Dell XPS 15 9530 Troubleshooting

With charger connected to both laptop and wall outlet, laptop fails to charge; or laptop does not power on, or show any signs of powering on.

Ensure that when the power adapter is plugged into an outlet, the power light (on the adapter) is lit. If not, the power adapter is faulty and and is not transferring power to the laptop.

If the laptop only turns on with the charger connected, but immediately powers off upon disconnect, open the bottom of the laptop and disconnect the battery along with the charger. With both removed, press and hold the power button for 10 seconds. Reconnect the battery and charger and try to power on again. If the laptop continues failure to power on, the battery may be faulty. To replace the battery use the following guide: Battery guide

If the two previous steps do not prevail, it is likely that the mainboard of the laptop is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Laptop powers on, but never reaches desktop. Instead, it gives an error screen.

Ensure that the error message is not referencing a “Disk Error”. The computer may have faulty, or an insufficient amount of RAM. Replacing RAM is a very simple task. Follow the guide here: RAM guide

If the laptop gives a Disk Error or Hard Drive error, something is faulty with your hard drive. However, data may still be recoverable. Obtain a disc copy of the current Windows version on the laptop (ie: Windows 7, 8, or 10), or create a bootable USB drive of the corresponding version of Windows. A bootable USB is recommended, as the XPS 15 9530 does not have a CD drive.

Connect an external CD drive with the disc copy of Windows, or plug in a Boot USB. Power on the laptop, choose “Repair your computer”, and click next. Pick “Startup Repair” and let the repair process run. If the computer does not boot correctly after the repair attempt, you may need to replace your hard drive. Replacing hard drive is a fairly easy task. Follow the guide here: Hard drive guide

Touchpad does not reset to normal position, and is stuck after pushing down to make a left or right click.

Unfortunately, stuck touchpad issues are not uncommon with Dell XPS laptops. A possible cause could be missing screws on the underside of the laptop. Flip the laptop over and lift the silver door exposing the screw holes for the frame. Check that there are screws in place. Missing screws can compromise the seating of the touchpad and cause misalignment.

If there are screws in the bottom of the laptop, try physically pressing on the underside of the laptop. Doing so can pop the touchpad out and back into its normal position.

The touchpad can be re-seated to fix any misalignment if the previous steps do not solve the issue. Use the following guide to replace the touchpad: Touchpad guide

The adjust brightness buttons have no effect on the screen brightness

Check if the “Adaptive Brightness'' setting is enabled. To do so:

1. Go to Power Options.
2. Click Change Advanced Power Settings.
3. Expand Display.
4. Expand Enable Adaptive Brightness.
5. Change both Battery and Plugged In to OFF.

If adaptive brightness is not enabled and the brightness is still unable to be adjusted, the brightness button on the keyboard may be broken. Replace the keyboard following this guide: Keyboard guide

The laptop is unable to connect or see available Wi-Fi networks. This is a common issue with the Intel 7260 model wireless card.

If your network card is an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260, the network adapter settings may be affecting your laptops ability to connect to networks, especially after waking from sleep. To check the network card model and settings:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound.
3. Click Device Manager.
4. Expand Network Adapters.
5. Ensure network card is an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260.
6. Right-click Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 and select Properties.
7. Click Power Management.
8. Ensure "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” is ticked.
9. Reboot computer

If the previous did not solve the issue, try updating the network card drivers:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound.
3. Click Device Manager.
4. Expand Network Adapters.
5. Right-click on the corresponding Network Card and select Properties.
6. Click Drivers
7. Click Update Driver
8. Reboot Computer