Can't install drivers on Dell notebook

Hello,

I downloaded the correct drivers for my Dell notebook from their site, all offline full packages with .EXE extension. When I double-click to install the package, a white rectangular window appears that I'm guessing where it shows the information about the driver with "Install" button. But in my case this Window is blank and empty with a notification popping up that no apps are installed to open "res" link, browse Microsoft store. When I go to Microsoft store, it says nothing found for "res" (see screenshot below)

Steps that I have taken to remedy the situation:
1. Install C++ runtimes (all)
2. Install browser and associate .res file type with browser
3. Extract the installer package to be able to install the driver manually with .inf file but to no avail. WinRar throws error "no archives found in the package"

Don't have any other ideas. My best guess is that the installer package wants me to show some page on the web before it shows me install button but now that I have installed the browser, it should just open the link in the browser. I don't know what wrong. Also, the browser is set as default and all file types associated with it.



Has anyone any ideas how this can be resolved ? This is very poor from Dell. Why can't it just install like a normal package? Why do you introduce these complications?

Anyways, looking forward and hoping someone might be able to tip me how can I get around the issue. I need the notebook running by the evening.

Windows version: 24H2 (with latest updates)

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

None of what you are saying is making sense to me. Maybe you should give a little more info. Provide model of laptop and the web site address you went to to get these drivers. Also, what led up to you installing these drivers? Did you clean install windows? With a clean install, Windows update should have automatically installed most of the correct drivers.

Did only that ONE driver package fail to install or all of them? If you get that message on all of them, you have a problem opening .exe files and there is nothing in the store that will fix that.

glasskuter said:

None of what you are saying is making sense to me. Maybe you should give a little more info. Provide model of laptop and the web site address you went to to get these drivers. Also, what led up to you installing these drivers? Did you clean install windows? With a clean install, Windows update should have automatically installed most of the correct drivers.

Did only that ONE driver package fail to install or all of them? If you get that message on all of them, you have a problem opening .exe files and there is nothing in the store that will fix that.

Click to expand...

Hello, thank you for the response. Yes, I did a clean install. Windows update is not feasible because the machine is offline. No issues with the .exe files either as normal softwares install fine.

Some drivers worked as intended, double click the .exe and it prompts to install or cancel, click install and the installation proceeds without any issues. Some of the drivers throw the error as I described in the original post. I also got Audio driver installed through extracting the .exe package with 7zip and inside there was an .exe that launched and installed the driver without any issues. This however doesn't work with all the Intel drivers (except graphic) because after extraction, there's neither any .exe or .inf inside the package.

The issue is 100% how these installer packages were created. They have some kind of weird unknown dependability, that my system lacks. Click the installer package tries to open a ".res" what kind of application it needs to open that resource is unknown.

As noted before, some drivers just install fine without any issues, some other install after extracting the packages with 7zip.

If there's any other information needed, please respond, I shall be happy to include that too.

Kind regards

What Dell link did you use to download these drivers.

I do not know your specific service tag or specific model number but according to Dell, the Inspiron 3520 uses Realtek audio, not Cirrus Logic.
I think your problem is you downloaded the incorrect drivers.

For goodness sake DO NOT try to flash the bios you downloaded.

glasskuter said:

I do not know your specific service tag or specific model number but according to Dell, the Inspiron 3520 uses Realtek audio, not Cirrus Logic.
I think your problem is you downloaded the incorrect drivers.

Click to expand...

Hello, Thank you for the response. I downloaded the drivers from the Dell with correct service tag. It only showed the Cirrus under Audio category.

I did however successfully installed the driver by extracting it 7zip and everything seems to be working normally. Should the driver check for the compatible hardware before attempting an install ? At least that was my understanding.

Don't worry, not touching the BIOS update, thanks for the tip.

Kind regards

I always go to the Windows Update in Settings for all my Dell Downloads. All 11 came down with no issues. Also might want to post your Windows Version: mine is: 24H2 (OS Build 26100.3775) It didn't ask me to zip anythig. I have a post here since I never saw them come down like they did for me?
Wondering what I just downloaded from WU? But answer the questions from the users above. They will help you out.....

ALL Dell downloads can be found here

This will bring up details for my device




Use the 'Change Device' link to bring up drivers for your device, and then select 'Check fo Updates'

I have a Dell Inspiron 3520 Notebook and it uses Cirrus Logic audio drivers. One thing about Dell, all drivers should be downloaded using the Service Tag number as they use 3 or more Model Names [such as Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Precision] with the same Model Numbers and mustn't mix them up. Same for Desktop Model Names.

IanMosley said:

ALL Dell downloads can be found here

Click to expand...

I looked everywhere in what the OP provided and did not find what was his full model number. I even asked him point blank to provide his full model number.
The only clue I had was in the list of drivers he downloaded where Dell Inspiron 3520 bios was mentioned but I did not trust it as I have doubts he downloading the correct drivers.

I've owned nothing but Dells in my entire life and have never had one of their drivers bomb....unless the driver that was down loaded did not apply to the user's device OR the user downloaded from the right Dell support page but did not select the correct OS from the drop-down menu..

@remover @IanMosley @Berton @glasskuter

Thank you all for your valuable input. As glasskuter suggested, I might have downloaded the wrong drivers so just to be 100% sure, I redownloaded all the drivers again. Many of them installed normally as they should without any hiccups but some of them still gave the issue that I mentioned in the original post. To get around the problem, I extracted those problematic installer packages with 7zip and installed the drivers with the .exe present inside, they also then installed normally without any issues.

All drivers have been installed. I checked the device manager and there are no warnings there. This thread is partially solved. But just in case anyone has any idea what might have caused the issue detailed in the first post of this thread, please do reply.

Thank you again everyone for taking interest in my problem, your contributions and suggestions are highly appreciated.

Your welcome!!