DSA v3.5.0 Bug? - Scheduled Drivers and Downloads Scan Ran Other Scans

Hi NikhilKiroula:

Sorry, perhaps I didn't understand your 22-May-2020 email which stated "...But still I need to check why you have seen Virus and Malware scan option during optimization because you have Basic warranty which is not enabled for Virus and Malware."

Are you now saying that it is normal for DSA v3.5.0.448 scheduled System Optimizations scans to run four separate scans (i.e., Clean Files, Tune Performance, Optimize Network, plus a Virus & Malware scan), and that this telemetry is sent back to Dell without making any changes to the system if the user has a basic warranty?

If that's the case I'll just disable all scheduled scans (Settings | Schedule Scan and Optimizations | Turn On Automatic System Scans and Optimizations At:) and try to remember to run the occasional Get Drivers & Downloads and Hardware Scans from the Home tab.

In a perfect world I would also disable Settings | Privacy | I Allow Dell To Collect Service Tag And Other System Usage Details as Described Above but that causes the manual Detect Drivers scan on my Inspiron 5584 support page to fail with a "You Need SupportAssist" error (see my 04-Mar-2020 comment in Caramel4406's Dell support website doesn't recognized that Support Assist is installed). Another problem for another thread.

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64-bit Win 10 Pro v1909 build 18363.778 * Firefox ESR v68.8.0 * Windows Defender v4.18.2004.6 * Dell SupportAssist v3.5.0.448
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U@1.60/1.80 GHz, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Hi NikhilKiroula:

The statement "for Basic and ProSupport we just run Virus & Malware scan" is incorrect.

Here are screenshots to provide evidence of that:

I have Dell Premium Support (previously known as ProSupport):

I have 5 options that are active on my Home tab. The 6th option (for Virus & Malware scan) is inactive.  That means that it is impossible for the Virus & Malware scan option to run.

Hi NikhilKiroula:

Here is my reply with the screenshots provided.

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The statement “for Basic and ProSupport we just run Virus & Malware scan” is incorrect.

Here are screenshots to provide evidence for that:

I have Dell Premium Support (previously known as ProSupport):

I have 5 options that are active at my Home tab.  The 6th option (for the Virus & Malware scan) is inactive.

That means that it is impossible for the Virus & Malware scan option to run, if you have Dell Premium (also known as ProSupport).

Hi Karen,

Just to be clear schedule scans run are nothing to with warranty that's the reason all scans are running during schedule scan and as i told earlier we don't take any action on the scan result.

Options which are related to SupportAssist Home page those are related to warranty and as you have Premium Support you are not seeing Virus and Malware scan disabled at Home screen.

A.  If scheduled scans have nothing to do with the warranty (that is, the Dell's level of Service Support for Home) and if one has Dell Premium Support (also known as ProSupport), then what is the effect of:

1)  unchecking the box "Turn on automatic system scans and optimizations" at  Settings > Schedule Scans and Optimizations ?

and

2) checking the box

B. If scheduled scans have nothing to do with the warranty (that is, the Dell's level of Service Support for Home) and if one has Dell Premium Support Plus (also known as ProSupport Plus), then what is the effect of:

1)  unchecking the box "Turn on automatic system scans and optimizations" at  Settings > Schedule Scans and Optimizations ?

and

2) checking the box

I think answering these questions might clarify the issue for me.

Hi @NikhilKiroula :

My Dell SupportAssist v3.7.0.148 was automatically updated to v3.8.0.108 when I launched the program on 07-Dec-2020.  Unlike previous DSA versions where my Home tab included a greyed-out / inactive panel labelled "Remove Viruses and Malware" (see the image in my first post <here>), this panel has been removed from my new DSA v3.8.0 interface (see image below), and the v3.8.0 change log <here> states in part "Enable automated software optimizations and virus and malware removal capabilities on a PC with Basic or expired service plan using Dell Software Support."

Recall that you posted <here> in this thread on 28-May-2020 that "As explained earlier for Basic and ProSupport we just run Virus & Malware scan and don't take any action on the scan result. That is business call and we are collecting that data for analytic purpose so we can take product feature related calls based on telemetry data."

My Basic one-year warranty expired on 07-Oct-2020, and I don't understand what the change log means when it says I can use "Dell Software Support" to remove viruses and malware from my system. Does this refer to some online support tool, or has there been a change to the way that DSA malware scans run on systems that do not have Premium Support Plus?  For example, is the new DSA v3.8.0 still running these background malware scans on my system and silently sending the back to Dell for analysis, and can these background scans now remove suspected malware from my system without my knowledge?

All scheduled DSA scans are currently DISABLED in my setting [Options ("gear" icon) | Settings | Automate Scans and Optimizations | Scan Your System and Drivers] after I discovered that clicking "Run All" from the DSA Home tab corrupts my Windows Defender AV [see my 26-Nov-2020 thread Dell SupportAsssist v3.7.0.148 "Run All" Breaks Windows Update (Win 10 v1909)] so I don't want any DSA scans (including any System Optimization scan like a Clean Files scan) running in the background that might damage my Windows system files.

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64-bit Win 10 Pro v1909 build 18363.1198 * Firefox 83.0 * Windows Defender v4.18.2011.6 * Dell SupportAssist v3.8.0.108
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U@1.60/1.80 GHz, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620