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Question regarding BIOS updates via MS Windows Update vs. Dell Drivers and Downloads.
XPS 8940
I noticed that Windows Update reported a firmware update for my XPS 8940 on February 14th, but it wasn't listed on the Dell Support Drivers and Downloads website, even looking manually for BIOS updates. I finally saw that it appeared on the Dell website over a week later. Are these okay to install from MS Windows Update? I contacted Dell Technical Support, but I haven't heard back from them and it has been 13 days. Thanks for your help.
Chino de Oro
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February 28th, 2024 06:27
Yes, it's okay to install drivers and firmware from Microsoft update as they are submitted by OEM such as Dell in this case.
Drivers are primarily built by independent hardware vendors (IHVs) like Intel or Realtek and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Dell and Lenovo. The hardware ecosystem for Windows devices comprises hundreds of partners who continuously build new drivers and deliver updates to existing ones. All drivers must be certified by the Windows Hardware Dev Center and signed by Microsoft in order for Windows to install them, and most are also published to Windows Update.
Drivers are published to Windows Update with specific targeting parameters that identify individual hardware components, computers, operating system (OS) versions, and/or a combination of these items. Microsoft enforces a publishing process that aims to grant only the highest quality drivers to Windows Update. Post-publishing rollout monitoring is used to find issues fast and mitigate them with the hardware partner who published the update.
TheRoots
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February 29th, 2024 16:51
@Chino de Oro , Thanks. My concern was that the BIOS update appeared on Windows Update, but not the Dell Support webpage for my XPS 8940. I wanted to make sure Windows didn't detect an incorrect update for my PC. My HP laptop has always used Windows Update to rollout Firmware updates, so I wanted to know if Dell was switching to that model. Dell still hasn't responded. I prefer to download any Firmware updates directly from the Dell Support website and install them manually, rather than through another tool such as Windows Update or Dell Update. Thanks again.
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Chino de Oro
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February 29th, 2024 23:59
The BIOS firmware was submitted to Microsoft for compatibility certification and was pushed out by MS before Dell release schedules.
You can download manually from Dell and installing at your schedule. It's a safe practice nevertheless. Often, firmware is offered as optional update (meaning users have control of installation), but MS did pushed them on automatic update occasionally. To avoid this unwanted situation, you can go into BIOS settings and disable UEFI capsule firmware update
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