Dell laptop Inspiron 5748, Latest Win 10 update hosed VIDEO

FatTonyBubatz · 10 Jul 2020

Rarely have problems with updates on any of my computers, but the last update to this older laptop has caused the video to fail when Windows boots to the login screen . Black screen . Computer is up and running (can see it on the network)

Cant get past that . Booting into safe mode, video is FINE , so its some driver that got hosed

Short of backing out the updates (assuming that fixes it ) , is there something I can do while in safe mode to try and fix whatever is broken ?

Running Windows 10 1903 .

dalchina · 10 Jul 2020

Inspiron 5748 - from around 2014. Therefore, as you suggest, the responsibility is probably yours. Continuing correct operation with ongoing builds and updates of Win 10 is NOT guaranteed.

but the last update to this older laptop

- could you please define 'the last update'?

E.g.
- Windows update- which? Presumably not feature update
- or perhaps you mean a (video) driver update - which?

See your Update History (drivers at the bottom).
Also review your video driver installation date in Device Manager.

If a Windows update, you can review the corresponding article in the News section where there is an article per update per build.

You may have to
- consolidate and stay with a given Windows build that works for you and not update.
- not update your video (or other) driver if that's the problem.

This is relatively easy- there are freeware tools that have been around for years to give control of and block Windows update.

Possible reversion - assuming updates, not feature update:
- system restore
- uninstall a Windows update
- roll back a driver

- depending on what the undefined

last update to this older laptop

actually was.

Steve C · 10 Jul 2020

My Dell Inspiron is from 2014, was offered the update to v2004 and all seems fine so far apart from the optimise bug.

FatTonyBubatz · 10 Jul 2020

To be honest, I never considered that a 6 year old perfectly good laptop would not be supported under Win 10

Is that an official policy or by experience ? You're making it sound like anything not recent can be broken at any time, without recourse

These were only the scheduled monthly updates . To be honest, not sure If Windows did an update to the video driver or not. Would have to check .

- - - Updated - - -

I would have expected it to come a little sooner, but after booting into safe mode (but not altering anything) and trying a normal boot a few more times, Windows finally got its dang act together

I've been at this for a very long time (longer than that ) , and I'm loath to do drastic stuff unless absolutely needed

- - - Updated - - -

Steve C said:

My Dell Inspiron is from 2014, was offered the update to v2004 and all seems fine so far apart from the optimise bug.

Yeah, no reason to think these Dells would be abandoned at this point.

No idea what got hosed, but Windows eventually was able to sort itself out. I've been very lucky for decades with updates, so this was unusual .

dalchina · 10 Jul 2020

You can check here as to what Dell officially supports. Yours is referred to in the list for build 1511.

https://www.dell.com/support/article...ows-10?lang=en

Steve C · 10 Jul 2020

dalchina said:

You can check here as to what Dell officially supports. Yours is referred to in the list for build 1511.

https://www.dell.com/support/article...ows-10?lang=en

That official list is useless. The latest supported version of Windows 10 stated for my Inspiron 7537 is Build 1511 from years ago. The laptop was offered the latest update to v2004 and works fine. Dell is still updating some Windows 10 drivers.

Try3 · 10 Jul 2020

FatTonyBubatz said:

... anything not recent can be broken at any time, without recourse ...

Yes, that is correct.

If your OEM is not producing hardware updates for your device then there are no guarantees that updated Windows will run correctly.

MS only undertook to maintain compatibility for the "supported lifetime" of a device. If the OEM is no longer supporting the device then that life has expired.

FatTonyBubatz said:

... Yeah, no reason to think these Dells would be abandoned at this point. ...

But Dell have abandoned you. Dell are no longer producing hardware updates for your device.

Denis

dalchina · 10 Jul 2020

Steve C said:

That official list is useless. The latest supported version of Windows 10 stated for my Inspiron 7537 is Build 1511 from years ago. The laptop was offered the latest update to v2004 and works fine. Dell is still updating some Windows 10 drivers.

There's a difference between what is tested and guaranteed and what works in practice. I think you understand that.

I reiterate- once beyond the officially supported point you are at risk of something not working at some arbitrary time in the future, and therefore need to be prepared for that.

Put another way, until exactly what date do you expect to continue to update your laptop without problems?

FatTonyBubatz · 11 Jul 2020

Put another way, until exactly what date do you expect to continue to update your laptop without problems?

Well, not sure people and businesses would be amused have perfectly good working hardware bricked for no clear reason. I don't have a specific date, and maybe I don't need one.

Frankly, they would have to do something quite extreme or deliberate to break windows completely in a reasonably modern laptop (or desktop)

Maybe you have seen examples of this 'obsoleting' . I don't follow it that closely, and in 40+ years of computing , have so rarely run into it , I don't even think about it.

Anyone have a horror story to share ?

OldNavyGuy · 11 Jul 2020

These are the drivers available for the 5748.

Select Video from the Category drop down .

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en...laptop/drivers

First thing I would try is uninstall the display adapter in Device Manager, and reboot.

MS may have the correct driver.

Failing that, I would try manually installing the driver.

Download the drivers from Dell.

In Device Manager, right-click on the device and select Properties

Click on the Driver tab and select Update Driver

Click Browse my computer for driver software

Click Let me pick from an available list of drivers on my computer

Click Have Disk and then Browse to the path where you saved the Dell drivers.