SupportAssist and Win 11 upgrade

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:

... I can't see your screenshots in your last post. They appear as empty squares with a triangle in them. Could you repost them?

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

Can you see them when you log in to the forum?  If not, they've been flagged for moderation (that sometimes happens when I edit a post that has an embedded image) and will eventually display correctly after a Moderator has approved them.

In the mean time you can go to my user profile at https://www.dell.com/community/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4018316 and scroll down to lmacri's Photo's - if you click "View All" the images I posted today should be listed first and dated 11-06-2022.

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@lmacri wrote:
.... I'm not familiar with Windows 11, but it's unlikely that uninstalling an old Dell Update APPx module from a previous Dell Update installation affected the display of the Search icon on your taskbar. It's more likely you accidentally unpinned the Search icon from your taskbar or received a Windows Update that changed the behaviour of your Search icon ...

Hi RedheadedCelt:

It looks like the images from my post yesterday have cleared moderation and are visible again.

Further to your question about Search, what is the current OS build number for your Windows 11 shown at Settings | System | About | Windows Specifications, and does your Search feature looks anything like the images shown in the MS support article Search for Anything, Anywhere? (again, remember to click the Windows 11 tab for that support article)?

If Windows Update delivered a Preview build for your Win 11 OS  on or around 25-Oct-2022 this build may include changes to the appearance of Search on the taskbar. If you still have Win 11 v21H2 this would be the KB5018483 (OS Build 22000.1165) Preview; if your system recently upgraded to Win 11 v22H2 this would be the KB5018496 (OS Build 22621.755) Preview. From the release notes <here> for Win 11 v22H2 / KB5018496 (which has more details than the release notes <here> for Win 11 v21H2 / KB5018483, which just say "adds improvements to Windows search results and performance."):

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Highlights

• New! It enhances search visual treatments on the taskbar to improve discoverability. This is available to a small audience initially and deploys more broadly in the months that follow. Some devices might notice different visual treatments as we gather feedback. To learn more about why you might be seeing these changes, see Search for anything, anywhere.

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You can expect more of these "dribble" updates (sometimes called "Moments" by Microsoft) now that they have switched from releasing major Feature Updates twice a year in the Spring and Fall (e.g., from v21H1 to v21H2) to once a year in the Fall (e.g., from v21H2 to v22H2). See Susan Bradley's 23-May-2022 article Hey Microsoft! Is Anyone There Listening? on ComputerWorld about these "dribble" updates.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2130 * Firefox v106.0.5 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.4-1.1.19700.3 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.17.221-1.0.1806 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Hi Imacri,

I just posted a reply right above this one. I didn't see your latest post before I posted mine. I was replying to your previous post. 

In answer to your question, I still have Win 11 v21H2. The build number is 22000.1098. 

No, my search doesn't look like the one in the link that you sent me. See how at the bottom of the computer screen in the photo it looks like a magnifying glass? Mine is a rounded box that says Search with a mini magnifying glass to the left of the word Search (in the rounded box).

Hi Imacri,

I can see your screenshots now. My Dell Update for Windows Universal is 22.2 MB though. Yours is 22.1 MB. Is there a reason for the difference? Also, my SupportAssist APPx module is 3.00 MB. Yours is 3.6 MB. Again, why the difference?

Also, will it cause problems if I didn't uninstall Dell Update before installing the new version of Dell Update for Windows Universal (v4.7.0)? I couldn't find Dell Update under Control Panel | Programs | Programs & Features, so I only uninstalled the Dell Update APPx module in Settings | Apps | Apps & Features.

Today I ran Dell Update again and it still works (but it didn't find any updates), but I tried to open SupportAssist and it wouldn't open. I got an error message saying it was taking too long and to try again later. But I went to the Drivers & Downloads page for my computer on Dell.com and did an automatic search for updates (using SupportAssist). It took a very long time, but eventually completed and said my computer was up to date.

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:

... I can see your screenshots now. My Dell Update for Windows Universal is 22.2 MB though. Yours is 22.1 MB. Is there a reason for the difference? Also, my SupportAssist APPx module is 3.00 MB. Yours is 3.6 MB. Again, why the difference?

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

I wouldn't worry about the small difference in file sizes. That could be because we have different operating systems.

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... Also, will it cause problems if I didn't uninstall Dell Update before installing the new version of Dell Update for Windows Universal (v4.7.0)? I couldn't find Dell Update under Control Panel | Programs | Programs & Features, so I only uninstalled the Dell Update APPx module in Settings | Apps | Apps & Features.

Today I ran Dell Update again and it still works (but it didn't find any updates), but I tried to open SupportAssist and it wouldn't open. I got an error message saying it was taking too long and to try again later....

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I'm not sure if I asked this before (or if it's even relevant), but what is the name and version number of your antivirus?

Having both the "classic" Dell Update v4.6.0 application and the "modern" Dell Update Windows Universal Application v4.7.0 UWP app installed at the same time might cause a problem. If you have more than one Dell Update application listed at Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features then that's my fault. I only suggested you install Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 to see if a Dell utility other than SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 was able to check for available updates. You posted <here> on 23-Oct-2022 that System File Checker (sfc /scannow) found damaged or missing system files after you upgraded from Win 10 to Win 11, so I just wanted to know if a) Dell Update v4.x ran correctly on your system and b) if you could use Dell Update v4.x to check for available Dell software and drivers while Dell was fixing the current bugs in SupportAssist v3.12.3.5. If both SupportAssist v3.x and Dell Update v4.x won't run on your system then that could indicate that your operating system was corrupted when you upgraded from Win 10 to Win 11.

Note that there are two "versions" of Dell Update listed on the support page <here> for your Inspiron 3583. The release notes <here> for Dell Update v4.6.0 (Dell-Update-Application_RYXN2_WIN_4.6.0_A00.EXE, rel. 24-Aug-2022) show that this is a "classic" Win32 installer that is compatible with Windows 8.1 or higher. The release notes <here> for Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 (Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_MMJM6_WIN_4.7.0_A00_01.EXE, rel. 31-Oct-2022) show that this is the "modern" Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version that is compatible with Win 10 and higher, and the "Important Information" section of those release notes state that "Dell Update Classic interface is not supported from version 4.7 and later. If you have Dell Update Classic, Dell Update version 4.7 UWP is installed". That's why Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0, the modern UWP version, is the better choice for your Win 11 laptop.

Also note that the Known Issues section <here> of the SupportAssist v3.12.3 release notes warn that driver scans may not work after Dell Update (any edition or version) is updated or installed.

I would suggest that you:

• Uninstall any "classic" (and now unsupported) Dell Update v4.6.0 or older application from Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features, if present.
• Uninstall any "modern" Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 UWP app from Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features, if present.
• Uninstall any Dell Update APPx v4.7.31.0 or older module from Settings | Apps | Apps & Features, if present.

Then re-boot and see if SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 launches. If SupportAssist does launch, run "Get Driver & Downloads", "Scan Hardware" and "Remove Viruses & Malware" scans (this assumes you have an active Premium Plus Support service plan that includes Dell's proprietary malware scanner) from the Home tab of SupportAssist and report back on what you observe.
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If you haven't already done so, I would also recommend that you disable the Fast Startup power option (also known as hybrid boot-up / hybrid shutdown) at Control Panel | Power Options | Choose What the Power Buttons Do | Shutdown Settings as instructed in Option # 2 of the ElevenForum tutorial Turn On or Off Fast Startup in Windows 11 and then re-boot your system a few times. Fast Startup is enabled by default but this power option can interfere with the loading of services and drivers of third-party software at boot-up and cause all sorts of odd glitches and unexpected problems, and Microsoft has acknowledged that Fast Startup can even interfere with Windows Update - see the MS support article Updates May Not Be Installed With Fast Startup in Windows 10. As a general rule I always recommend that anyone with a Win 8.1 or higher OS should disable Fast Startup.

If you can't get SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 to launch after the Dell Update v4.6.0 (or older) and Dell Update Windows Universal v4.7.0 (or older) applications have been uninstalled, then it's possible that disabling Fast Startup and a few re-boots might solve this glitch. Since you have OS build 22000.1098 (the KB5018418 cumulative Quality Update for Win 11 v21H2, released 11-Oct-2022) and might even have OS build 22000.1219 by now (the KB5019961 cumulative Quality Update for Win 11 v21H2, released 08-Nov-2022), it's even possible that Fast Startup is interfering with the proper installation of your Win 11 v21H2 updates and causing new issues with SupportAssist.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2130 * Firefox v106.0.5 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.5-1.1.19800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.17.221-1.0.1806 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:
..No, my search doesn't look like the one in the link that you sent me. See how at the bottom of the computer screen in the photo it looks like a magnifying glass? Mine is a rounded box that says Search with a mini magnifying glass to the left of the word Search (in the rounded box).

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

Did you find any useful hints in the ElevenForum tutorial Add or Remove Search Button on Taskbar in Windows 11 or the Microsoft support article Hide and Unhide Your Search Box in Windows (be sure to select the Windows 11 tab for the correct instructions) that I suggested <above>?

If not then I would suggest you post in the Personalization board of the ElevenForum and see if any Win 11 users know a solution. The Windows 11 board of the Bleeping Computer forum and the Questions About Windows 11 board of the AskWoody forum are other good places to post questions about Windows 11.

As I said, I have a Win 10 v21H2 OS so I'm not sure what you're describing. The Search box on my Win 10 taskbar looks like this ...

... and I can right-click on any empty space on my taskbar and choose Search from the pop-up menu to select different options to change its appearance.

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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2130 * Firefox v106.0.5 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.5-1.1.19800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.17.221-1.0.1806 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Hi Imacri,

Before I do anything further you suggested in your last post, I wanted to update you as to the current status of my computer.

I updated my computer to Win 11 v22H2. It installed successfully this time (previously it had failed to install). My OS build number is now 22621.819. And when I installed it, the magnifying glass reappeared on my taskbar. But then there were subsequent Windows updates to install, and after I installed them, the magnifying glass turned back into the search box I previously described.

I disabled Fast Startup, by the way.

Today, I ran System File Checker and it said “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations”.

I tried running Dell Update, and it opened, but when I checked for updates, it just said “checking for component updates…” and kept spinning. I clicked on cancel, but it wouldn’t stop. Finally, I just closed Dell Update. I reopened it and tried again, and it worked.

I opened SupportAssist, and it opened without any problems, and Get drivers & downloads and Scan hardware both worked. I didn’t try running Remove viruses & malware. In History, the Hardware Scan Result was listed twice for some reason.

Only Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 is listed in Control Panel | Programs | Programs & Features. I don’t know what happened to my old Dell Update v4.1 because I didn’t uninstall it, just the Dell Update APPx module for it in Settings | Apps |Apps & Features.

Also, in answer to your previous question, I have McAfee LiveSafe v16.0 R50. Ever since I updated my computer to Win 11, the VirusScan freezes when I run it, unless I run it with the app closed. I am wondering if the problems with my computer are mainly due to insufficient memory, as Dell tech support suggested.

I also wanted to let you know that the problems I’m having with SupportAssist are not new. I’ve had problems with SupportAssist not running properly and failing to install updates since I purchased the computer in Jan. 2021. I’ve had numerous remote sessions with Dell tech support, and they were unable to fix the problems with SupportAssist. And that’s when I had Win 10 on my computer.

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:
...Also, in answer to your previous question, I have McAfee LiveSafe v16.0 R50. Ever since I updated my computer to Win 11, the VirusScan freezes when I run it, unless I run it with the app closed. I am wondering if the problems with my computer are mainly due to insufficient memory, as Dell tech support suggested.

I also wanted to let you know that the problems I’m having with SupportAssist are not new. I’ve had problems with SupportAssist not running properly and failing to install updates since I purchased the computer in Jan. 2021. I’ve had numerous remote sessions with Dell tech support, and they were unable to fix the problems with SupportAssist. And that’s when I had Win 10 on my computer.

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

I would have to agree that at least some of your problems are caused by the small amount of RAM installed in your Inspiron 3583, especially if your SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 and Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 apps do not behave consistently. Many of the problems you're seeing - especially intermittent connection errors and sluggish performance - could be caused by a lack of available memory when you have too many programs loaded in memory and running at the same time.

I feel it's unethical for Dell to be selling new computers with only 4 GB of RAM. That's the bare minimum to run Windows 11 but doesn't leave much memory to run any third party applications. At this point I'd suggest you either:

• Install more RAM (which could be expensive), or
• Start disabling or uninstalling any non-essential programs that use high amounts of RAM.

Did you do as I suggested <here> in my 24-Oct-2022 post and use Task Manager to see what programs are using the most amount of memory on your system? I suspect your default browser (when open), Dell SupportAssist, and your McAfee LiveSafe antivirus will be the main culprits.  Here's an example of how much memory some SupportAssist processes can consume on my Inspiron 5584:

You can't function without a browser but I assume your McAfee LiveSafe antivirus is a 1-year trial subscription that was installed at the factory and is going to expire soon anyway. My Inspiron 5584 also shipped with a trial version of McAfee LiveSafe [see my 20-Nov-2019 thread Waiting for McAfee LiveSafe Critical Update 16.0.22 Refresh 1 (CVE-2019-3684)], and I uninstalled McAfee LiveSafe a few months after I purchased my Inspiron 5584 and now use the Microsoft Defender antivirus built in to my Windows OS for my primary real-time protection. If you do decide to uninstall McAfee LiveSafe from your system be sure you run the McAfee Consumer Product Removal (MCPR) tool after your Control Panel uninstall as instructed in the McAfee support article How to Remove McAfee Products From a PC That Runs Windows. This is a specialized tool that will remove any orphaned registry entries and files left behind by your McAfee LiveSafe uninstall that could interfere with Microsoft Defender or whatever other antivirus you choose to run.  If McAfee is uninstalled your Microsoft Defender protection will automatically re-enable itself after a re-boot.

Even if you decide to continue using McAfee, note that there are reputable on-demand scanners like Malwarebytes Free that you can install and run every week or so just to check for any malware or low-risk PUPs (potentially unwanted programs like browser toolbars, adware, etc.) that might have been missed by your real-time antivirus protection. If you aren't familiar with Malwarebytes Free see the hints I posted 25-Aug-2022 in the Norton forum at System Infected: Trojan Backdoor Activity 690.

SupportAssist also isn't essential, especially if Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 can be used to check for available Dell software and drivers. Dell Customer Support would never suggest you uninstall this program since it's in their best interests for you to keep this software installed so they can use it collect telemetry data from your data.  If you haven't already done so I'd suggest you read the fine print about some of the data Dell collects from your computer at Options (gear icon) | Settings | Privacy.  I already posted my reasons <here> on 05-Oct-2022 about why I don't allow SupportAssist and Dell SupportAssist Remediation (also called Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery) to start at boot-up and run in real-time on my Inspiron 5584.

If you aren't comfortable uninstalling SupportAssist yet you can temporarily disable this program by disabling the Dell SupportAssist and Dell TechHub services. To do this open your Windows Services (at Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services on my Win 10 laptop), right-click each service and choose Properties, and then change the Startup type to "Disabled" and click the Apply button to apply the change. After you re-boot your computer you will find that those services are no longer running and you won't be able to launch SupportAssist. This won't completely disable SupportAssist [if you open Task Manager you'll still see a few services associated with the Dell Data Vault (DDV) loading at boot-up on the Processes tab] but this should tell you if your system performance improves when SupportAssist isn't running in the background. If that doesn't help you can always go back into your Windows Services, change the Startup Types of both services back to their defaults [which I believe is "Automatic (Delayed Start)"], and re-start your computer.

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... I opened SupportAssist, and it opened without any problems, and Get drivers & downloads and Scan hardware both worked. I didn’t try running Remove viruses & malware. In History, the Hardware Scan Result was listed twice for some reason....

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This appears to be yet another SupportAssist bug introduced by v3.12.3.5. I temporarily re-enabled my Dell SupportAssist and Dell TechHub services yesterday and launched SupportAssist and I was able to re-create this bug when I ran a manual "Scan Hardware" scan from the Home tab. See the image I posted yesterday in Rysoft's Supportassist bug v3.12.3.5 Hardware Date last run not updated from scheduled run that had.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2130 * Firefox v106.0.5 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.6-1.1.19800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.17.221-1.0.1806 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:
.. I updated my computer to Win 11 v22H2. It installed successfully this time (previously it had failed to install). My OS build number is now 22621.819. ...

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

One other thing I should mention. If SupportAssist throws the message "An unexpected error occurred while running this request" while attempting to install an available update or if SupportAssist (or any other Dell utility) is not behaving as expected then open your Windows Services at Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services and ensure that the Status of the Dell Client Management Service , Dell SupportAssist and Dell TechHub services are all "Running".

The Dell Client Management Service is a common component required by SupportAssist, Dell Update and other proprietary Dell software, and many users have reported that this service can be disabled by a Windows Update, especially after a major OS upgrade (e.g., from Win 10 to Win 11) or after Feature update where there is a version change (e.g., from Win 11 v21H2 to v22H2). When that happens you must go into your Windows Services and change the Startup Type of Dell Client Management Service from "Disabled" back to its default "Automatic (Delayed Start)" and re-boot your computer to restart the service.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2251 * Firefox v106.0.5 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.6-1.1.19800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.17.221-1.0.1806 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Hi Imacri,

Before I address your suggestions in your previous posts, I wanted to ask you a quick question. Windows Update says there is an optional driver update for my computer. It says it's "Dell, Inc. - Firmware - 0.1.20.0." Should I install it? I already installed the latest BIOS update - v1.21.0 from the Drivers & Downloads page on Dell.com. I checked Dell Update and the Drivers & Downloads page, and both say there are no new updates for my computer.

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:

... I updated my computer to Win 11 v22H2...

...I tried running Dell Update, and it opened, but when I checked for updates, it just said “checking for component updates…” and kept spinning. I clicked on cancel, but it wouldn’t stop. Finally, I just closed Dell Update. I reopened it and tried again, and it worked....

... Ever since I updated my computer to Win 11, the VirusScan freezes when I run it, unless I run it with the app closed. I am wondering if the problems with my computer are mainly due to insufficient memory, as Dell tech support suggested....

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

One more thing to consider, since the support page <here> for your Inspiron 3583 currently lists optional software called Dell SmartByte v3.1.1000 (sometimes called Rivet SmartByte or SmartByte by Rivet). If this software is installed on your system (it's often pre-loaded at the factory) its main purpose is to "automatically detect the browsing or video streaming activity and prioritize the available Internet connection for the activity."

I had nothing but grief with this buggy software and uninstalled it about a year after purchasing my Inspiron 5584 - see my 11-Jun-2021 thread SmartByte v3.1.995 Bug? Disabling CinemaStream Causes High CPU by SmartByte Telemetry Service. If you search the Dell forum for "smartbyte" you'll find several threads where users reported they were able to improve their internet speeds ** or solve "no internet connection" warnings by uninstalling SmartByte - see stevemajcr's Beware of SmartByte (now 9 pages long) for one example. Even the Dell support article Troubleshooting Network Performance Issues on Inspiron Systems states that "this article provides troubleshooting steps to determine whether the SmartByte application is a contributing factor in slow network performance". 

If you suspect that SmartByte might be causing internet connection problems on your Inspiron 3583 see the excellent 10-May-2022 HelpDeskGeek article SmartByte Telemetry: What It Is and How to Uninstall It, which includes instructions for either disabling or uninstalling SmartByte. **

** You can use the Ookla speedtest site at https://www.speedtest.net/ to test your internet download speed. If you are making changes to your system and want to see if it has any effect on your internet speed (e.g., disabling or uninstalling SmartByte) then check your internet speed both before and after making any changes.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2251 * Firefox v107.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.6-1.1.19800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.17.221-1.0.1806 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Hi Imacri,

I couldn’t figure out how to get to Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services on Win 11 to check that Dell Client Management Service, Dell SupportAssist, and Dell TechHub Services were all running, and to check that Dell Client Management Service was on automatic (delayed start) and not disabled. Could you provide instructions on how to do that?

Also, I checked Task Manager, and my CPU, Memory, and Disk all varied a lot (from 100% down to much lower). Most of it was background processes. When I launched Dell Update, it didn’t seem to affect it much. When I launched SupportAssist, it initially caused the CPU or Memory (I can’t remember which one) to go up to 100%, then it went down. Opening a browser didn’t seem to affect it much either.

When I launched Dell Update, I noticed it didn’t say Dell Update for Windows Universal. It just said Dell Update copyright 2020 Dell, Inc. and v4.7.0, which makes me wonder if that’s the old Dell Update (not the Windows Universal one). It said my last update was 9/30/2022 which was long before I installed Dell Update for Windows Universal. Yet, under Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features, only Dell Update for Windows Universal is listed.

I tried to check for updates with Dell Update, but it just said “Initializing” with a spinning bar. I waited for 20 minutes, then closed Dell Update. I re-launched it and the same thing happened again, so I closed it again. Then I launched SupportAssist, but when I ran Get drivers & downloads, it said “System is busy, try after some time. A task is in progress. Wait for the previous task to finish.” Was that because I closed Dell Update while it was in progress? I got that error message in the past after I closed SupportAssist while a hardware scan was in progress.

I then went to the support page for my computer at Dell.com. I tried automatically finding driver updates and got the error message “Driver detection not available”. Again, was that because I closed Dell Update while it was in progress? What can I do about that?

Regarding SmartByte, a Dell tech support person removed that from my computer long ago.

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:

... I couldn’t figure out how to get to Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services on Win 11 ...

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

I'm not familiar with Windows 11, but you should be able to search for "services" (without the quote marks) from your desktop or open a Run dialog box (Windows key + R key) and enter services.msc. If neither of those methods works see the 04-Jan-2022 MakeUseOf article 7 Ways to Open the Services App in Windows 11.

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... When I launched Dell Update, I noticed it didn’t say Dell Update for Windows Universal. It just said Dell Update copyright 2020 Dell, Inc. and v4.7.0, which makes me wonder if that’s the old Dell Update (not the Windows Universal one)....It said my last update was 9/30/2022 which was long before I installed Dell Update for Windows Universal....

I have Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 installed on my Inspiron 5584, and that is program name listed at Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features ...

... but my desktop shortcut and program interface just say Dell Update, so I think you're okay in that respect.

Have you actually used Dell Update to install an available update since 30-Sep-2022?  According to my notes the last time I used Dell Update to install an update was on 30-Sep-2022 when Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Plugin for Dell Update v5.5.4.16189 (rel. 27-Sep-2022) was originally installed (that same plugin was re-install on 11-Oct-2022 when my SupportAssist app auto-updated to v3.12.3.5 on 11-Oct-2022), but I've noticed in the past that those Last Check and Last Update dates aren't always accurate (see my 02-Mar-2020 post <here> for one example) so I wouldn't worry too much about the actual dates displayed in the Dell Update interface as long as the rest of the program is working correctly.

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...I tried to check for updates with Dell Update, but it just said “Initializing” with a spinning bar. I waited for 20 minutes, then closed Dell Update. I re-launched it and the same thing happened again, so I closed it again. Then I launched SupportAssist, but when I ran Get drivers & downloads, it said “System is busy, try after some time. A task is in progress. Wait for the previous task to finish.” Was that because I closed Dell Update while it was in progress? I got that error message in the past after I closed SupportAssist while a hardware scan was in progress...

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If your SupportAssist warns you that “System is busy, try after some time. A task is in progress. Wait for the previous task to finish” then just leave your computer idle for 30 min or so and wait to see what happens. I don't know if you turned off automatic background scanning in your SupportAssist settings as I suggested <here> back on 05-Oct-2022, but if you didn't you could have an unfinished software update, hardware scan or system optimization scan trying to run to completion.

SupportAssist v3.x and Dell Update v4.x are closely integrated, so if one isn't working it's possible that it could affect the other. I can't say for certain since Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 seems to be working correctly on my Inspiron 5584 and I normally have the Dell SupportAssist and Dell Tech Hub services both disabled so that SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 can't launch on my system.

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...I then went to the support page for my computer at Dell.com. I tried automatically finding driver updates and got the error message “Driver detection not available”. Again, was that because I closed Dell Update while it was in progress? What can I do about that?...

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The blue Check for Updates button on the support page <here> for your Inspiron 3583 uses the SupportAssist services and executables to run the scan, so if SupportAssist isn't working correctly then the scans on your support page won't work correctly either. In fact, even if SupportAssist is working correctly but you simply disable the Privacy setting in SupportAssist at Options (gear icon) | Settings | Privacy | I Authorize Dell to Collect my Service Tag and System Usage Details Mentioned Above then the blue Check for Updates button on the support page for your Inspiron 3583 will likely throw a warning that SupportAssist isn't installed on your system and will ask you to download and install SupportAssist, even though Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features shows that SupportAssist is actually installed - see my 04-Mar-2020 post in Caramel4406's Dell Support Website Doesn't Recognized That Support Assist is Installed. In my experience it doesn't take much to break the update checks or hardware diagnostics on the support page of my Inspiron 5584.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2251 * Firefox v107.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.6-1.1.19800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.17.221-1.0.1806 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

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@RedheadedCelt wrote:

... I tried to check for updates with Dell Update, but it just said “Initializing” with a spinning bar. I waited for 20 minutes, then closed Dell Update. I re-launched it and the same thing happened again, so I closed it again. Then I launched SupportAssist, but when I ran Get drivers & downloads, it said “System is busy, try after some time. A task is in progress. Wait for the previous task to finish.”....

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Hi RedheadedCelt:

Just an FYI that a new Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.1 (Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_0991N_WIN_4.7.1_A00.EXE, rel. 24-Nov-2022) was posted today on the support page <here> for your Inspiron 3583.  There's nothing in the v4.7.1 release notes <here> to indicate what changes have been made to this latest version.

Note that when a new update is posted on the support page for my Inspiron 5584 it generally takes about a week for that same update to be detected by SupportAssist v3.x and/or Dell Update v4.x when I run a check for available software/driver updates with these apps.  My current Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 is working correctly so I'm just going to wait for about a week or so and see if v4.7.0 eventually self-updates to v4.7.1 on its own.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.2251 * Firefox v107.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2210.6-1.1.19800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.18.226-1.0.1823 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7090 * Dell SupportAssist v3.12.3.5 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.21.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620