Dell XPS 15 9500 Troubleshooting

Audio from the laptop speakers isn’t playing correctly.

An outdated or missing audio driver can cause issues with the device’s audio. One way to fix this is by forcing the device to restore default driver settings. First, navigate to "Device Manager," then scroll down and click "System Devices." Scroll again and right click "Intel Smart Sound Technology" (Intel SST) OED and click "Uninstall" (but do not delete). Close the window and restart the device. The driver should automatically reinstall upon startup.

Debris inside the speaker grill may cause distorted audio. Make sure the device is powered off and unplugged, then use compressed air and/or a cotton swab with a dab of rubbing alcohol to clean out the speaker grill.

When the laptop is plugged in, the battery isn't charging.

The cable used to charge the device may be broken. Check for any frays along the wires, and that the charging prongs aren't bent. If you don't detect any damage, try a different cable, or test the current one with another device to see if it works. If it doesn’t, replace it with a new one.

If the laptop only powers up when the adapter is plugged in, then the battery has likely reached the end of its life. You can also run a Battery Diagnostic test to check the health of the battery. To do this, first right-click the "Start" button. Select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)." When the blue "PowerShell" window appears, type or paste: powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery-report.html" into it. Press "Enter." PowerShell will generate a battery report and save it to your computer. To access it, type "This PC" into the Windows search bar. Left-click the "This PC" application that appears. Under the "Devices and drives" header, click on the "C drive." Find the battery-report.html file and click on it. This should tell you if the battery needs to be replaced. Use this guide to learn how to replace it.

If both your AC power adapter and your battery are in perfect condition, your charging port could be the issue. Look closely at the charging port for dings and/or obstructions.

Touchscreen does not respond to user inputs.

The drivers for the touchscreen may be outdated or improperly installed. To reset them, go to the "Device Manager," select "Human Interface Devices," then "HID-compliant touch screen." Uninstall the driver, then restart the device.

If the touchscreen is slow to respond, or responds incorrectly to gestures, you may need to calibrate the screen. Open the "Control Panel" and select "Hardware and Sound." Under "Tablet PC Settings," select "Calibrate screen for pen or touch input" and select "Calibrate."

The screen randomly turns off or displays weird lines.

The cable that connects the display to the motherboard may be disconnected or damaged. Check the cable inside your device to ensure a stable connection.

If the device was recently dropped or cracked, the physical screen is broken and causing the problem. Replace the display, or connect an external monitor to continue using the device unobstructed.

If the device heats up often, it may be causing an issue with the display. To minimize the issue, make sure to keep your device in cool environments and clean the fans so that they work efficiently. You can also use a cooling pad to lower the temperature.

If the fans don't seem functional, or aren't able to keep your laptop cool after cleaning them, use this guide to replace them.

Device takes longer than usual to complete tasks.

If the device slows down significantly when working on RAM-intensive tasks, the device may not have enough RAM installed. Use the Task Manager to analyze the percent of RAM being used, and install more if needed.

Updates help your device work more efficiently and keep it compatible with the programs you are running. To check for a Windows update, select the "Start" button, and then go to: "Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update."

The device may not be able to handle the number of programs running. Editing and modeling software in particular are very intensive, and will slow the computer down when in use. In order to be efficient with the laptop’s resources, close any programs running in the background or anything that isn’t needed.