Article Number: 000123347
Duration: 01:56
Closed captions: English only
Dell Drivers & Downloads website allows you to download device drivers, firmware, and some software applications for your Dell PCs, tablets, mobile devices, printers, monitors, projectors, servers, storage & networking devices and so on.
Click to expand the sections below for more information.
A driver is a small but essential piece of software that is written for a specific operating system like Microsoft Windows 10. The operating system uses the driver to communicate with a hardware device such as a printer, video card, sound card, network adapters, etc. Microsoft Windows operating systems includes drivers for most devices, however, device-specific drivers may need to be downloaded and installed from the manufacturer's website.
Without drivers, the devices that you connect to your PC would not work properly. Dell develops drivers so that the operating system on your Dell PC can work with your Dell devices and applications.
Back to TopDell releases updated device drivers frequently to ensure that your Dell PC has the latest security patches, fixes, and functionality available.
When you update the device drivers, you are taking a preventive measure to protect your PC and ensure your hardware and devices work properly.
Back to TopDevice drivers should be updated when you have reinstalled the operating system using either CD, DVD, or a USB drive or when you are facing any issues like Wi-Fi or other network issues, video (GPU) issues or audio (sound) issues.
We also recommended that you install or update the device drivers if you have performed a factory reset of your Dell PC using Dell Backup and Recovery or other factory reset methods. This ensures that you have the latest device drivers that are installed on your PC and ensure that the devices function optimally.
However, if your PC is working fine and the driver is not listed as an Urgent or Recommended download, there may be no reason to update. Updating drivers unnecessarily can and in some rare cases, create problems. Review the criticality information listed on the driver download page for more information.
Installing or updating the device drivers may help with:
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopRefer to the Dell Knowledge Base article Dell Printer Uninstalling, Downloading and Installing Printer Drivers, Software, Manuals and Firmware, for information about obtaining and installing the latest drivers and utilities for your printer
When looking for Windows 10, Windows 8 or Windows 7 drivers for your printer and it is not listed as having any for those Operating System, some or all the printer's functionality may still be available using Compatibility Mode as a means to install printer drivers from a past version of Windows. For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article Installing Printer Drivers From a Previous Version of Windows
If a keyboard and mouse came bundled with your PC, you may also find the device drivers using the keyword search or category filter on the "Drivers & Downloads" tab of your PC's product support page.
For devices that were not made by Dell, you must look for the device drivers on the manufacturer's website.
Back to TopDell factory installed software can be downloaded from:
Device drivers are sorted into 'Categories' on Dell Drivers & Downloads website. It allows you to easily identify and download a specific type of device driver based on functionality of the device. The categories of device drivers vary between different Dell products. Some of the generic categories are:
Applications category lists software downloads that Dell is providing for use with your Dell PC, including but not limited to:
Other factory-installed software or digital purchases may be available at one of the following locations:
Audio category lists device drivers for the audio (sound) card in your Dell PC. Audio drivers enable or improve functionality by enabling the speaker ports to transmit sound. Installing the audio drivers can typically fix no sound or even sound quality issues.
BIOS category lists System BIOS flash utilities that allow you to update the System BIOS firmware of your Dell PC. The acronym BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System which controls and activates most hardware components of a PC. The primary function of a PC's BIOS is to recognize and initiate all the hardware components to make them available for use. The term 'Flashing' the BIOS is synonymous with updating the motherboard's BIOS to the latest version. BIOS updates provide feature updates and bug fixes. When the PC is first started, the BIOS activates all the hardware components that are required by the PC to boot into an Operating System including but not limited to:
For more information about BIOS, browse to the Dell knowledge-base article What is BIOS and how do I download and install the latest BIOS.
The chipset category lists the chipset drivers that are required for your Dell PC. It is essential to install the Chipset drivers before installing the other device drivers.
Chipset is a collection of multiple integrated circuits that are designed to perform one or more related functions on the motherboard. Chipset drivers are responsible for controlling communication between different components in your PC: the processor (CPU), video card (GPU), hard disk drives, PCI devices, memory (RAM), USB controller drivers and others. Basic chipset drivers are typically included as part of the operating system, however, specific chipset drivers provide optimal performance of the motherboard. Updating the chipset drivers is important, especially if you are experiencing slow system performance. The chipset category in Dell Drivers & Downloads page may contain multiple drivers that are required for your PC. This includes the chipset driver, controller drivers, card reader drivers, USB 3.0 controller drivers, Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework driver, Intel Management Engine Components driver, etc. It is essential that you install all the drivers that are listed under the chipset category.
The modem/communications category contains device drivers and utilities for internal or external 56k dial-up modems, mobile broadband cards, and in some rare cases device drivers for Bluetooth cards.
The mouse, keyboard, and input devices category contain device drivers for the touchpad, integrated webcam, mice, and keyboard.
The network category contains device drivers for ethernet (wired), Wi-Fi (wireless) and Bluetooth cards.
To recognize these devices and perform optimally, the operating system requires the network drivers to be installed.
The operating system category contains a link to the Dell OS Recovery Tool page. On the Dell OS Recovery Tool page, you can download a Dell ISO recovery image file for Microsoft Windows or Linux and use the Dell OS Recovery Tool to create a bootable USB drive.
This section contains firmware upgrades for CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives. The firmware for CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive increases or expands reading and recording functionality with different types of optical media. It can typically fix reading or recording issues with the optical drive.
This category contains drivers and utilities that are required for some Dell Latitude laptops. Depending on the system configuration, you may not need to install these device drivers.
This category contains hard disk drive utilities for storage management.
Dell System Software is a utility that provides critical updates and patches for the operating system. It is necessary for the proper functioning of your Dell PC.
This category contains device drivers and utilities for the video or graphics (GPU) card that is installed on your Dell PC. Video or graphics (GPU) driver is a program that controls how your video or graphics (GPU) card works with the rest of your PC: applications that you are using, the monitor being used and so on.
Dell recommends that you download and install the video or graphics (GPU) driver from the Dell Drivers & downloads website.
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopDell SupportAssist app (formerly Dell System Detect) is an application that runs on your Windows-based PC or tablet with your permission and interacts with the Dell Support website so that we can provide a better and more personalized support experience.
The three main actions that you can take on Dell Support website that use Dell SupportAssist app (formerly Dell System Detect) are:
For more information, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Dell SupportAssist app (formerly Dell System Detect): Common Questions.
Back to TopDell Update or Dell Update Package (DUP) is a software that automates the installation of device drivers and application updates specific for your device. Dell Update software is supported on Inspiron, Vostro, XPS and Alienware PCs running Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. This application is needed to receive driver and application updates. Device drivers and application updates may help in the following areas:
For more information, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Dell Update - Overview and common questions.
Back to TopDell Command | Update is installed as a standalone application on a business client supported platform to provide a Windows update experience for systems software released by Dell. This application is installed locally on the target systems and simplifies BIOS, firmware, device drivers, and application update experience on Dell Client Hardware. This application can also be used to install drivers after the Operating System and network drivers are installed based on the system identity.
Dell Command | Update is designed to allow users to specify their update preferences and apply updates based on the criticality. Alternatively, you can use the scheduling option to keep your PCs up to date with the latest systems software released by Dell.
Supported Dell PCs:
For more information, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article How to use Dell Command | Update to update all drivers BIOS and firmware for your system.
Back to TopDell SupportAssist (formerly My Dell or Dell Support Center) is a control panel for system tools and diagnostics. It contains extensive help sections for online tools, warranty information, Dell technical support links and Dell customer support channels. Access all system controls like Device Manager, Network Connections and more from a single location.
Dell SupportAssist also proactively checks the health of your system’s hardware and software. When an issue is detected, the necessary system state information is sent to Dell for troubleshooting to begin. Dell contacts you to start the resolution conversation, preventing issues from becoming costly problems. Review the User Guide and Frequently Asked Questions documents for more details.
Features:
Get email notifications when there are new or updated device drivers for the Dell product that you are interested in through Support Notifications. Support Notifications gives you quick and easy access to updates about support services for your Dell products. You can subscribe to receive notifications by email and/or text message (SMS) for Service Request updates, knowledge base article updates and device driver updates. To create or manage subscriptions for your Dell products, visit the Support Notifications page.
To learn more about Support Notifications, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article Support Notifications: Overview and common questions.
Back to TopDevice Manager is a control panel applet in Microsoft Windows operating system. It allows users to view and control the status of hardware that is attached to the PC. Device manager is also an important troubleshooting tool that can help you troubleshoot issues with hardware devices. It displays all the hardware devices that are installed in your PC and allows you to manage the device drivers, view devices that are not functioning and disable specific devices (if required).
In device manager, for each device you can:
By default, the device manager displays a list of the installed hardware devices which are sorted by category. You can expand these categories to view which specific hardware component is installed in your PC.
A device’s properties window contains information and settings that are specific to that type of hardware. The settings that matter most for troubleshooting are the device driver settings. After right-clicking a device, select Properties and click the Driver tab. You will find information about the currently installed driver.
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopRefer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopYou may use any working computer or mobile device to download the device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Once the necessary device drivers are downloaded, you can save the downloaded files to an external USB drive or even copy the files to a CD or DVD whichever is available.
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopIf you have chosen to search for an individual device driver rather than having Dell automatically update them, you must check the filters that you have selected. There may be some device drivers or applications that are available for your product model but do not match your PC’s original configuration. If you are searching by a Service Tag, you will only see device drivers for the components that were included when you bought your system. To see all device drivers for your product model, deselect the "Show drivers for Service Tag" check-box.
Back to TopYou should consider updating device drivers in Windows when you install a new hardware device and it does not work automatically or after reinstalling or upgrading Windows on your PC.
Updating device drivers is also a great troubleshooting step when the device is not functioning properly or generating an error, like a Device Manager error code. In some instances, an updated device driver might enable new features for the hardware as provided by the manufacturer.
Device drivers can be updated by downloading and installing the latest device drivers through:
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to identify the driver version and how to download and install the latest device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopDevice driver installation is critical if you have reinstalled Microsoft Windows operating system on your Dell PC. It is equally important that you install the device drivers in the correct order for your PC to function correctly. In some scenarios, you may be required to reinstall or update the device driver if you are encountering any issues with a specific device.
Refer to the Dell knowledge-base article How to reinstall device drivers in the correct order? for more information.
Back to TopDell Drivers & Downloads website can scan your PC and present a list that can be referenced to help you identify what components were installed in the original configuration or current system configuration.
To check what version of Microsoft Windows is installed on a Windows 10, Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 PC:
To check what version of Microsoft Windows is installed on a Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP PC:
To download 32-bit device drivers for your Dell PC, follow these steps:
To access device manager in Microsoft Windows:
When you need to uninstall a device driver completely, it is recommended to use the device's uninstaller program. If an uninstaller is available, you should find it under Programs and Features (previously called Add/Remove Programs) in Windows Control Panel. Some devices will not have an uninstaller, or the uninstaller may not appear in Programs and Features (previously called Add/Remove Programs) list. In such instances, you may use Device Manager to remove the device driver completely.
Uninstalling a device driver from Windows Control Panel
Uninstalling a device driver from Device Manager
The rollback driver feature available in Windows Device Manager is used to uninstall the current device driver and then automatically install the previously installed version of the device driver.
The most common reason to use the driver rollback feature is to reverse a driver update that caused any problem to the functionality of a hardware device.
To roll back a device driver in Microsoft Windows:
Symbol | Description |
Info Symbol | A blue "i" on a white field on a device resource in PC properties indicates that the Use Automatic Settings feature is not selected for the device and that the resource was manually selected. This does not indicate a problem or disabled state. |
Disabled Symbol | A black down-arrow on a white field on a device resource in Device Manager indicates that the device has been disabled. This does not indicate that there is a problem with the device. Right-click on the device and click Enable. |
Exclamation | A black exclamation point (!) on a yellow field indicates that the device is in a problem state. A device that is in a problem state can be functioning. |
Red X | A red "X" indicates a disabled device. A disabled device is a device that is physically present in the PC and is consuming resources but does not have a protected-mode driver loaded. |
Other devices | A device with a yellow "?" with an exclamation point (!) under Other devices or sometimes also listed as "Unknown device" indicates that the device or its drivers are not available or installed. |
To find an error code for a device in Windows Device Manager, follow these steps:
Refer to Microsoft's knowledge-base article Error codes in Device Manager in Windows for more information.
In rare cases, a device may not work as expected after an update. This can happen when there is an issue with the update or if another device driver is in conflict with the one that was updated. To fix this issue, you can roll back, or revert, the device driver to the previous version.
To know more, refer to the How do I roll back a device driver to a previous version? section of this Dell knowledge-base article.
Back to TopSome hardware devices may be listed as an "Unknown Device" in Windows Device Manager if the device driver is not available or installed on the PC.
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install the latest device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopA yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager indicates that Windows has detected a problem with the device. Most device manager errors can be resolved by uninstalling and/or installing the latest device driver.
Once the PC has rebooted, Microsoft Windows will automatically detect and attempt to reinstall the device driver. If the red X remains after the reboot, depending on the device, download, and install the device driver from Dell Drivers & Downloads website or the device manufacturer's website.
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install the latest device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopA red X next to a device in Windows Device Manager indicates that the device is either disabled or Microsoft Windows is unable to communicate with the device due to a corrupt or deleted device driver file. To resolve this issue:
Once the PC has rebooted, Microsoft Windows will automatically detect and attempt to reinstall the device driver. If the red X remains after the reboot, depending on the device, download, and install the device driver from Dell Drivers & Downloads website or the device manufacturer's website.
Refer to the informational videos section in this knowledge-base article for a video guide on how to download and install the latest device drivers from Dell Drivers & Downloads website.
Back to TopThis error message is noticed while installing Intel Graphics driver on your Dell PC. The error could be caused due to:
To learn more about how to resolve this error, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article How to resolve "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software" error message.
Back to TopThis error message is noticed while installing Intel drivers on your Dell PC. The error could be caused due to:
G Series, G Series, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Retired Models, Fixed Workstations, Dell G3 3579, Dell G5 15 5587, Inspiron 3275
20 Nov 2020
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