Downloads Help

Choosing a Product Starting at the Downloads Home Page, the first step is choosing the product for which you want downloads. Enter a service tag or product model. If you've already chosen a product previously, you can leave it or choose a new one.

Choosing an Operating System and Language After you've chosen a product, choose the operating system and language your product is using. If an operating system and/or language are pre-selected, you can leave these in place or choose other options from the menus. If you don't know what operating system to choose, try the methods listed below to help identify. Language refers to the language of your operating system.

Ways to Identify Your Operating System:

From your desktop, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > System. The System Properties window appears. Look for your operating system on the first tab, or
Install the Dell System Profiler application and look in the General Information section, or
Refer to your original documentation such as operating system CD or invoice.

Choosing a Device After you've selected your product and operating system, you will see a list of device categories. Under each category, you will find one or more devices listed. Find the category for which you want downloads and select the device for your product. For example, if you're looking for a video driver, look under the "Video Drivers" category. If there are multiple devices listed in the category, you must identify the one that applies to your product. If you don't know which device to choose, refer to the methods below to help you identify.

Ways to Identify Your Device:

From your desktop, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > System. The System Properties window appears. Click the Hardware tab, then the Device Manager button. (For Windows 95/98, go direct to the Device Manager tab). Next, look for the category of the device you're trying to identify and click the plus sign (+) to the left of it. The device might be labeled as an adapter, card, or controller. The name and model of the installed device appears below the device category, or
Install the Dell System Profiler application and look for the category of the device you're trying to identify. Many devices will be listed in the Hardware category, or
Refer to your original documentation such as packing slip or invoice.

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NOTE: The Dell Downloads site only contains downloads for Dell-branded products. If you are looking for downloads for a device that is not part of a Dell-branded product, please refer to the product vendor's website for downloads and other information.

Choosing a File Type

NOTE: You only need to choose a file type if prompted.

Some devices have different types of files for download. For example a video device may have a Driver and an Application. Choose the type that applies to your needs. If you want to download more than one file type, you must do so one at a time. Please refer to the information below for a description of the different downloads types:

Application

These programs are what enable your computer to perform specific tasks such as creating documents, executing calculations or playing games.

BIOS

Your computer's BIOS (basic input/output system) is stored on a chip on your system board. It determines vital things about your computer, such as how large a hard disk your computer can handle and what components are installed in your system. Old BIOS revisions won't be able to recognize many of today's newest peripherals and therefore you might have to upgrade it.

Diagnostics

Software you can use to test functionality and diagnose problems with your system.

Driver

A driver is a piece of software that lets your Dell system communicate with peripherals and other hardware installed on your system, such as sound and video cards, modems, and printers. Drivers essentially translate commands from your operating system into instructions the hardware can read.

Firmware

Firmware is piece of software that is stored on Read-only memory (ROM) on a device and helps to control the functionality of the device. This is not the same as a driver. A firmware update will often correct or improve the functionality of a device.

HTML Documentation

Any documentation, including PDF, doc and text files, that supports files listed on our website.

Utilities

System utilities that help you monitor and configure your system and network for problems, and to help you fix problems once they have been identified.

Choosing a File Format

NOTE: You only need to choose a file format if prompted.

Some files are available in different formats. Format refers to how the file will be opened after you have downloaded it. Refer to the format description next to the file name for specific information about that format. Choose the format that applies to your needs. The most common format is Hard Drive- if in doubt, choose it. Typically, regardless of the format, you get the same content from the file.

Choosing a Version

NOTE: You only need to choose a version if prompted.

When you choose a device from the device category page, it will by default find the most current version of the files for that device. It is usually best to use the most current version. If you locate a file for which other versions are available, they will be listed from newest to oldest. Only use an older version if there is a conflict with the newer version.

Choosing a Certified Driver

NOTE: You only need to choose a certified driver if prompted.

Application Certified Drivers are drivers that have been certified by their respective software companies to ensure 100% compatibility with specific Dell hardware and software applications. These drivers have been developed, debugged and optimized to work with the specific versions of graphic drivers and applications for which they have been certified; unless you know you need these specific drivers for a particular application, use the standard hardware drivers.

Downloading & Installation

BEFORE YOU BEGIN DOWNLOADING, review all the file information to be sure it's the file you want and that you are aware of any important precautionary information as well as installation instructions. Sometimes there are specific incompatibilities or dependencies. For example, some drivers require a BIOS update before they can be installed. If possible, print the page for reference during the installation process. If you do not see installation instructions or the file does not automatically present instructions after you download and run it, look for instructions in any readme.txt files, .doc files, or .htm files that are included in the unzipped set of files.

To start downloading, find and click the Download Now button.

NOTE: Downloading the file is only the first step in the installation process. After the file has been downloaded to a specified location on your hard drive, you must find the file on your hard drive, and then run (double-click) it to start the unzipping and installation process. Refer to the installation instructions for more information.

Common Downloads Problems

I'm Not Sure What Downloads I Need

The best way to find the right downloads for your product is to start at the Downloads Home page and follow the steps as described in the first section of this document. The most challenging step for most users is choosing the right device- see the information under Choosing a Device for help on this topic.

If you are mainly looking for updates i.e. you want to install the latest downloads, but are not sure if your product is already up to date, try the following methods to help you identify:

Look at the Release Date of the file. If it was released after your product shipped, then its probably an update and you may want to download and install it, or
Look at the version information of the file. This is usually shown in the Release Title e.g. "v.2.4.21.15.dell1 A01." Next, find the version information for the relevant device currently installed on your product. If you need help finding this information, see the Ways to Identify Your Device information under Choosing a Device in this document and look for version information next to the device. Finally, compare the version information. Versions usually follow a numerical order. If the file on our web site has a higher version number, its probably an updated file and you may want to download and install it.

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I'm Having Technical Problems Accessing or Using the Downloads Site

The downloads site may occasionally encounter transient network problems or other issues. Try visiting the site at a later time to see if the problems are gone.
If there are still problems, you might try clearing your cache and temp files. To do this, close all your browsers. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Internet Options. Look for Temporary Internet Files and delete. Next, go to Start > Run, type the word "temp", then click OK. This opens your Temp folder. Delete all files and sub-folders in your Temp folder.
If there are still problems, you might try adjusting your browser's security and cookie settings. If you have your security set high and are blocking cookies, this may cause a conflict with the Dell Downloads site, in which case you may need to temporarily lower your settings and/or change them to allow cookies. To do this, go back to Internet Options and find the appropriate settings.
If there are still problems, you might try refreshing your Dell cookies. To do this, go to C:\Documents and Settings\"Your Settings Folder"\Cookies, where "Your Settings Folder" is your name or the name you entered when you installed your operating system. Find and delete any cookies that contain the text "dell.com".
If there are still problems, you might try adding Dell as a trusted site in your browser security settings. To do this, go back to Internet Options and click the Security tab. Next, click Trusted Sites, then click on "Sites." Next, add www.dell.com to the list of trusted sites. You may also try adding "support.dell.com" and/or "support.dell.com/downloads".
If there are still problems, you might try updating your browser.
If there are still problems, you might try adjusting other programs running on your system that may be conflicting with the downloads site. This would most likely be a program that monitors your computer and its activity while connected to the Internet, such as firewalls, anti virus, and "popup killers". You might try to temporarily disable such programs or modify their settings while you use the downloads site.

Finally, your network policies or administrator settings may be conflicting with the downloads site. For example, you may be connecting from a company intranet or proxy server that limits access to certain websites or software. To resolve issues of this nature, you would have to contact your network/ISP or system administrator.

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I'm Having Problems Downloading From the Site

The downloads site may occasionally encounter transient network problems or other issues that interrupt the download process. Try visiting the site at a later time to see if the problems are gone.

If there are still problems, you might try restarting your computer and trying the download again. Also check the size of your download. It may be too large for your network connection- in this case, you may need to ask a friend or neighbor with a faster connection to download it and then transfer the files to your product via removable disk e.g. ZIP or CDRW.

If there are still problems, you might try the FTP Download link instead of Download Now in case there is a conflict with the download protocol.

If there are still problems, you might try adjusting other programs running on your system that may be conflicting with the download process. This would most likely be a program that monitors your computer and its activity while connected to the Internet, such as firewalls, anti virus, and "popup killers". You might try to temporarily disable such programs or modify their settings while you download your files.

Finally, network policies or administrator settings may conflict with the download process. For example, you may be connecting from a company intranet or proxy server that limits access to certain websites or software. To resolve issues of this nature, you would have to contact your network/ISP or system administrator.

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I'm Having Problems Installing My Downloads

If you have found the file and there are problems when you try to run it, carefully review all the information on the web site for the file including important information and installation instructions. Confirm you are following the right steps and noting any special dependencies. For example, some drivers require a BIOS update before they can be installed. If you do not see installation instructions or the file does not automatically present instructions after you download and run it, look for instructions in any readme.txt files, .doc files, or .htm files that are included in the unzipped set of files.
If this does not resolve, you might try deleting the files you downloaded, clearing your cache and temp files, and repeating the entire download process. To clear cache and temp files, first close all your browsers. Then, go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Internet Options. Look for Temporary Internet Files and delete. Next, go to Start > Run, type the word "temp", then click OK. This opens your Temp folder. Delete all files and sub-folders in your Temp folder.
If there are still problems, you might try adjusting other programs running on your system that may be conflicting with the installation process. This would most likely be a program that monitors your computer and its activity while connected to the Internet, such as firewalls, anti virus, and "popup killers". You might try to temporarily disable such programs or modify their settings while you install your files.
Finally, network policies or administrator settings may be conflicting with the installation process. For example, you may be connecting from a company intranet or proxy server that limits access to certain websites or software. To resolve issues of this nature, you would have to contact your network/ISP or system administrator.

NEED MORE HELP? Click here for additional resources.

How Do I Search for Downloads?

You can directly search for downloads using keywords or file name. Start at the Downloads Home page and enter your search criteria into the search box on the right. If results are found, a list of downloads will be displayed. Browse the list to find the download you are seeking.

NOTE: Using the search method does not automatically filter your results by product, operating system, version, format, etc. This means you need to be more careful about reading the file information and checking for compatibility before downloading. To get more refined, more relevant search results, include relevant keywords in your criteria e.g. "dimension 4600 nvidia drivers."

How Do I Use "My Downloads" (Saved Downloads)?

The My Downloads feature allows you to save up to 10 downloads links for future reference. This is particularly useful if you need to download multiple files and want to group them before you start downloading (you can only download one file at a time).

To save a download, find the file you wish to save and click the "Add to My Downloads" link to the right of the Download Now button. Once you have saved a download, you can access it by clicking the link in the "My Downloads" section on the right side of any downloads page.

NOTE: To save and access My Downloads, you must be logged into a Dell My Account. If you are not logged in or do not have an account, you will be prompted to log in or create an account.

How Can I Get More Help?

For further help with downloads-related issues, we recommend the following resources:

Dell Community Forums
Get help from fellow Dell customers in our community support forum.

Chat with a Dell Support Representative
Chat live with a Dell Support Representative. Note: To chat, you must provide a valid service tag that is under technical support warranty.