe they are better connected to the developers.

rdunnill · Answer

Does that mean that the 'auto analyze' actually works for you, or did you just not try it? I did not try it. Regarding install order, I didn't use one and still got excellent results.

MMMSM · Answer

I see. Thank you!

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