Question Fresh install of Windows 10 doesn't detect any drivers?

ethanpenn

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May 5, 2018
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I just did a fresh install of Windows 10, switching back from Linux, and my PC won't detect any drivers properly. I was able to get Windows to boot, but there's no display driver, no network, and just 17 devices listed under "other devices" in the Device Manager. I tried installing drivers from the Dell website (it's a Dell XPS 15) but it says I don't have permission to do that. How can I fix this?
 

ethanpenn

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May 5, 2018
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Dell can provide drivers: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/xps-15-9570-laptop/drivers

Windows update should find most as well. Are you using an administrator account to install drivers?

Yes I am. Windows update doesn't even work because when I did the fresh install, the WiFi driver doesn't work, and my computer has no ethernet ports. I have no way to get to Windows Update without internet. Also, I did get the drivers from the website, did you read my post? It won't let me install them. Says I don't have permission.
 

ethanpenn

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May 5, 2018
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That is why I asked if using an admin account. Where did you get your Windows 10 installation media from?

I made it using the media creation tool from Microsoft's page. I've done this a bunch of times before, I don't know why this time it decided to forget every driver.

Also, I tried using gpedit.msc to see if I was an admin, and it said that that didn't exist either lol.
 

COLGeek

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I made it using the media creation tool from Microsoft's page. I've done this a bunch of times before, I don't know why this time it decided to forget every driver.

Also, I tried using gpedit.msc to see if I was an admin, and it said that that didn't exist either lol.
I would try getting a "fresh" copy of Win 10 via the Media Creation Tool (try a different USB or DVD drives) and re-install Windows, at this point.
 

ethanpenn

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May 5, 2018
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I would try getting a "fresh" copy of Win 10 via the Media Creation Tool (try a different USB or DVD drives) and re-install Windows, at this point.

I tried redoing it on the same USB with a new creation tool package. Still don't have the drivers... Tried it with a different USB on a different USB port, and I still don't have drivers. I checked in the control panel, and I'm definitely an admin, but it still won't let me install the wifi driver.

I don't know if this helps anything or not, but I did have Windows running on it fine about a week ago. I fully installed Linux Mint on my computer to give it a go, and my wifi worked perfectly well on that as well. However, my touchpad didn't work properly, and a bunch of other things were going VERY poorly with Linux, so that's why I decided to switch back. Could the previous installation of Linux have broken something on a hardware level? Or maybe even a BIOS level? I'm using UEFI without secure boot when I'm installing Windows 10. I'm starting to run out of ideas at this point, so I'm just throwing out any information, desperately hoping I don't have an expensive paperweight at this point...
 

COLGeek

Cybernaut
Moderator
I tried redoing it on the same USB with a new creation tool package. Still don't have the drivers... Tried it with a different USB on a different USB port, and I still don't have drivers. I checked in the control panel, and I'm definitely an admin, but it still won't let me install the wifi driver.

I don't know if this helps anything or not, but I did have Windows running on it fine about a week ago. I fully installed Linux Mint on my computer to give it a go, and my wifi worked perfectly well on that as well. However, my touchpad didn't work properly, and a bunch of other things were going VERY poorly with Linux, so that's why I decided to switch back. Could the previous installation of Linux have broken something on a hardware level? Or maybe even a BIOS level? I'm using UEFI without secure boot when I'm installing Windows 10. I'm starting to run out of ideas at this point, so I'm just throwing out any information, desperately hoping I don't have an expensive paperweight at this point...
Did you notice this post earlier in the thread?

"Also, Dell likes to package drivers as executable files. Not sure if the drivers you have came like that. If so, right click on the file and select "Run as administrator" when launching the file. "
 

ethanpenn

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May 5, 2018
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Did you notice this post earlier in the thread?

"Also, Dell likes to package drivers as executable files. Not sure if the drivers you have came like that. If so, right click on the file and select "Run as administrator" when launching the file. "

Yes, I did. That's what I had been doing, to no avail.

The error message simply says "Installation forbidden by system policy. Contact your system administrator." I am the administrator though.

Also, I tried installing Linux Mint again, just to see if all the drivers work in there, and they do. I'm curious why they don't work out of the box with the Windows 10 install because of this. They've always worked in the past right out of the box.