Inspiron 3542 - Win10 upgrade issues - SoftThinks Agent Service utilizing 100% HDD & sleep mode/power issues

same thing here as far as the power issues. you must remove the 2 other intel things that were installed along with the Intel rapid storage

intel security assist

intel management engine something or other (cant remember the exact name) 

i still have the intel graphics and chipset drivers installed without any problems. it was just the intel rapid storage stuff that caused all the power , sleep mode problems..

I'm having the same problems with the Softthinks Agent Service after updating an Inspiron 15R laptop to Windows 10. It's taking 100% Disk usage and slowing things up significantly.

It's really disappointing that Dell would not properly test and update their software in advance for such a major Windows release.

At this stage I think I'm just going to uninstall everything related to Dell on the laptop to resolve it.

I think that I would keep the Intel Rapid Storage Technology running if you are using a Raid array.  It keeps your data safer between the drives.

I have a Raid 0 array.  It doesn't seem like it slows down my computer at all.

Read and decide for yourself.

im not gonna keep something that is harming my laptop...

 Mine started doing this in Dell 17R 7720 after I upgraded to latest Dell Backup and Recovery software version. Task Manager and Resource Monitor showed "Sftservices.exe"  was the culprit. You can not just End Task since it is restarted periodically by Services(tab in Task Mgr).  Left click sftservices.exe and click on "go to Services"   which will bring up a Services window that allows total control.  Just go into Services and  find SoftThinks  Agent Service entry which will be "Automatic" mode  and "Delayed Startup".  Change the "delayed Startup"  to "Disabled".  I do not know how this will affect a DB&R saved recovery image but nothing is worth destroying your C drive with such excess wear and tear. I suspect that that the task optimizes or packs the size of the image at a huge cost in battery time and disk wear. If you want to create an image down the line then enable it again as "Delayed Startup" and Automatic" and let it beat itself to death for five or six hours until disk activity is normal and create your image then disable again. Worst piece of garbage third party  software I have seen. Fix it or dump it. Reminds me of the very old 1995 MS Mail software that used to pack the mail database smaller  in the background and users would wonder why the disk drive was so busy!?!

By the way, I did check the DB&R program files with antivirus software to make sure there was no infection causing this. It passed so there does need to be a rethink on this software!

Many thanks for the suggestion. I had the same issue. Pluse SothThinks always hogged CPU after starting up  and made the console very sticky

Ever since I upgraded my laptop to Windows 10, this SoftThinks Agent Service is taxing my HDD to 100% slowing things down. This is related to Dell Backup and Recovery software. I can kill this service and that's that but every-time I start up, this happens. As for sleep mode, I will come back to my laptop and raise the lid, hit the keys, move the mouse, nothing. I hit the power button and nothing. So I hold the power button and then hit it to boot up, so clearly there are issues in relation to sleep mode and something shutting it off. (others have posted the same) I installed all newest Intel drivers on your site and I read 1 user stated to uninstall Intel Rapid Storage, which I did. Intel Management Engine remains as I am still trying to troubleshoot. Are you testing all these new drivers you are putting out for download? Do I need to go back to Win8.1, your site said my laptop could be upgraded. Please advise and "do the needful".

This was no cure for Jessy.Holiday, but...

http://www.dell.com/Support/Article/us/en/19/SLN300281

Inspiron 15 (3542), 14(3442), 17(5748) Running Windows 10 may not Shutdown, Resume From Hibernate, Sleep or not Power on

My own Dell Inspiron 3542, with 8 GB RAM & Touchscreen, survived upgrades Win 8.1 > 10240 > 10586 very well. It sleeps, wakes & runs well. Never had that problem. Have you taken all the drivers at...?...

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/inspiron-15-3542-laptop/drivers?rvps=y

Inspiron 3542 Drivers & Downloads

(1) Recently, BIOS A12 & Intel HD Graphics driver v.20.19.15.4404 were added.

(2) To get them all, you must "Find it myself". Dell System Detect won't detect them all.

(3) The site still offers v....1153 (but delivers ...1147) for the Intel Management Engine Interface driver. Then, it will continue to offer ...1153 each time you have it detect (because it only delivered ...1147). To stop that...

(a) R-Clk START, & select Device Manager.

(b) D-Clk "System devices", & then D-Clk "Intel Management Engine Interface".

(c) Click "Update Driver"...

This will deliver v....1157 - & at long last Dell System Detect will no longer offer the other!

(d) Finally, at the Power Management tab, select to allow auto-turn off...

I have never used Dell Backup & Restore, thinking it might be processor/storage intensive. I uninstalled it in Win 8.1. I thought I might use the Windows version, (but haven't even done that). Maybe try the built-in Windows version, as I've read it is very well behaved after making its initial baseline backup.

I uninstalled Dell Update application (supposed to work like Windows Update) because it clearly never kept me updated.

I never took Dell Foundation Services. Just still unsure what it means to do.

Careful you don't take inappropriate drivers. If you've got Wireless 1705 (as I do), don't take the 1704 stuff. If you see NVidia drivers there (they've disappeared suddenly) - don't take them, if you've got Intel HD Graphics like me.

Very helpful.

Very helpful.

Me? Glad to hear it, then. Now this Inspiron 3542 has made it to Win 10, v.1607, OS Build 14393.222 w/o serious incident. Dell continues to update its drivers too.

Good luck.

I parrot those saying "very helpful". Frustration ended over this "malfunction". Your ears are now the detector for HD thrashing, as my 3542 has no HD-active LED to give you a visual signal that HD is working. My newer Asus laptop the same, no HD LED.

Inspiron 15 (3542), 14(3442), 17(5748) Running Windows 10 may not Shutdown, Resume From Hibernate, Sleep or not Power on

Don.t work , don.t rezolving my problem

I wait for advices at email

Inspiron 15 (3542), 14(3442), 17(5748) Running Windows 10 may not Shutdown, Resume From Hibernate, Sleep or not Power on Don.t work , don.t rezolving my problem I wait for advices at email

Now my Dell Inspiron 3542 has made it to Win 10, v.1703, OS Build 15063.483. That's the Creators Update. And still I have no wake from sleep/hibernate problem. For the first time, I did a clean install into unallocated space. 

The Intel Management Engine Interface Driver (v. 11.0.0.1157) was among those that came in by itself during the clean install. All of them did, really, except the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver. As yet, I choose not to take it, as I don't have RAID. I think this is the reason Device Manager shows "Standard SATA AHCI Controller" under "IDE ADA/Atapi Controllers". I detect no problem with it. (Also the Dell Touchpad Driver had to be taken from the Dell site for its full functionality.)

(1) What is your Win 10 OS Build, at "START, Settings, System, About"?

(2) Does it match the latest offering, at "START, Settings, Update & Security, Learn more"?

(3) Have you checked all your driver versions (Device Manager) against what is at the site?

     If the site has greater, first try to update it using Device Manager (search automatically). If that fails, take the one from the site.

(4) Ask Cortana for "Edit Power Plan", & click "Change advanced power settings". Then, set the chosen plan to defaults...

Good luck, & keep us informed.

This afternoon I disabled SoftThinksAgent in Services and it seemed to resolve the problem, but then I came back  a couple of hours later and it was running again. When I checked in Services, it was still set to Disabled. Any ideas what could have triggered it to execute again?