After attempting to update via 'ubuntu software' app my Dell docking station is extremely unreliable and connects/disconnects rapidly

Question

After attempting to update via the GUI Ubuntu software app, my docking station is so unreliable I can't use it. It sometimes randomly works, I can't tell if there is a pattern for when.

When I plug in the USB-C docking station the light flashes on and then off and on over and over again.

I think something went wrong when I attempted to update the drivers. I get three errors that I don't know how to resolve when I look in fwupdmgr.

I'm on Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS but the issue started before I upgraded from 20.04.

$ fwupdmgr get-history
XPS 13 9360
│
├─XPS13 9360 Thunderbolt Controller:
│ │   Device ID:          14ddf01499c3cc62d536f9ceca420ae0383f9421
│ │   Previous version:   21.00
│ │   Update State:       Failed
│ │   Update Error:       could not detect device after update: timed out while waiting for device
│ │   Last modified:      2019-08-12 16:32
│ │   GUID:               7488415f-8db5-5993-a48e-5a43914afb69
│ │   Device Flags:       • Internal device
│ │                       • Updatable
│ │ 
│ └─  New version:      26.01
│       License:          Unknown
│       Description:      
│       The vendor did not supply any release notes.
│     
├─System Firmware:
│ │   Device ID:          3f0ecc7823ee99c718693e8ecca38f54e8738dc5
│ │   Previous version:   2.10.0
│ │   Update State:       Success
│ │   Last modified:      2022-03-09 15:56
│ │   GUID:               5ffdbc0d-f340-441c-a803-8439c8c0ae10
│ │   Device Flags:       • Internal device
│ │                       • Updatable
│ │                       • System requires external power source
│ │                       • Needs a reboot after installation
│ │                       • Cryptographic hash verification is available
│ │                       • Device is usable for the duration of the update
│ │ 
│ └─  New version:      2.19.0
│       License:          Unknown
│       Description:      
│       The vendor did not supply any release notes.
│     
├─RTS5413 in Dell dock:
│ │   Device ID:          6f411e840cea552f9cab21447f8e3cfb142d6fa1
│ │   Previous version:   01.21
│ │   Update State:       Success
│ │   Last modified:      2024-02-08 16:25
│ │   GUID:               86fb40c0-8bf5-5a8b-a4ad-3156cf6bfaf4
│ │   Device Flags:       • Updatable
│ │                       • Supported on remote server
│ │                       • Reported to remote server
│ │                       • Device stages updates
│ │                       • Device is usable for the duration of the update
│ │ 
│ └─  New version:      01.22
│       Remote ID:        lvfs
│       License:          Unknown
│       Description:      
│       The vendor did not supply any release notes.
│     
├─RTS5487 in Dell dock:
│ │   Device ID:          1d4e79c3626fff0bfe6e5209f0a4d8664370ceac
│ │   Previous version:   01.49
│ │   Update State:       Success
│ │   Last modified:      2024-02-08 16:25
│ │   GUID:               707c63d2-e597-5c40-84db-9b1bb4c48d96
│ │   Device Flags:       • Updatable
│ │                       • Supported on remote server
│ │                       • Reported to remote server
│ │                       • Device stages updates
│ │                       • Device is usable for the duration of the update
│ │ 
│ └─  New version:      01.57
│       Remote ID:        lvfs
│       License:          Unknown
│       Description:      
│       The vendor did not supply any release notes.
│     
├─Package level of Dell dock:
│ │   Device ID:          f743db9ca9b0a22e945bc76c8a3f31daa131ed7e
│ │   Previous version:   01.00.32.01
│ │   Update State:       Success
│ │   Update Error:       Pending activation
│ │   Last modified:      2024-02-08 16:25
│ │   GUID:               8ceeeffd-51b6-580c-9b75-69143227aff8
│ │   Device Flags:       • Supported on remote server
│ │                       • Reported to remote server
│ │                       • Device can recover flash failures
│ │                       • Device is usable for the duration of the update
│ │ 
│ └─  New version:      01.00.36.01
│       Remote ID:        lvfs
│       License:          Unknown
│       Description:      
│       The vendor did not supply any release notes.
│     
├─VMM5331 in Dell dock:
│ │   Device ID:          35042fd1015b0dbb13051691ae2a621725d82c6a
│ │   Previous version:   05.07.01
│ │   Update State:       Success
│ │   Update Error:       Pending activation
│ │   Last modified:      2024-02-08 16:25
│ │   GUID:               89fec0b6-6b76-5008-b82c-5e5c6c164007
│ │   Device Flags:       • Supported on remote server
│ │                       • Reported to remote server
│ │                       • Device stages updates
│ │                       • Device is usable for the duration of the update
│ │ 
│ └─  New version:      05.07.04
│       Remote ID:        lvfs
│       License:          Unknown
│       Description:      
│       The vendor did not supply any release notes.
│     
├─WD19S:
│ │   Device ID:          7c2276ed247f2b1af92a58091c0908548abfbdc8
│ │   Previous version:   01.01.00.05
│ │   Update State:       Success
│ │   Last modified:      2024-02-08 16:26
│ │   GUID:               cd357cf1-40b2-5d87-b8df-bb2dd82774aa
│ │   Device Flags:       • Supported on remote server
│ │                       • Reported to remote server
│ │                       • Device update needs activation
│ │                       • Device stages updates
│ │                       • Device can recover flash failures
│ │                       • Device is usable for the duration of the update
│ │ 
│ └─  New version:      01.01.00.07
│       Remote ID:        lvfs
│       License:          Unknown
│       Description:      
│       The vendor did not supply any release notes.
│     
└─System Firmware:
  │   Device ID:          a45df35ac0e948ee180fe216a5f703f32dda163f
  │   Previous version:   2.19.0
  │   Update State:       Success
  │   Last modified:      2024-02-08 16:32
  │   GUID:               5ffdbc0d-f340-441c-a803-8439c8c0ae10
  │   Device Flags:       • Internal device
  │                       • Updatable
  │                       • System requires external power source
  │                       • Supported on remote server
  │                       • Needs a reboot after installation
  │                       • Reported to remote server
  │                       • Cryptographic hash verification is available
  │                       • Device is usable for the duration of the update
  │ 
  └─  New version:      2.21.0
        Remote ID:        lvfs
        License:          Unknown
        Description:      
        The vendor did not supply any release notes.

Answer 1

I was able to fix the problem using this command:

$ sudo fwupdmgr downgrade
Choose a device:
0.  Cancel
1.  f743db9ca9b0a22e945bc76c8a3f31daa131ed7e (Package level of Dell dock)
2.  6f411e840cea552f9cab21447f8e3cfb142d6fa1 (RTS5413 in Dell dock)
3.  1d4e79c3626fff0bfe6e5209f0a4d8664370ceac (RTS5487 in Dell dock)
4.  35042fd1015b0dbb13051691ae2a621725d82c6a (VMM5331 in Dell dock)
5.  7c2276ed247f2b1af92a58091c0908548abfbdc8 (WD19S)
6.  a45df35ac0e948ee180fe216a5f703f32dda163f (System Firmware)

The USB was connected, and even though it was spazzing out, the system recognized the Dell dock. I selected 1 and then it prompted me to downgrade it and the rest. Everything seems stable now!