SupportAssist Optimize Network Results Questions

That is exactly my question. I would like to know what Dell Support Assists thinks it needs to do to my Network and other settings... I don't like blackboxes at all. It will make your life miserable if weeks later something doesn't work as it should and you have no clue if it might be related to the changes that were executed by Support Assists or not.

I never got a response to this question. Hopefully, now that you are asking too, someone at Dell that is monitoring these boards could post some meaningful information on the changes that SupportAssist is making to systems and why.

Hello Dell Cares,

Indeed the system I was referring to is a Dell Optiplex 7040 ServiceTag -  . Could we get an explanation on why Dell Assist is making the changes it's making? Based on what criteria?

Thank you.

@btm2003sf​ 

Would also like to know this.

Especially given I trust SupportAssist to manage updates, generally, on my Dell XPS 14 (2026) [DA14260]

Hi Binkles:

What is the version and OS build number of your Windows operating system [open a Run dialog box (Windows key + R) and enter winver] and your current BIOS version (open a Run dialog box, enter msinfo32 to open your System Information, and look for the field named "BIOS Date/Version")? What is the version number of your Dell SupportAssist application shown at Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features?

I haven't used SupportAssist for a few years*** but a quick check of the SupportAssist for Home PCs User’s Guide shows there's still almost no documentation on Boost Performance and Network Optimization scans in that guide except a section <here> on how to enable / disable these automatic background scans. However, the SupportAssist for Business PCs Frequently Asked Questions document does provide a brief description of SupportAssist "system optimization" scans and states in part:

What does the Optimize Network optimization do?

The Optimize Network optimization improves the performance of browsers and optimizes the network connectivity to provide an efficient and reliable network by:

•  Updating device settings to ensure safe connectivity
• Performing multiple checks and optimizing the TCP or IP settings and Internet or browser settings

If you can't find further details about the changes your Network Optimization scans are making to your system in the hidden C:\ProgramData\SupportAssist\Client\Agent\logs\ApplicationLogs\SupportAssistAgent.log as suggested in the 20-Jan-2020 post <above> you might find additional logs in C:\ProgramData\Dell\SupportAssist\Agent\Logs\Applications\SupportAssistAgent.log (assuming those folders are still created for the latest release of SupportAssist v5.1.x).

NOTE: When I still used SupportAssist the C:\ProgramData\Dell\SupportAssist\Agent\Logs\ folder was a hidden and protected folder, but I could view the contents with TreeSize Free.

If none of this helps and your computer is still under warranty you can contact Dell customer support directly by clicking the blue "Get Help Now" button located in the bottom-right corner of each page of this forum.  This will start a Live Chat session, and after you type in a brief summary of your problem the automated Dell-Cares chat bot will ask for your email address and the unique Service Tag of your computer.  Once it confirms you still have a valid service warranty it should connect you to a live customer service rep.

HINT: You've posted in a very old topic that hasn't been active for six years. By default, topics in this forum are sorted by the date the topic was originally created (i.e., by "Recent Topics"), not by the date of the latest reply (i.e., not by "Recent Activity"). The next time you have a question about your Dell XPS 14 DA14260 I would advise you start a new topic so your problem receives wider attention.
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*** I uninstalled all SupportAssist-related programs from my Inspiron 5584 after my service warranty expired - they were too buggy, consumed too much RAM and CPU, and the "system optimization" scans in SupportAssist (Boost Performance / Optimize Network) were too aggressive and had the potential to do more harm than good.  See my 08-Feb-2025 post in ygil’s BSOD Issues After Windows Updates for further details on the steps I took to replace most of the functionality of these Dell programs.

When I still used SupportAssist I would turn off all automatic background updates and system optimizations at Settings | Scans and Optimizations (see the SupportAssist v5 User Guide <here>) and would only run "Update Software" and "Scan Hardware" tasks manually when needed from the Home tab of SupportAssist to prevent any unexpected updates or unwanted changes to my system.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.7417 * Firefox v151.0.4 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.26050.15-1.1.26050.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.6.0.256-158.0.5638 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * TreeSize Free Portable v4.8.1.610