XPS 8940, Windows Update offers BIOS 2.17.0

If you're NOT experiencing any problem with your PC, I would say wait for a week or two. In my case. my PC is suffering from Win 11 occasional freezing like many other 8940 owners. I'm willing to try this new BIOS and hope that it is the solution.

@Lopito Abad​ My 8940 is not suffering from the intermittent freezes using BIOS 2.16.0 (after driving me crazy with freezes using older BIOS versions), so I'm reluctant to fix what isn't broken. For that reason, I'll check frequently in these forums hoping others will try 2.17.0 and report in.

Larry

Others have also been offered BIOS 2.17.0 by Windows Update, but it's still not listed on the Dell support site. I'd hold off on it too, at least to see what Dell posts about it, eg, a security update and/or a performance fix...

Since you're happy with 2.16.0, be sure to open BIOS setup asap and disable UEFI Capsule Updates so that Windows Update can't force-install it when you're not looking, even though it's listed as "optional" now. Otherwise, sooner/later WU can/will decide it's not optional and force-install it, without permission or warning. 

ON firmware 2.16.0 The Intel CSME detection told me I had a security vulnerability, after updating to 2.17.0 the security vulnerability is gone. 

I already installed it on one machine. 

There was only one problem, it did not start updating the firmware on reboot. 

I had to press F2 to get into BIOS and then it started updating.  

I have now 2.17.0 BIOS installed on one xps 8940. 

I have not seen it on the other yet. 🤷‍♂️

After working fine for a couple of years my XPS 8940 desktop started to freeze at random during regular day to day tasks or when idling (never gaming). So far the only solution I have found to prevent the freezing issues is to change the Power Management Mode in Manage 3D Settings in Nvidia Control panel from 'Normal' to 'Prefer Maxiumum Performance'. The issue is discussed at length here - ‎XPS 8940, freezing again after almost a year without freezing | Page 21 | DELL Technologies

Recently Windows 11 offered me the optional update Dell Firmware 2.17.0. So I chose to update from the Dell issued 2.16.0. Unfortunately 2.17.0 is not a fix for the freezing issue but it appears not to cause any problems either so I have left the system running that BIOS.

Dell finally posted the 2.17.0 BIOS on their website:

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=vp3r1&oscode=wt64a&productcode=xps-8940-desktop

@Penwell​ Thanks for the heads-up. I just updated to 2.17.0, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Larry

@Penwell​ 

Interesting? I see it with your link and if I go to the Drivers and Downloads and use FIND FILES I can see it. However, Support Assist when enabled to run, only find V2.16.0?

I never was offered V2.17.0 via MS Update? Wonder why, or with Support Assist not finding it could it be for some specific configurations only? If so, why post it so anyone who knows how to see ALL files for any 8940 can get it?

That said, I think that Download page has been changed? It used to show BOTH my XPS and Dell Monitor as devices. Now only the XPS is shown? Could be some server data was cleared though?

Very odd the way this BIOS was/is handled?

SupportAssist/Dell Update always lags behind offering new driver updates once they're posted on the PC model's site....

@RoHe​,

So how much does it lag? 24hrs later and still has not found it for my XPS? I can see a 'day', a database accessed by SA might not have been updated during the day, but I'd think those are update every evening?

Patience my friend, patience... From past experience, it may take several days or even a week or two before SA offers a newly released update that's already been visible on the support site for a while...

@RoHe​,

I think there is something wrong with that d/l page?

First time I go to it, it only shows MY XPS as a device known to it? However, after I do a check, and it doesn't find the new BIOS and go back to the main page, it now finds my Monitor?

It isn't my default browser problem either? I use Firebird, and I am logged into the site. So I switch to Edge. Same thing, ONLY my XPS is shown. However I realize I am not signed in? So I do that, and Edge finds both products now, my XPS and Monitor.

However, in Firefox, only when I return to the Drivers and Downloads page after having run SA, does it find both?

Quite possible Edge displayed both because SA was run?

Very odd it seems, but this happened the other days too?

Oh, no 2.17.0 today either? Never got offered it via Windows Update either? Do have Capsule Update disabled? Could be why, MS finally honoring the setting, or the Windows setting to stop driver updates?

@ispalten - I suspect you need to clear all the leftovers again.  Just deleting cache, cookies etc from inside FF doesn't fully clean out the leftovers.  And it's possible the site may be seeing those leftovers, regardless of which browser you're using...

You may want to run something like ccleaner to fully clean out the leftover junk. Whenever a Dell site misbehaves for me, first thing I do is run ccleaner, and most of the time, that solves the problem...

@RoHe​ 

Ron, just cleared the Cache and Date for Dell site. Closed FF and re-opened, but it still shows V2.1.6.0. I did get email from Dell that V2.17.0 is available for me...

Oh well..

Hmm, so I decided to switch to Edge and try... same result?

Then tried Dell Update alone:

Makes no sense?