Dell Docking Station is a useful hardware component that allows you to connect your laptop to different devices, such as external HDD, printers, monitors, keyboard, etc.
If the ports on your laptop are not sufficient, then this Docking Station helps you a lot. What if the Dell Docking Station won’t work?
Yes, there are some users who complain about this issue. Due to some hardware glitches and other issues, the Dell Docking Station Not Working problem arises.
Some people cleverly find the cause of it and resolve it quickly. But the majority of them look for the best methods that can eliminate this error.
If you’re one among those, then this article is written for you. You can check out all the solutions that troubleshoot the issue on your laptop.
Table of Contents
Dell Docking Station Not Working: Problem Overview
A lot of hardware peripherals are connected to a desktop or laptop. Some of them are pen drives, SD cards, printers, scanners, external monitors, keyboards, mice, etc.
In order to connect to the internet, we plug network devices, like routers and modems, into our systems. Since we use all these devices, the ports on our desktop or laptop are fully occupied.
In this situation, we are unable to connect any new components to our desktops. To get rid of this issue, manufacturers have developed a variety of port replicators.
One such device that helps you the most is Dell Docking Station. Dell designed this docking station mainly for commercial laptops.
The moment Dell released this docking station, it gained a huge response from the users. It contains almost all the ports, including the Ethernet port.
But sometimes, the user faces problems while using the Dell Docking Station. When the docking station stops working, you cannot use the devices connected to it.
If you become dependent on this docking station, then fixing the Dell Docking Station Not Working issue is the only option. To do that, you have to know the reasons that cause it, and they are:
Once you got to know why this issue occurs, use the exact solution to fix it.
Dell Docking Station Not Working: Related Problems
If you want to know a few more areas where you face this problem, then go through the following paragraphs.
Dell Docking Station Not Working: Basic Troubleshooting Steps
The reason for this Dell Docking Station Not Working might be simple, so use the primary methods to fix it.
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Check for the Connectivity Issues
If any hardware device is not working or stops functioning suddenly, then there could be some connectivity problems. So, you need to find whether the cables are attached properly or not before moving to further investigations.
- First of all, check the cable between your Dell Docking Station and laptop are properly connected. Don’t take a chance! Disconnect and reconnect the docking station to your laptop.
- In the next step, you need to check the connection between the USB devices and the docking station. If the cables are bent or damaged, then replace them with the new ones.
- Sometimes, it could be the faulty USB ports, so clean them thoroughly to detect the device.
- If any USB port is not working, try using other ports available on your Dell Docking Station to overcome these issues.
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Restart the Dell Docking Station
With a simple restart of your Dell Docking Station, it starts working without showing any issues. Follow this trick before you move to the advanced methods.
- Remove all the cables that are attached to your Dell Docking Station, including the power cables.
- After that, you need to wait for few minutes to get your docking station auto-reset.
- Now, reconnect all the cables & power cord and turn on the docking station to test whether it is working or not.
If the Dell Docking Station still won’t work, move to the next section to use some more tricks to fix it.
Steps To Fix Dell Docking Station Not Working Issue
Without wasting your time, let’s check out the advanced techniques that will fix the Dell Docking Station Not Working problem.
- Step 1
Update Dell Docking Station Drivers
The Dell Docking Station works properly only when the supported drivers are up to date. If the drivers are expired or incompatible, then the docking station won’t work.
Since you’re currently facing issues with your Dell device, you need to check whether you’re using the latest drivers or not. If they are outdated, install the recently released versions through the following steps.
Instead of going with the automatic driver update, upgrade the drivers manually. For that,
- First of all, open the official website of Dell and navigate to the Drivers page.
- Type your Dell Docking Station model and search for the related drivers.
- Once found, click on the Download button to get the drivers on your PC.
- After completing the download process, install the drivers by going through some on-screen steps.
After upgrading the drivers, power on the Dell Docking Station and see if it is working or not.
- Step 2
Upgrade BIOS
Not only the drivers, but it is very important to use the latest BIOS version. The docking station might have stopped working due to the outdated BIOS on your laptop.
Therefore, download and install the latest versions of BIOS by using the given procedure.
- Go to the Start menu -> Type msinfo in the search console -> Click on the System Information.
- Now, check the BIOS version and the date to know when it is updated.
- Press Windows + X and select Command Prompt.
- Type the following command and press Enter.
- wmic bios get serialnumber
- After that, open the Official page of Dell Drivers and Downloads -> Type the Serial Number of your BIOS and click on the Search button.
- In the next step, click on the Find Drivers -> Choose BIOS under the category.
- Choose the latest released version of your BIOS and click on the Download button.
Complete the installation process and restart your laptop. Now, check whether Dell Docking Station works properly or not.
- Step 3
Check Thunderbolt Docking Software
If the above methods failed to fix the issue, verify whether the Dell Docking Station software is working as it should be or not.
- First of all, go to the Taskbar and click on the ^ icon to view all the hidden icons.
- From that, you have to choose the Docking Station Software icon.
- From the menu, choose View Attached Devices -> Click on the docking station.
- In the next step, you have to double-click on the connection status to switch it to Connected.
If in case it is already connected, then the issue might be different, so move to the next steps.
- Step 4
Check for PC Compatibility Issues
Before using a docking station, you should be very clear about whether your laptop is compatible with it or not. You can use the Dell Docking Station WD19 and WD19S on all your Dell laptops that have a USB-C port. And it should supports DisplayPort over the USB-C.
If your laptop is fully eligible to use the Dell Docking Station but facing this issue, use a few other methods given below.
- Step 5
Run Hardware Troubleshooter
Hardware issues on your laptop also stop functioning the devices connected to it. Don’t take a chance! Run the hardware troubleshooter on your device to fix the Dell Docking Station Not Working issue.
- Press the Windows + I keys to the Settings window on your system.
- Select Update & Security section -> Click on the Troubleshoot tab placed on the left side panel.
- Choose the hardware device that you to troubleshoot and click on the Run the Troubleshooter button.
- Follow the further instructions shown on your screen and complete the process.
Finally, reboot the laptop and turn on the docking station to check if the issue is solved.
- Step 6
Check the Connected Devices are Working
What if the USB devices that are connected to your Dell Docking Station are damaged? Due to physical damages to your monitors, keyboards, and other devices, you can’t use them even though you are connected to the docking station.
Before you confirm that the problem is with your Dell Docking Station, you should be 100% sure that the USB devices are working perfectly.
If there is no issue with your devices but the docking station still not working, move to the contact official support section.
Tips To Avoid Dell Docking Station Not Working
Contact Official Support
If you use the above methods correctly, the problem won’t occur again with your Dell Docking Station. But if in case the reason is some other else, the docking station won’t work.
In this situation, locate the nearest Dell Store and ask the technician to repair your docking station. If the problem is not solvable, purchasing a new one is the only choice.
Sometimes, this kind of issue happens even with the new Dell Docking Station. If you belong to the same category, then ask the Dell Support Team to replace it with another device.
Note: Don’t disassemble the docking station to avail the warranty for your device.
Final Words: Conclusion
To sum up everything, Dell Docking Station is such a wonderful device that enables us to use several USB devices on our laptops. Dell offers the docking station at a reasonable price, so we can buy it from its official store.
If the Dell Docking Station shows issue while using it, the techniques given in this article helps you more. We are also here to offer our services in clarifying your queries at any time.
Once you’ve solved this Dell Docking Station Not Working issue, share your experience with us via comment box. Finally, provide your valuable comments on this troubleshooting guide as a regard to our service. Thank you for your love and support.
