Dell XPS 7390 Laptop Troublshooting

This troubleshooting page will help you diagnose problems with the Dell XPS 7390 Laptop.

When you go to power on your Dell XPS 13 7390 and try to use the fingerprint sensor to log in, it fails to correspond. Follow these steps carefully to repair your fingerprint sensor.

The fingerprint sensor on your Dell XPS 13 7390 can become unresponsive over time due to oil, dirt, and smudges on the scanner; this may prevent your Dell XPS 13 7390 from accurately reading your fingerprint.

Power off your Dell XPS 13 7390 to avoid any electrical damage.
Use a lint-free microfiber cloth like one used for cleaning eyeglasses
Gently wipe the sensor to remove any dirt, smudges, or oil.
If needed, slightly dampen your lint-free microfiber cloth with water or isopropyl alcohol. Do not spray any liquid directly onto the sensor to avoid electrical damage.

Allow the sensor to dry completely before attempting to use the fingerprint scanner.

Temporary hardware or software glitches can cause the fingerprint sensor to become unresponsive, and a full restart often clears these issues.

Completely shut down your Dell XPS 13 7390, unplug any peripherals, and remove power (and battery if removable) for 30 seconds
Power it back on to clear temporary hardware and software glitches
A full reboot often restores the sensor when a driver or service hung

Sometimes the fingerprint reader fails because Windows Hello’s biometric profile is corrupted or outdated, and re-registering fingerprints can refresh it.

Open Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options and try removing and re-adding your fingerprint under Windows Hello to refresh the biometric profile.
If Windows reports an error when registering, note the error text it can indicate whether the problem is software or hardware.

Outdated or corrupted drivers and missing Windows updates can prevent the fingerprint sensor from working properly, so updating or reinstalling them can restore functionality.
In Device Manager, find the “Biometric devices” entry.
uninstall the fingerprint device (right-click → Uninstall device), reboot, and let Windows reinstall the driver, or download the latest driver from Dell’s support site. Also install any pending Windows updates—OS/firmware updates frequently fix sensor compatibility issues.

If the sensor is disabled or not recognized by Windows or BIOS/UEFI, the fingerprint reader may fail, and checking these settings along with running diagnostics can identify hardware or configuration issues.

In Device Manager confirm the fingerprint device appears (no yellow triangle) and check Properties → Events for errors; if it’s missing, that’s a clue.
Reboot into BIOS/UEFI to ensure the fingerprint reader is enabled.
Run Dell SupportAssist/Diagnostics to test the sensor hardware directly.

If none of the previous steps fix the issue, the most likely culprit is a faulty fingerprint sensor module. In this case, the sensor may need to be replaced to restore fingerprint usability.

https://www.dell.com/support/product-det...

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-...

If your Dell XPS 13 7290’s built-in microphone is not picking up sound as an input, you may have a software problem, if not a hardware problem. You can do some basic checks, and if those do not fix the issue, you can try the following steps to resolve your issue.

Ensure Microphone is not muted and enabled in Windows settings and app permissions.
Select the correct sound device if not currently selected.
Check your microphone privacy by going to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone. Make sure "Let apps access your microphone" is On, and enable access for individual apps you want to use with it.
Ensure your microphone is selected as the recording device.
Make sure your microphone is Enabled in device manager. Right-click the Start button, select Device Manager, expand Audio inputs and outputs, right-click your microphone, and select Enable Device if it's disabled.

Go to Settings > System > Sound. Click “Troubleshoot” under “Input” to detect and fix common microphone issues. You may need to restart your computer after this step.

Install “Dell Command Update” to automatically install recommended drivers.
If that doesn't work, you can manually install the Realtek Audio Driver from Dell's support site. You may need to restart your computer after this step.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Dell+XPS...

If your Dell XPS 13 7290’s built-in speakers aren’t producing sound, start by checking system volume, and ensuring the correct playback device is selected. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, try these following steps:

Make sure the volume on your device is turned up and not muted.
Go to Settings > System > Sound and check that "Speakers / Realtek Audio" is set as the default output device.

Go to Settings > System > Sound.
Click “Troubleshoot” under “Output” to detect and fix common audio issues.

Go to System > Sound > Device Properties.
Under “Enhancements”, toggle “Enhance Audio” on and off. You may have to do this for both headphones and speakers.
You may need to restart your computer after this step.

Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound > Speakers > Properties > Advanced.
Uncheck “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device” and “Give exclusive mode applications priority."
You may need to restart your computer after this step.

Install “Dell Command Update” to automatically install recommended drivers.
If that doesn't work, you can manually install the Realtek Audio Driver from Dell's support site.
You may need to restart your computer after this step.

Reboot your system and press “F12” during startup.
Select “Diagnostics” and test for any audio issues, you may need to restart your computer after this step.

Speakers can fail over time, while it is not the most common failure, if you have followed all trouble shooting tips and your computer is still not producing audio you may want to look into a complete replacement of your speakers.

When attempting to connect to Wi-Fi on your Dell XPS 13 7390 issues may arise when it is failing to connect to a Wi-Fi near you, follow these steps to fix your Wi-Fi issue.

The laptop may not connect if the Wi-Fi adapter is disabled in Windows or via a physical switch, so confirming it’s turned on is the first step.

Check the taskbar for the Airplane Mode icon.
If it’s enabled, turn it off.
Open Settings → Network & Internet → Airplane mode to toggle it.
Ensure Wi-Fi is switched On under the same settings menu.

Temporary network or software glitches can prevent connection. Restarting your Dell XPS 13 7390 and router can resolve these issues.

Power off your Dell XPS 13 7390.
Unplug your router and modem for 30 seconds.
Plug them back in, wait for all lights to stabilize, then turn on your Dell XPS 13 7390 and reconnect to Wi-Fi.

Saved network profiles can become corrupted or outdated, so removing and re-adding the network can refresh the connection settings.

Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks.
Select your Wi-Fi network and click Forget.
Reconnect by selecting your network again and entering your Wi-Fi password.

Outdated or corrupted drivers can block the Wi-Fi adapter from working properly, so updating or reinstalling drivers can restore connectivity.

Open Device Manager → Network adapters.
Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter (e.g., Intel Wireless-AC or Killer adapter) and select Update driver.
If that doesn’t work, select Uninstall device, reboot, and let Windows reinstall it automatically.
You can also download the latest driver from Dell’s Support ******page.

Windows’ built-in tools can detect and fix software or adapter problems that are preventing the laptop from connecting.

Open Settings → Network & Internet → Status.
Click Network Troubleshooter and follow the on-screen prompts to automatically detect issues.
If the problem persists, open Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Troubleshoot problems.
Run Internet Connections and Network Adapter troubleshooters to identify software or driver errors.
Restart your laptop once the diagnostics complete and test the Wi-Fi connection again.

If your Dell XPS 13 7390 still refuses to connect after software fixes, the internal Wi-Fi card might be the culprit. Over time, it can become damaged or fail.

Open the back cover (see Dell’s official service manual).
Ensure the Wi-Fi card is firmly seated in its slot.
If it still doesn’t work, consider replacing the Wi-Fi card.

https://www.dell.com/support/product-det...

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-...

Laptop is constantly overheating, causing noisy fans and frequent shut-downs.

Overtime, dust and debris can build up in your Dell XPS 13 7390’s fans, causing them to not cool the system properly.

Disconnect all external devices and make sure laptop is powered off.
Remove base cover and inspect the fans.
Use a compressed air duster and carefully blow any dust and debris out of them to insure nothing stays clogged inside.

Dell’s default thermal management settings may be causing your system to overheat.

Go to the Dell Power Manager or MyDell >thermal management.
Select a profile like 'Optimized', 'Quiet', 'Cool', or 'Ultra Performance.

Changing the default BIOS setting may help your computer run cooler by not putting extra strain on your battery or CPU.

Restart laptop
Immediately and repeatedly press the F2 key as soon as the Dell logo appears
Continue pressing F2 until you see a message that the system is entering setup and the BIOS screen loads.
From the side menu, go to power >battery configuration> set to “Primarily AC Use”
From the same menu, go to performance > Turbo Boost Technology >turn off.
Click “Apply Changes” then exit the menu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2M947Rj...

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-vi...