SupportAssist: Cannot access "Get Drivers and Downloads"

I have the exact same issue. Command Update can't be installed and it makes the support assist lock up with "System is busy".

The work-around:

(1) From Control Panel un-install SupportAssist 

(2) Re-install SupportAssist (from Dell website)

(3) Do not select the Version 4.6.0 Dell Command Update. However, you can select other drivers and downloads to install.

I’m certainly no wizard when it comes to software issues like this, but I do get nasty about upgrades and updates being released without the proper testing. My issues were EXACTLY as described here, and I have read and tested for the past few days determined to get to the bottom of it.

I am on a XPS 8940 desktop running Windows 11 Home, living in Canada.  If you are about to follow the path to my fix, keep your own system and software in mind as you may have options to customize it better for your configuration. All these steps were based on my system. And I am happy to report that ‘SupportAssist’ works normally again, ‘Get Drivers and Downloads’ runs normally again, AND I have ‘Version 4.6.0 Dell Command Update’ installed.

Apparently the last full update of ‘SupportAssist’ requires ‘Microsoft .NET Runtime – 5.0.14 (x64)’ or higher version to avoid problems running ‘SupportAssist’. It was supposed to be installed during the upgrade of SupportAssist, but in many cases failed (like in mine).

1a. Check your programs list (the same list you see when uninstalling) to see if you have a version of ‘Microsoft .NET Runtime – 5.0.14 (x64)’ or higher.

1b. If you have no such program, or the version is lower, we are on the right track.

1c. If you do have Microsoft .NET Runtime – 5.0.14 (x64)’ or higher version, bail and forget you ever saw these instructions. lol

2a. Uninstall every mention in your program list that has reference to SupportAssist. You will find one or two other references in addition to the program itself. Restart after all are completely uninstalled.

3a. Go to https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download and click on the box with the title ‘Download NET.Runtime’.

3b. The next page, I selected ‘Windows’ then under the heading ‘Run Desktop Apps’ I selected ‘Download x64’.

3c. I installed the downloaded ‘windowsdesktop-runtime-6.0.8-win-x64.exe’, then restarted once complete.

4a. Go to https://www.dell.com/support/contents/en-ca/article/product-support/self-support-knowledgebase/software-and-downloads/supportassist

4b. I installed the downloaded ‘SupportAssistInstaller.exe’, then restarted.

4c. After restart, I launched ‘SupportAssist’, and tested that the ‘Get Drivers and Downloads’ functioned the way I expected. (it did). Restart again.

5a. <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

5b. Complete ‘Find the best download for your system’ area to recommend the best version of the driver for your system.

5c. Mine was ‘Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_NHKD3_WIN_4.6.0_A00.EXE’

5d. I downloaded, installed, restarted, launched SupportAssist again, checked ‘Get Drivers and Downloads’ as well as the other tests to see if they functioned the way I expect them to (They did!)

I am sure many of the steps I have detail may be redundant to a software specialist, and some may even need some troubleshooting based on your system. What I know for sure is this worked for me, and it is more than any software specialist has offered to date.

Please let me know if you have the same success. I’d be happy to know this novel was not written in vain.

Michael,

I don't think I'm going to do what you suggest.  My SupportAssist is now fully operational -- as long as I don't download:   Dell Command /  Update Windows Universal Application  (Version 4.6.0)  And that download is only a "Recommended" update.  So I think I will hold off.

I have full service warranty on my PC -- it's only a year old -- so I may call Dell and have them look into this, but not right away.  

Please accept my thanks for your effort.

Hi 3 Silver.

Sorry. My mistake. Believe it or not 5.0.17 will not work and needs to be updated.

I will revise and repost instructions.

I’m certainly no wizard when it comes to software issues like this, but I do get nasty about upgrades and updates being released without the proper testing. My issues were EXACTLY as described here, and I have read and tested for the past few days determined to get to the bottom of it.

I am on a XPS 8940 desktop running Windows 11 Home, living in Canada.  If you are about to follow the path to my fix, keep your own system and software in mind as you may have options to customize it better for your configuration. All these steps were based on my system. And I am happy to report that ‘SupportAssist’ works normally again, ‘Get Drivers and Downloads’ runs normally again, AND I have ‘Version 4.6.0 Dell Command Update’ installed.

Apparently the last full update of ‘SupportAssist’ requires a newer version of ‘Microsoft .NET Runtime – 5.0.17 (x64)’ which was installed during the last upgrade of SupportAssist. It needs to be separately updated to the latest version. (no need to uninstall the old version)

1a. Uninstall every mention in your program list that has reference to SupportAssist. You will find one or two other references in addition to the program itself. Restart after all are completely uninstalled.

2a. Go to https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download and click on the box with the title ‘Download NET.Runtime’.

2b. The next page, I selected ‘Windows’ then under the heading ‘Run Desktop Apps’ I selected ‘Download x64’.

2c. I installed the downloaded ‘windowsdesktop-runtime-6.0.8-win-x64.exe’, then restarted once complete.

3a. Go to https://www.dell.com/support/contents/en-ca/article/product-support/self-support-knowledgebase/softw...

3b. I installed the downloaded ‘SupportAssistInstaller.exe’, then restarted.

3c. After restart, I launched ‘SupportAssist’, and tested that the ‘Get Drivers and Downloads’ functioned the way I expected. (it did). Restart again.

4a. <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

4b. Complete ‘Find the best download for your system’ area to recommend the best version of the driver for your system.

4c. Mine was ‘Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_NHKD3_WIN_4.6.0_A00.EXE’

4d. I downloaded, installed, restarted, launched SupportAssist again, checked ‘Get Drivers and Downloads’ as well as the other tests to see if they functioned the way I expect them to (They did!)

I am sure many of the steps I have detail may be redundant to a software specialist, and some may even need some troubleshooting based on your system. What I know for sure is this worked for me, and it is more than any software specialist has offered to date.

Please let me know if you have the same success. I’d be happy to know this novel was not written in vain.

This morning I ran "Get Drivers and Downloads" and the option to download and install the 4.6.0 version of "Systems Management / Dell Command /  Update Windows Universal Application"  was NOT available.  So it seems Dell does not want to install the problematic 4.6.0 version and will allow the 4.5.0 version to remain on my PC.

This problem still exists.  This morning the 4.6.0 Command Update file was listed as a "Critical" update, so I thought maybe Dell had fixed the problem, because before it was listed as an "Recommended" update.  Well, after attempting to install the 4.6.0 version SupportAssist was once again hung up.  I had to uninstall SupportAssis and re-install it.

I've found a solution. I had the same problem, and i fix it with this steps:

1. Open Control Panel > Program and Features
2. Find "Dell Update"
3. Right click on it > press on "Restore" or "Reset" (idk in english what is the exatly word)
4. After finish the process, open again SupportAssistant and retry to scan for updates

If the process freezing, press cancel and open SupportAssistant. If SupportAssistant again say "System is busy...bla bla bla", retry to step 3 and 4, even the process of reset doesn't go fine.

I've done three time steps 3 and 4, and the first time the process gone to the end, but SupportAssistant give the same error. The second time the process freezed at the start, i've press the cancel button and i've open SupportAssistant but says again the same error. At the third try the process freezed at 99%, and with the process open (idk if this make some diffecerence, maybe try) i've try to run SupportAssistant and now work

This problem still exists with the new version of SupportAssist installed (3.12.3.5).   It still fails to install the 4.6.0 Command Update file and then hangs.  I had to (once again) uninstall SupportAssist and then reinstall. 

Hi Michael, I have run across this same issue multiple times. The first time was the Bios update, not sure of the exact update version but I couldn't figure it out, so I contacted Dell Support. I had a guy come on, I told him what I was experiencing and he said he knew what the issue was. He asked to connect to my pc, I accepted everything and he was going through my computer for 15+ minutes before he asked if I would hold while he got a supervisor to help him. I told him that was fine, after over 45 minutes I was told that they would have to move this up to a technical support 3 level or something, he said that they would be contacting me the following day. I have yet to hear from them, it has been close to a month and the support ticket is still open.

After not hearing from them, I spoke to an in law of mine that is very smart with computers and he informed me of the issue that dell was having, so I did exactly what he told me to do and it was fixed. That was until I had some updates that was needed for my pc, I downloaded them and boom, support assist would not work. I googled it because it was so late here that I couldn't call my in law, I found this article, I checked everything and noticed that it had the 5.0.17 and the 6.0.10 downloaded on my pc. I deleted them along with all of the support assist downloads, I reinstalled the 6.0.10 and support assist. I launched the support assist, I clicked on the "get drivers and downloads" and it is working just fine. So, I wanted to say thank you for posting this for others to see.