For Windows 8 Dell only officially support the models listed here. If you are using one of these models and are having troubles downloading from Drivers and Downloads please check for the Driver in the Dell FTP Website before posting. The Dell FTP Website isn't as updated as frequently as the Drivers and Downloads page but is in general far more reliable. If the Dell FTP website isn't updated to include the driver you are after. Please look at the instructions here Drivers and Downloads Issues & Direct Links & Workarounds and include the system model, the OS, the driver you were attempting to download and the broken links.
If you are wanting to install Windows 8 on an unsupported system update your BIOS to the latest revision available before installing Windows 8. Please note Windows 8 should run fine on most systems that came with Vista or 7. My Windows Reinstallation Guide/Upgrading to Windows 8 should give you full instructions with optimal results.
Windows Reinstallation Guide and Related Wikies
Note there is information at the top of this guide about a poll which I made due to the difficulty of requesting a Reinstallation DVD/USB from Dell, the pdf of the Windows Reinstallation Guide is found below the information about the poll.
The rest of this thread is about Drivers. I have already listed a number of unofficial driver sets for Windows 7 & 8 and you should check to see if your system is available there before posting. Please note Windows 8 will natively include many drivers already and in some systems no additional drivers are required. e.g. I installed Windows 8 on my XPS 8300, it worked fine without any additional drivers but I took some from the XPS 8500 anyway thus there may be a lower number of Drivers required for a Windows 8 installation than an earlier version of Windows (especially WIndows XP). Note if you have any problems with the unofficial Driver sets post here opposed to the comments because I don't get any notification for comments on my wiki pages.
Disclaimer: Use of Unofficial Driver sets (even if they are Dell Drivers taken from newer systems) will be unlikely to be supported by Dell Techncal Support who will possibily recommend you to revert to your earlier version of Windows if you are experiencing issues.
The following are quite common drivers and you should install these after installation of Windows 8 if they are applicable to your system:
System Utilities
• For systems with Dell ST Microelectronics DE351DL Motion Sensor http://ftp1.dell.com/folder00951951m/6/
Chipset
Video
• For the Intel ones, the update utility listed under Chipset should of got the driver and in the case of switchable graphics the Intel driver should be installed first.
Network
• For Dell Wireless Cards and Dell Wireless Bluetooth Modules look here.
• For the Intel ones, the update utility listed under Chipset should of got the driver.
Input
• For systems with Synaptics Touchpads use the Synaptics Touchpad here
[older/Dell] 16.3.1.1 http://downloads-us.dell.com/FOLDER00800134M/2
[newest/non-Dell] Synaptics Directly http://www.synaptics.com/resources/drivers.
I'm not sure if both support Gestures, leave feedback if they do or don't.
• For systems with the Alps Touchpad use
[older/Dell] 8.1200.101.214 http://ftp.dell.com/FOLDER01255426M/1/Input_Driver_FGG85_WN_8.1200.101.214_A02.EXE
[newer/non-Dell] 8.100.2020.112 http://www.eightforums.com/hardware-drivers/10569-windows-8-alps-touchpad-driver.html
• For systems with the Cyprus Touchpad
2.5.1.27 http://ftp.dell.com/FOLDER01255772M/1/L322X_Input_Driver_98T43_WN_2.5.1.27_A02.EXE
Device Manager Check:
Follow this check to see if any other drivers are required.
Press the [Windows] and [Pause|Break] or [Windows] and [ e ] (to open computer) and then select properties.
On this screen next select Device manager.
Hopefully it should look something like mine.
If you have an error, yellow ? or ! as in my base system device then Windows 8 hasn't found a system driver correctly. Quickly check to see if you have missed installation of a driver. If you still can't find out what it is. Right click the device with the error and select properties:
Go to details and select Hardware ids. You should post here starting your model of Dell, the hardware ids and whether you have installed Windows 7 or Windows 8 and if you are installing the 32 bit or 64 bit version. This should help give us all the information required to find the driver. Also state if you are experiencing any abnormal behavior/limited functionality.
Note for advanced users, you may use the hardware IDs to search in the Microsoft Update Catalogue (requires internet Explorer). In this case I would search for PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68B8 as it is more likely to find the driver than if I include the Subsys... and everything else.
To use the Microsoft Update Catalogue add the driver to the basket and then select view basket and then download. Although a basket is mentioned there is no charge for downloading the driver. You will then have to right click the unknown device in the device manager and select update driver, navigate to where you downloaded the driver from the Microsoft Update Catalogue and then select next, hopefully Windows should update the driver for you.
Note: Please vote on the IdeaStorm Ideas here which are designed to improve Dell software services.