SupportAssist Questions

We tried reaching you on a private message asking for the Service Tag number to ascertain the warranty but did not receive a response. Please feel free to reply to the private message whenever you are available.

Hi rincon285:

My Inspiron laptop has SupportAssist and Dell Update (not Command Update) but this might answer some of your questions.

SupportAssist is a utility that can be used to run update checks for Dell software and drivers, scan for hardware issue, optimize your system (e.g., clean the Windows registry and temporary folders, etc.) and submit support tickets (assuming your service warranty hasn't expired). I personally believe the system optimization scans can do more harm than good (see my 12-Jul-2021 post in ex-jedi's Prevent Automatic Recycle Bin Emptying) and I have turned off automatic scanning in SupportAssist [Options (gear icon) | Settings | Automate Scans and Optimizations | Scan Your System and Drivers | DISABLED] and only run manual update checks and the occasional hardware test from the Home tab. My service warranty has expired and the only benefit I can see to using SupportAssist (i.e., instead of Dell Update / Command Update) is that SupportAssist provides an easy way to run basic hardware scans (e.g., Home tab | Scan Hardware; Troubleshooting tab | I Want to Troubleshoot My PC | I Want to Scan My Entire PC) and keeps a log of your installed updates on the History tab.

SupportAssist OS Recovery is optional Dell software you can install that will create system repair points (snapshots) for emergency recovery. See the Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery User’s Guide and the support article Restore Your System Using Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery to learn more about this software. Note that the built-in Windows System Restore is now a legacy feature and disabled by default on Win 10 computers - see the Windows Central support article How to Use System Restore on Windows 10. The Laptop Magazine article How to Repair and Restore Windows 10 has a good overview of the advanced repair options in Win 10.

If you check for updates with SupportAssist or Dell Update / Command Update it may offer to install or update the SupportAssist OS Recovery Tools (I've never seen the message in your Question #3 but it's likely prompting you to install this update), and once the SupportAssist OS Recovery Tools are installed you should see:

• A program called Dell SupportAssist Remediation installed at Control Panel | Programs Programs an Features, as well as a service called Dell SupportAssist Remediation with a Startup type of "Automatic (Delayed Start)" that starts after boot-up (see Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services).
• A SupportAssist OS Recovery control panel (settings manager) at Control Panel | System and Security | SupportAssist OS Recovery.
• A new System Repair setting in SupportAssist at Options (gear icon) | Settings | System Repair where you can enable / disable System Repair and choose the max. amount of disk space your Dell system repair points will use.  Note that the same settings can be controlled at Control Panel | System and Security | SupportAssist OS Recovery | Settings | System Repair.
• A hidden and protected folder created at C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\ where system repair points (snapshots) should be automatically created daily. Note that you can view the contents of this folder if you change the folder settings in File Explorer to show hidden files (View | Hidden Items | ENABLED) and run the TreeSize Free utility with Administrator rights to browse to C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\. My TreeSize image below was captured in May 2021 when System Repair was enabled and shows the \Snapshots subfolder using ~ 22 GB of disk space.
  
  
  

I have SupportAssist OS Recovery / SupportAssist Remediation v5.4.3.15135 installed on my Inspiron 5584 but it is currently turned off at Options (gear icon) | Settings | System Repair | System Repair is Turned On | DISABLED. This software has multiple bugs - for example, see my 03-Aug-2021 thread SupportAssist OS Recovery v5.4.3.15135 Not Creating System Repair Points about know issues where system repair points can exceed the max. allotted disk space and consume > 50 GB of disk space, where "Successful Application Reconfiguration" events are triggered by SupportAssist Remediation that flood the Event Viewer and Win 10 Reliability Monitor, etc.).  Even worse, when my Inspiron 5584 would not boot up back in August 2020 I was unable to access the SupportAssist OS Recovery tools (my service warranty was still valid at the time but everything Dell phone support suggested wouldn't work) and I ended up having to perform a reset to factory condition. I now use Macrium Reflect Free to create the occasional full disk image (and created an emergency USB boot media with Macrium) just in case the system repair options built in to Win 10 don't help and I have to perform another emergency recovery.  I've also enabled Windows System Restore per the Windows Central support article How to Use System Restore on Windows 10.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v20H2 build 19042.1110 * Firefox v91.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2107.4 * MB Premium v4.4.4.126-1.0.1413 * Dell SupportAssist v3.10.1.23 * Dell SupportAssist Remediation v5.4.3.15135 * Dell Update for Windows 10 v4.3.0 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.5925 * TreeSize Free Portable v4.5.1.566
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

I am hoping Dell can comment on what that download is that it is asking me to download.  The popup did come back and this time I did select remind me later.

I already turned off Automatic Scans in the settings since I did not want it running things on its own.  I do not like the ideal of items 3, 4, and 5 if I do not have an option to confirm any changes.

I see the following options:

1. Get Drives & Downloads 
2. Scan Hardware 
3. Clean Files is says "Remove redundant files, temporary folders, and other inessential clutter from your PC."  Does it give a list of what it will remove after running before removal?
4. Tune Performance it says "Adjust Windows settings, including startup options, and clear unwanted registry files to maximize your processing speed." Not sure what this will do.
5. Optimize network it says "Ensure connectivity and update device settings to keep your network efficient and reliable."
6. Remove Viruses it says "Remove viruses and corrupted files to keep your system secure."  I wonder if this just uses Windows Defender.

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Under settings, Gear Icon, if I turn off System Repair, will it turn back on Windows System Restore and start making restore points?  

If I uninstall it SupportAssist from Windows Programs and Features, will it effect the option under the bios for SupportAssist or is that a separate?  Maybe I will just uncheck the System Repair like @lmacri noted above.

I actually have three SupportAssist programs listed:

1. Dell SupportAssist  3.10.1.23
2. Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Plugin for Dell Update 5.4.1.14954
3. Dell SupportAssist Remediation 5.4.3.15135

In the Bios I see:

SupportAssist OS Recovery

The SupportAssist OS Recovery option will enable or disable the boot flow for SupportAssist OS Recovery tool in the event of certain system errors. If the SupportAssist OS Recovery setup option is set to disabled then all automatic boot flow for SupportAssist OS Recovery tool will be disabled.

I do have on my OEM drive a 990MB Recovery Partition and a 1.38GB Recovery Partition.

If I turn off System Repair (which is not working) and turn off automatic scans, does does mean everything is turned off and I can just leave it installed (but not used)?

Once I turn off System Repair, can I enable System Restore?

Also, i do not have this in the Control Panel that @lmacri noted.

"A program called Dell SupportAssist Remediation installed at Control Panel | Programs Programs an Features, as well as a service called Dell SupportAssist Remediation with a Startup type of "Automatic (Delayed Start)" that starts after boot-up (see Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services)."

Well, no responses from Dell yet.  I did get some PMs, but the responses seem just like computer generator responses and not a live person.  

Right now, SupportAssist is not generating any restore points with the Dell System Repair. I did try disabling and re-enabling but still no restore points.

Back to some basic questions and maybe Dell will Respond.  

1. If I disable System Repair by just turning it off under SupportAssist Settings or in Control Panel under SupportAssist OS Recovery and if I turn off automatic scans, does that basically turn off SupportAssist features?

2. Once I disable System Repair, can I turn on Windows Protection System Restore?

3. Under Windows System Restore, I see the C drive and "Dell" is the "Dell" just because I have a recovery partition?

4. If I uninstall all three SupportAssist Programs, does it change the boot option of SupportAssist where I can use the recovery Partition to Factory reset the machine or use the Windows reset option?  I do not need a restore point now and hope I do not need it, but want the option if ever needed.

5. Back to the original question, what does that OS Recovery Download do?  Does it update the recovery partition or create a new one?  I do not want to just do it and find I now have another recovery partition.

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@rinconman285 wrote:

Well, no responses from Dell yet.  I did get some PMs, but the responses seem just like computer generator responses and not a live person.  

Right now, SupportAssist is not generating any restore points with the Dell System Repair. I did try disabling and re-enabling but still no restore points.

Back to some basic questions and maybe Dell will Respond ... 

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Hi rinconman285:

Dell employee NikhilKiroula is a member of the SupportAssist (SA) development team and will occasionally post in this forum, but as a general rule Dell customer support only communicates via private messages or Twitter. Even then, you must provide your Service Tag so they can confirm your service warranty hasn't expired. Once your warranty expires their response is typically "As per the Service Tag you have shared, the system warranty is expired. Our support through social channels is currently available only for in-warranty systems" and will offer to help with out-of-warranty issues for a fee.

Based on my personal experience to date (i.e., as of SA v3.10.1.23):

1. No, disabling System Repair will stop the collection of Dell system repair points / snapshots but it shouldn't affect the functionality of any other SupportAssist feature.

2. As far as I know (but I could be wrong about this, I'd have to test) the Windows System Restore at Settings | System | About | System Protection is completely independent of System Repair and the SA OS Recovery Tools. I believe I had both turned on while I was testing the latest SA OS Recovery Tools v5.4.3.15135 (see my 03-Aug-2021 thread SupportAssist OS Recovery v5.4.3.15135 Not Creating System Repair Points) and as far as I know Windows System Restore continued creating it's own system repair points. If I go to Tools | System Restore in CCleaner Free it shows me a list of restore points created by Windows System Restore in the hidden C:\System Volume Information, including one I created manually on 06-Aug-2021 before using SupportAssist to update my Dell BIOS (see image below). The Windows Central article How to Use System Restore on Windows 10 notes that for Windows 10 "System Restore comes disabled by default, meaning that you have to enable it before the system can save restore points automatically or manually by you." Is it possible that Windows System Restore was originally turned off by default on your machine and was not actually disabled when Dell's System Repair was activated? Also note that I disabled System Repair in my SupportAssist settings on 07-Aug-2021 and when I checked today my Windows System Restore was still turned on and working.

3. Not sure since you have a Precision laptop. This is what Windows System Restore (Settings | System | About | System Protection) shows on my Inspiron 5584...

... and these are all the partitions displayed in Disk Management (Control Panel | System and Security | Administrative Tools | Computer Management | Storage | Disk Management or just right-click the Start button and choose Disk Management). The 12.2 GB partition (Disk 0 Partition 5) might be the Dell recovery partition created at the factory for factory resets but I can't tell you what software created the other partitions on Disk 0 or what they're used for.

4. Again, not sure, but I had to perform a reset to factory condition in Aug 2020 and as far as I know this was managed by the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). See the section titled "Reinstall Windows 10 to the Dell Factory Image Using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)" in the Dell support article Reset or Reinstall Windows 10 on Your Dell Computer.

5. I'm not certain since I suspect that major changes were made to the latest SA OS Recovery v5.4.3.15135.

Multiple users reported a serious bug in SA OS Recovery Tools v5.4.1.14954 where partitions they had created on their system that were higher than C: drive (e.g., a D:\ drive to store personal data) were wiped when SupportAssist installed the SA OS Recovery Tools v5.4.1.14954 update - see balji's 09-May-2021 SupportAssist Deleted My Partitions While Installing OS Recovery for one example. Dell employee NikhilKiroula posted in DELLKaren's thread Problems with SupportAssist 3.10.0.47 on 15-Jul-2021 that "We have removed System Repair settings from SA from 3.9.2 release onwards due to some major issue with SA OS Recovery tool during partitioning process".

I then reported in my 03-Aug-2021 thread SupportAssist OS Recovery v5.4.3.15135 Not Creating System Repair Points that SupportAssist self-updated to v3.10.1.23 on 29-Jul-2021 and automatically installed a new SupportAssist OS Recovery Tools v5.4.3.1535 (a.k.a. Dell SupportAssist Remediation) without my permission, and I can only assume that this latest SupportAssist OS Recovery Tools v5.4.3.1535 is being aggressively pushed out to users because it includes a bug fix that prevents accidental deletion of partitions during installation (Dell has ignored my requests for clarification). After SupportAssist OS Recovery Tools v5.4.3.1535 finished installing the System Repair settings re-appeared in the SuppportAssist interface and System Repair was automatically re-enabled on my system without my consent (I was not pleased). I left System Repair enabled for a few days and noticed that System Repair was not creating any new system repair points / snapshots in the hidden folder C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\ as expected. One user, DELLKaren, posted in my thread that their System Repair is still creating new system repair points in that folder after the forced update, so for now I'm assuming that SupportAssist OS Recovery / SupportAssist Remediation v5.4.3.15135 was corrupted on my system during installation (i.e., v5.4.3.15135  has not been designed to create system repair points in a new partition or location other than C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\).
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v20H2 build 19042.1110 * Firefox v91.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2107.4 * MB Premium v4.4.4.126-1.0.1413 * Dell SupportAssist v3.10.1.23 * Dell SupportAssist Remediation v5.4.3.15135 * Dell Update for Windows 10 v4.3.0 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.5925 * TreeSize Free Portable v4.5.1.566 * CCleaner Portable Free v5.83.9050
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Thanks.  I did provide my tag via PM and have 5 years of pro support plus.  Came here since Pro Support did not know what that download would do.  I will try them again.

I think I might uninstall all three SupportAssist Apps.  I am just concerned that will mess something up.

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@rinconman285 wrote:

...I think I might uninstall all three SupportAssist Apps.  I am just concerned that will mess something up.

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Hi rinconman285:

The only problem I might anticipate is that Dell Update / Dell Command might have difficulties auto-detecting your Service Tag and finding the appropriate updates for your system configuration if SupportAssist is removed. Back in March 2020 I reported that I was unable to check for available updates on the support page <here> for my Inspiron 5584 if I DISABLED the SupportAssist setting at Options (gear icon) Settings | Privacy | I Allow Dell to Collect Service Tag and Other System Usage Details (see my post in Caramel4406's Dell Support Website Doesn't Recognized That Support Assist Is Installed), but that problem was eventually fixed so I don't think you should run into any issues. As a test you could temporarily change the Startup Type of your SupportAssist and SupportAssist Remediation services from Automatic (Delayed Start) to DISABLED (go to Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services) and re-boot to check if Dell Update / Dell Command runs normally when these service are stopped.

If you're going to uninstall all software related to SupportAssist I suggest you follow the uninstall order suggested by employee DELL-Chris M at SA Uninstall / Reinstall (i.e., SupportAssist first) that is pinned at the top of this SupportAssist for PCs board. For a cleaner removal, I normally uninstall Dell utilities using Revo Uninstaller Free in Aggressive Mode, which seems to do a good job of finding and removing stray files and registry entries left behind after the "standard" Dell uninstaller has run to completion.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v20H2 build 19042.1110 * Firefox v91.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2107.4 * MB Premium v4.4.4.126-1.0.1413 * Dell SupportAssist v3.10.1.23 * Dell SupportAssist Remediation v5.4.3.15135 * Dell Update for Windows 10 v4.3.0 * Macrium Reflect Free v7.3.5925 * TreeSize Free Portable v4.5.1.566 * CCleaner Portable Free v5.83.9050 * Revo Uninstaller Free Portable v2.2.8
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

@lmacri 

Thank you for your posts. 

You noted:

... and these are all the partitions displayed in Disk Management (Control Panel | System and Security | Administrative Tools | Computer Management | Storage | Disk Management or just right-click the Start button and choose Disk Management). The 12.2 GB partition (Disk 0 Partition 5) might be the Dell recovery partition created at the factory for factory resets but I can't tell you what software created the other partitions on Disk 0 or what they're used for.

My partitions are:

• 190 MB EFI System
• OS (C:)
• 990MB Recovery Partition
• 1.3GB Recovery Partition
• 10 MB Unallocated

I have only two recovery partitions (990MB and one is 1.38GB).  I do not have a third like your 12.1GB like yours. I am not sure if the order indicates anything.  Maybe the 12.1GB is after the C drive and before your 1.22GB since it was created by the SupportAssist and the C Drive was resized.

My guess is this 12.1GB on yours is created for the System Repair (just a guess) and I do not have it since I have not said "Let's go" on the popup of  "Windows OS repair and restore features are available for download" I noted in the first post.  

My concern with all this is this just Dell Bloatware that they are trying to redo things that Windows already does such as System Restore and windows will do it better.

Also, if I choose to download these features, it will mess up my current drive by resizing the partitions.

Moved to end