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Windows 10 Upgrade - why isnt Dell Vostro 3550 on the list from Dell ?
I found this list on the Dell site that tells you whether they have tested a particular model for its ability to be upgraded to Windows 10. The Dell Vostro 3550 is not on the list of about 20 Vostro models, some with lower model numbers , some higher. Will they ever test it??
If you try to upgrade, windows 10 copies files and then in the 2nd of the three major sections of the upgrade (where you have that big circle in the middle of the screen) it just goes to a blank screen and then all disk activity ceases and it becomes well hung. Of course now, the machine thinks its os is win 10 and you cannot go back to a win 7 recover point . So you just lose all your data and apps and restore the factory image and then install 208 windows 7 updates and it takes like 8 hours in all.
Sounds like a similar problem that people had with Vostros going from win 7 to win 8. Why not fix it.
PaulyM
3 Posts
4
August 6th, 2015 19:00
Hi
After a painful automated upgrade that failed to successfully install Windows 10, I have finally managed to get it working.
The way I did it was to boot the install into safe mode and uninstall the intel display adapter and the touchpad apps. By using the basic windows display driver I then had a stable system to use, albeit with a poor display. I then flashed the bios to the latest version and did a driver update for the display adapter which seems to work fine.
I don't know if it will work for others but the laptop restarts and seems stable. The fingerprint reader and Bluetooth aren't working yet but I will try them at a later date.
Hope this info helps and at least we know W10 does work :)
Paul
Mherm204
1 Message
1
August 15th, 2015 13:00
I also fell into the same rabbit hole. But I figured out quickly that it was a video issue and I hooked up a spare LCD monitor to the unit .. worked great like that , from there was able to do bio update and play with drivers.
Philip_Yip
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August 1st, 2015 02:00
The list is essentially the systems Dell are going to provide upgraded drivers for, not a list of systems that will work:
http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN297954?dgc=SM&cid=266887&lid=5563896
The Vostro 3550 is an early 2011 model and all of these systems are out of warranty. It is unlikely Dell will ever test them. Have you tried to get an updated video driver from Intel and AMD before proceeding with the upgrade? Do you have the latest BIOS revision?
Did you try to upgrade using Windows Update or the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool see here:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/a-clean-install-of-windows/a-clean-install-of-windows-10/upgrading-to-windows-10/
sgviegas
3 Posts
0
August 3rd, 2015 13:00
I had the same experience with Windows 8 and 10. I'm resigned to Windows 7 on my Vostro 3550. I do have a Dell Vostro 230 laptop and was able to upgrade. Windows 10 seems to be a terrific operating system. I've encountered no problems. Windows 7 on the laptop had become slow. Windows 10 is lightning quick.
CNoEvil
2 Posts
2
August 7th, 2015 04:00
Well, after spending the better part of whole day trying to figure out why somebody else's Dell Vostro 3550 was not displaying anything after an even longer period of downloading the Windows 10 upgrade (from Windows 7 in this case) it turns out the fix required was to upgrade the BIOS to A11 (end of 2012).
http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=N2KW4&fileId=3002061566&categoryId=BI
Hopefully this might save someone a wasted day in their lives. Before this I spent some hours before figuring out that the machine was in fact booting - only the display was black. So then it was a matter of figuring out key strokes to use (blind) to shut down and also enable the menu for safe mode. Safe mode worked, and so then more hours trying to work around the issue before finally stumbling onto some stuff online where the BIOS upgrade was mentioned - apparently also an issue with Windows 8?
Clive
sgviegas
3 Posts
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August 11th, 2015 14:00
I changed my login to a local login - not the MSN one. The fingerprint scanner works again.
richards3974
2 Posts
1
August 16th, 2015 15:00
ehons
1 Message
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August 19th, 2015 10:00
Now that I have upgraded to Win 10 I am using an external monitor to figure this out. Can I update the BIOS from Win 10?
PaulyM
3 Posts
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August 19th, 2015 14:00
Yes you can, just download the update from the site and it runs from within WIN10.
Paul
unarcr
1 Message
0
September 5th, 2015 12:00
Hi Clive,
I have a Vostro 3550, downloded W10 two weeks ago and it seems to be in perpetual installation. I didn't have a blank screen from the get book but a flashing blue screen with the Microsoft logo. I also checked if I have the A11 in my BIOS which I do. So, what else can I do to open my laptop. Called Dell out of warranty department and for $250 they say they will take a look at my system. Desperate now for a solution without losing my files and software. Thanks
ssrd11
1 Message
0
September 13th, 2015 18:00
For me an update of the Bios worked.
hofm
1 Message
1
September 13th, 2015 20:00
Apparently the Vostro 3550 graphic driver creates problems with the Windows 10 upgrade. I installed the latest BIOS driver and them the Windows 10 upgrade from Windows 7 went very smoothly albeit it took a long time to complete the upgrade.
CNoEvil
2 Posts
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September 14th, 2015 03:00
Hi Unarcr (5 Sep 2015)
Sorry but I don't have any real idea what could be causing the issue you have described. As this reply is so much later than your post perhaps you have resolved this in the meantime.
All I can say is that you should not have truly lost your files. Even if he upgrade went pretty badly wrong, your documents and so on should still be on the hard disk and reasonably easily recovered. One way would be to boot from a "live CD" for a suitable linux distribution, and then access the hard disk to find/backup your own files.
Would be interested to know if restarting the machine caused your Windows 10 "upgrade" to continue to some sort of conclusion, or an automatic reverse to your original OS, or whether you were left with a "broken system"?
Best wishes.
Clive
Umair.idrees
1 Message
0
September 20th, 2015 07:00
I am also facing the same problem. Disply goes after turning on windows 10 or 8 and 8.1. Please help me how can i fix this problem in dell vostro 3550. U can also post here or via email.
ERASER2k4
2 Posts
1
September 27th, 2015 09:00
Just updated my vostro to win10. It all went smooth and without any problems. I had bios up to date though. Not because I read it here but due to other reasons some time back. Good hint to check that before updating! Thanks for this info.
So far everything is running!