XPS 9550 + Win 10 Creators Update (random freezes)

I have been on the creators update for a short while and am experiencing random freezes (1-3 times a day), requiring forced reboots.

The symptoms are strange (and get progressively worse):
* Happens while activly working on PC as well as when I am away.
* Start button stops working
* Ctrl+Alt+Del does not work
* On off button doesn't do anything (cant trigger a sleep mode)
* "Universal Apps" continue to work and you can hover / click the [x] to close them (they continue to work in the background also - like tunin radio) - they don't disappear when you close them
* Clicking apps in the task bar still works and will bring others to the top.
* Caps lock still functions
* I am able to switch to "task manager" if it was already open and can "restart" explorer if I am quick - doesn't restart or help.
* Looks like disk usage is at 100% (if I can get to the task manager in time - leaving it open with usage sorted for next time it hangs)

After a short while it just freezes (with radio playing in background if it was on).

Forced reboot shows up in the event log, but nothing obvious to point the finger at.

Things tried to date (symptoms existed before and after each of these):
"Clean reset" of OS
reinstalled all the latest drivers from dell site.
Installed Samsung nVME driver 2.2
Disabled all start-up items

Am I alone?

<--Edit 11 Sept 2017 (15.7.*.* also works)-->
My current working solution is:
Default to latest drivers from MS, except:

• "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"->"Intel(R) 100 Series/C230 Chipset Family SATA AHCI Controller": Use version 15.7.*.* or 15.2.*.* (but not 15.5.*.*)
• "Storage controllers"->"Samsung NVMe Controller": Use version 2.0.*.* (not 2.2.*.*)

Links for above drivers:

• 15.2.15.1058: http://www.dell.com/support/home/ie/en/iedhs1/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverID=CRRKJ&productCode=xps-15-9550-laptop
• 15.7.3.1019: http://www.dell.com/support/home/ie/en/iedhs1/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=HMXXT
  
• Samsung 2.0: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ap4qNWeL1BCul5MTPamJgT4m5sAE1w

DeviceManager by Schmoo2k posted May 12, 2017 at 9:41 AM

 

Check Intel HD video driver version. Maybe it installed the recent version which supposedly causes issues (see another thread).

Which Samsung NMVe driver did you have earlier?

 

I was on 2.1 which it appears to have been kept in place during the update process (and reset). 2.2 seems to be brand new so I thought I would give it a shot.

It does "feel" like its AHCI / SSD driver related.

Intel driver version was: 21.20.16.4590 so I have now downgraded to: 20.19.15.4531 and will see how I get on.

 

4590 has been stable for most of us but it seems that is a HD630 driver so ymmv!

 

I had some of those crash issues on my 9550 and rolling back the Intel HD video driver seemed to have solved the issues...

 

IMO I don't think its an intel video driver related (not a single blue screen) - just a grinding to a halt of "some" core OS function (alt-tab, start button, keyboard input) - apps continue to function internally, but their "windowing" support stops. Its like there is a huge resource leak somewhere.

I uninstalled most of the dell drivers (except the intel chipset ones) and reverted to NVMe 2.1.

Some addition candidates for the issue:
* HyperV
* DisplayLink external dock
* usb-c->display port adapter

If something actually crashed then I would have a smoking gun at least...

 

What does the event viewer say?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

It simply reports that I forced a reboot: "The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly."

I haven't spotted any pattern in the event log (an no events higher than "info") just preceding the forced shutdown.

 

Can you uninstall hyperV for a bit and see if it still happens.