Dell XPS 13 (9343/9350/9360) Troubleshooting

The computer battery drains very quickly.

Using high brightness can drain battery. To lower the brightness, go to Settings, then go to “System”. Click the display tab and drag the brightness to a lower level.

To uninstall programs and applications, go to Settings. Click “System”, then click “Apps and Features”. Click on unwanted application or program and press "Uninstall." Continue until all unwanted items are uninstalled.

To disable startup programs, open Task Manager. Click the “Startup Tab” and right-click the programs that don't need to run when the computer boots up. Press "Disable" on all of these.

Sometimes the problem is with the power adapter and charger used to charge the laptop. To check the power adapter and charger, use a multimeter to measure the resistance of the 2 AC pins. Next, measure the resistance between the + and - terminals and the output plug. These resistances should be very low. If not, consider buying a new power adapter and charger.

If nothing else seems to work, the best option may be to replace the battery. To do so, use this Battery Replacement Guide.

The computer is on and running, but will not connect to WIFI.

If the computer is not connecting, it could be due to faulty service. Reconnect to the WIFI by clicking on “WIFI Settings” and hitting the “Disconnect” button, followed by the “Connect” button. If this does not work, try restarting the computer.

If the computer is set to Airplane Mode, go to Settings and click on “Airplane Mode”, make sure it is disabled. When in Airplane Mode, the computer will not connect to WIFI.

Connection issues could be due to a faulty router. To fix this, unplug the router and check that the power is off. Wait 30 seconds and plug the router back in, then reconnect computer to WIFI.

If WIFI connection has become faulty since updating to Windows 10, update the wireless card. Go to Settings and right click on “Network Connections” to open up “Properties.” Then click on the “Advanced Tab” and click “Update Wireless card.”

The computer gets abnormally hot when simultaneously charging and using it.

If the fan of the computer is spinning loudly and there is very little to no air coming out of the computer’s airports, then something is blocking the vents or the fan, and is preventing the computer from cooling properly. To fix this, take a can of compressed air, open up the laptop, and spray it on the fan to get rid of dust and / or other particles that could hinder the cooling process.

The cause might not be because of any external factor, other than age. Fans do break down over time and must be replaced. The heat may affect the other internal components of the hard drive, if fans are not replaced on time. This can cause both harm for the system and the user.

The computer has very little to no space left on its SSD drive and it is affecting the computer’s performance.

Open up the computer to ensure that all the wires, specifically the SATA cables, are properly connected to both the SSD drive and the motherboard. Lack of storage space due to a disconnected SATA cable prevents the drive and other operating systems from being accessible. A disconnected SATA cable eliminates the data connection, so the computer would not recognize the cable. The operating system will start slowing down if there is no space left. Also, make sure there are no physical discrepancies such as cracks on the SSD drive.

If files and programs are deleted from the computer and it still does not have sufficient space, Windows has an integrated program called "Disk Cleanup" that can help reorganize the hard drive to free up more space. To do this, click on “Start”, then click on “All Programs”, then “Accessories”, then “Systems Tools”, then lastly “Disk Cleanup.”

Pictures, music, or movies, can be moved to an external hard drive or a flash drive to free up gigabytes of space.

The keyboard has stopped responding.

Crumbs can get stuck underneath the keyboard. To fix this, tilt the laptop and give it a quick, gentle shake. If this does not work, wipe off the keyboard with a cloth, or turn off the computer and use a can of compressed air to remove the crumbs.

Hold down the power button for 15-20 seconds and laptop will restart.