Install/Uninstall/Reinstall Dell Download Manager

you actually have two options when you select to download for the first time. One is to use the download manager which hardly anyone on this forum suggests and the other is to download via web browser option which is the one I and most of the helpers always suggest.

To get rid of it you need to delete it from the Add/remove or program and features control panel appelet depending on which version of Windows you are using, then flush your interenet browser cache of cookies.. that will get rid of the prompt to use it

Great post Davet50.  I'm gonna rewrite that just a bit for some of us simple minded people.  :emotion-4:

Installation of Dell Download Manager

• Most forum users do not recommend using the Dell Download Manager.  Rather, they suggest you use the web browser option.

Reasons not to use the Dell Download Manager

• For me, it downloads drivers more slowly than the web browser download option.  This is the #1 reason for me to not use it and is important enough for me to find it unnecessary to list any other reasons not to use it.

Uninstallation of Dell Download Manager from Internet Explorer in all versions of Windows

1. Close all Internet Explorer browser windows
2. Click the Start Menu
3. Click Run
4. In the dialog box that appears, type "appwiz.cpl"
5. Click OK
6. Find "Dell Download Manager" and click Remove or Uninstall
7. Wait for the uninstall to complete
8. Open Internet Explorer
9. Follow the instructions on this webpage to clear the cookies:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278835
10. Close Internet Explorer and reopen it.

Great post! Once installing Dell Driver Download Manager, it seemed that you cannot get rid of it anymore, but you just give the right information to erase it completely.

While I had it, I couldn't download anything from the Dell site, it always ended up telling me "There are no files to download. Please go to Drivers and Download to select file(s).". If I did that, the only thing happened when clicking any downloadable file was downloading the download manager again, effectively blocking me from downloading anything.

From a customer point of view, I'd only use a download manager if it made life easier. I guess I hoped that it could manage and find the correct downloads for my system automatically, something like Windows Update (I know, that has its flaws, but at least you can opt-out). Instead, it only sits in the way, making an otherwise easy process (click file, save to disk, run) much harder.

So glad I can finally get this piece of "software" of my system. Dell: you should be fined for having so little information on such a bad piece of software.

It only makes life easier if you are downloading the large files (GB+).  I think Dell should get rid of it for the smaller downloads.  I have, however, NEVER had an issue with uninstalling it and/or simply deleting the few Dell cookies to get the prompt back between Download Manager and Download Via Web Browser.

To get rid of it...  (Do not clear browser history, cache, or cookies... its a web application)

All you need to do is goto your application data folders.

Vista/Win7

C:\users\username\appdata\local\apps\2.0\

Navigate each random generated path, remove all of the folders beginning with the name Dell. Then restart Internet Explorer at the Support.Dell.com site to download drivers again.... viola... Dell Drivers prompt for Browser or DDM..

Windows XP

C:\documents and settings\username\application data\apps\2.0\

I believe is the respective path for Windows XP. Please use your own discretion to figure that out. I haven't used XP since Windows 7 released as Beta... <3

Best Regards,

Steve K. - MCITP, RHCSA