2018 Creator's Update-Insurmountable Black Screen Of Death

[Sichuan]

I bought a new Dell XPS 15 9560 last year but just took it out of the box two days ago to use. It came with Windows 10 Pro x64 and a Buffalo Blu-ray Burner since the laptop has no internal optical drive. I was assured by Dell that this Buffalo Blu-ray burner would also play DVDs. I assume that's correct and I'm assuming that I don't have to install the software that came with it (to enable the watching of Blu-ray movies) for the DVD function to work but I really don't know. I didn't take the Buffalo drive out of the box until yesterday, trying to get my laptop to boot by using A Windows 10 Rescue Disc, a Windows 10 ISO DVD and an Ultimate Boot DVD so I have no prior experience with it.

It took many hours for Windows to update to the current date since the laptop has been sitting in a box, unused, for fifteen months. After all the updates were done, but NOT INCLUDING the Creator's Update because it hadn't been offered yet, I installed Office 365 Home. No other software was installed, including browser software. Office was working as it should, just as it does on three of my other computers. I then installed the Creator's Update and restarted my laptop as instructed.

That's the end of it. That's when it all went downhill. I've had a black screen and freezes ever since. I have to do a hard shutdown every time I attempt something as it never gets past the black screen or it freezes and then goes black again. I did manage to get to Recovery in Windows, but when I chose to reset Windows everything froze and I was then presented with a black screen. After many, many attempts I was able to get to System Restore when a Dell Support Assist window appeared. Once System Restore was initiated, the screen froze, the screen dimmed and then locked up. Another hard shutdown ensued. The Dell Support Assist presented itself again and I chose Recovery but as you can imagine, the screen locked and dimmed. I managed to get into Setup by using F2 but once there the screen froze and dimmed again. I then did many more hard shutdowns until I was able to access the boot order menu using F12. It then froze and dimmed. More hard shutdowns were needed before I determined that I was not going to be able to use F8 to access Safe Mode. I cannot enter Safe Mode as the F8 key does nothing.

It's now at the point where I get absolutely nothing but a black screen after every hard shutdown and restart, and I can't use the Buffalo drive because I can't change the boot order so that the laptop boots from the drive. Restarting with any of the previously mentioned Rescue Discs in the Buffalo drive does nothing, which is to be expected.

Any ideas of should I simply call Dell and let them send a technician? I have a four year Premium Warranty on this laptop so the technician will not cost me any money. I don't expect Dell to be able to do anything online or over the phone because I can't boot into Windows so that they can remotely diagnose the problem.

Thank you in advance for your time and any assistance provided.

 

[Saltgrass]

I suppose the first question, about the Blu-Ray movies, as far as I know, there is no software in Win 10 which would you to watch those types of movies. In addition, some DVD players are having problems with the new Win 10 build. Switching to a USB drive for booting may help.

I think it may have been better to let the system catch up after being over a year behind. Trying to install 2 or 3 Win 10 build upgrades was probably hard for it. There are probably several driver and Bios updates which may have been needed.

With Win 10, you can go straight to the latest Build and upgrade to it without all the intermediate builds needed.

You may have an option in the Bios to delay or stop the Dell Utility from interrupting your boot. Win 10 may need 3 boots for the recovery options to kick in. If the Dell process interrupts that it could cause problems. And I realize, right now, you say you can't even get into the Bios. Removing the drive may help in that area.

The Dell tech will probably do a clean install on the system or have a way to get you back to factory conditions.

I think the one thing I believe to be important is, if a system has been unused for that long a time, going very slowly with updating is best. Don't install any software or devices until the system has stabilized, which might take a few days, depending on how you handle updates.

 

[Sichuan]

I suppose the first question, about the Blu-Ray movies, as far as I know, there is no software in Win 10 which would you to watch those types of movies. In addition, some DVD players are having problems with the new Win 10 build. Switching to a USB drive for booting may help.

I think it may have been better to let the system catch up after being over a year behind. Trying to install 2 or 3 Win 10 build upgrades was probably hard for it. There are probably several driver and Bios updates which may have been needed.

With Win 10, you can go straight to the latest Build and upgrade to it without all the intermediate builds needed.

You may have an option in the Bios to delay or stop the Dell Utility from interrupting your boot. Win 10 may need 3 boots for the recovery options to kick in. If the Dell process interrupts that it could cause problems. And I realize, right now, you say you can't even get into the Bios. Removing the drive may help in that area.

The Dell tech will probably do a clean install on the system or have a way to get you back to factory conditions.

I think the one thing I believe to be important is, if a system has been unused for that long a time, going very slowly with updating is best. Don't install any software or devices until the system has stabilized, which might take a few days, depending on how you handle updates.

Sorry. My mistake. The update in question is the April 2018 update. I'm currently dealing with Dell on my problem and I will reply to your comment as soon as I am done.

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. I appreciate it very much.

 

[Sichuan]

Hello again, Saltgrass,

Once again, this problem is related to the April 2018 Update. I cannot edit the title as this forum does not give me the option to "Edit". I will now reply to your post. This forum does not give me the option to "Quote" so I'll copy and past your reply and my replies to your reply.

"I suppose the first question, about the Blu-Ray movies, as far as I know, there is no software in Win 10 which would you to watch those types of movies. In addition, some DVD players are having problems with the new Win 10 build. Switching to a USB drive for booting may help."

I didn't buy this optical drive to watch Blu-ray movies. I already have Cyberlink Media Suite 15, which will allow me to watch all Blu-ray movies, either through an internal optical drive or an external optical drive. I bought the Buffalo Blu-ray drive for two reasons. One, I want to be able to burn Blu-ray movies and this new laptop, like most new laptops, does not have an internal optical drive. I was assured by Dell, before I bought the XPS 15 and before I decided to buy the Buffalo Blue-ray drive, from Dell, that this particular Buffalo Blu-ray drive is indeed compatible with Windows 10 Pro x64 and that the DVD function of the drive will work without installing the Cyberlink Blu-ray software that came with the drive. Switching to a USB drive will accomplish nothing as I cannot use F12 to access the boot order and change the order to first boot from an optical drive or external drive. Nothing on a USB drive will be able gain access to the Windows OS.

"I think it may have been better to let the system catch up after being over a year behind. Trying to install 2 or 3 Win 10 build upgrades was probably hard for it. There are probably several driver and Bios updates which may have been needed."

I bought this laptop in February or March of 2017 but just took it out of the box for the very first time three days ago. I was in the process of installing the missing fifteen months of updates before installing any software. The final missing update, the April 2018 Update, is what gave me the black screen as soon as it was installed and I rebooted. It booted to a black screen and nothing can be done to overcome it.

"With Win 10, you can go straight to the latest Build and upgrade to it without all the intermediate builds needed."

This laptop contains no "upgrades" as it came with Windows 10 Pro x64 direct from Dell. I think you are referring to "updates" instead of upgrades. If I knew that I would have this problem, a problem caused by the April 2018 update, I could have simply burned the April 2018 Updated ISO to a CD or a DVD, which in my opinion would have resulted in the very same black screen, as it is quite apparent that the update caused the black screen. After doing hours and hours of research online regarding my problem it's quite apparent that the April 2018 caused problems for an untold number of users. Microsoft has admitted that the April 2018 Update is full of bugs and is causing massive problems, yet no solution will help me as I can't get past the black screen.

"You may have an option in the Bios to delay or stop the Dell Utility from interrupting your boot. Win 10 may need 3 boots for the recovery options to kick in. If the Dell process interrupts that it could cause problems. And I realize, right now, you say you can't even get into the Bios. Removing the drive may help in that area."

The BIOS cannot be accessed through a black screen and I can't use F2 to access BIOS setup because F2 cannot be accessed with a black screen. The Dell Support Assist would actually help me, as it also gives me the option to reset Windows, keeping or not keeping my files, along with the option to access the Recovery partition of the OS drive.It gives me the very same recovery options that are contained in Windows.

"The Dell tech will probably do a clean install on the system or have a way to get you back to factory conditions."

Dell is sending me a prepaid box to return the laptop to them. They will reimage the drive and check for hardware issues. Dell Premium Technical Support could not get past the black screen regardless of which diagnostic tests they attempted. I'd rather send it back to Dell than have a technician come to my home as there may be multiple issues involved. I'll have the laptop back five days after I send it to them. They are overnighting everything. That is why I have seven Dell computers, four laptops and three desktops, and that is the reason I buy only Dell.

"I think the one thing I believe to be important is, if a system has been unused for that long a time, going very slowly with updating is best. Don't install any software or devices until the system has stabilized, which might take a few days, depending on how you handle updates."

I updated as the updates were presented to me by Windows Update. The only software I installed was Office 365 Home, prior to the April 2018 Update being offered. Microsoft Office 365 Home was working properly, just as it works properly on three of my other computers. After installing Office 365 Home, the April 2018 Update was offered to me through Windows Update. No other software was installed. It is not a software issue, other than the Microsoft "April 2018 Update", the very software that turned my new laptop into an expensive paper weight.

Thank you again for your time and assistance, Saltgrass. I appreciate it very much.