Dell client management service keeps getting disabled

@thumper300zx​ check your anti-virus software....i was using Norton 360 and it disabled my services all the time....once i removed it. All works fine now!!

@w1KBLAD​ 

If you are using ALIENWARE, the service name should be same in image above

@realmac​ This worked for me, thank you

@w1KBLAD​ Thanks this worked, I think for me it may be a Norton Utilities that automatically disables low use apps from start-up.

@fsspro Wow, that’s a great catch! Norton messing with essential services isn't something you'd expect—thanks for sharing, this could save others a lot of headaches too.

I don't have any anti-virus except for the Windows flavor. There is no other security software installed that might interfere with the running of DCU and its service.  I have a Dell Precision 5570 that is still under warranty for another year or so. After the upgrade to Win11 24H2, DCU stopped working all together. I fought with it for a while and finally got it working again. However, the service refuses to stay running. I've tried everything short of reimaging the machine. I'm an IT professional and don't have time for that on my own machine. There has to be a better solution. Right?

Hi beth_wilkins:

Most of the information in this January 2024 topic is outdated.

Your Dell Precision 5570 support page at https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/precision-15-5570-laptop/drivers currently lists two DCU v5.5.0 utilities released on 30-Jun-2025 - the Dell Command | Update application (Dell-Command-Update-Application_Y5VJV_WIN64_5.5.0_A00_01.EXE) and Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal [Dell-Command-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_C8JXV_WIN64_5.5.0_A00_01.EXE, a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app].  If you enter your unique Service Tag on your support page are both those utilities still a match for your system components, and which are you trying to install?

See my 05-Apr-2025 topic Dell Update v5.5.0 (rel. 01-Apr-2025) Installs Unnecessary Bloat.  AKAIK all the Dell Update v5.5.0 utilities (including DCU) have recently undergone a complete redesign and no longer use Dell Client Management Service (a shared Dell service previously required for older Dell software like SupportAssist v3.x and Dell Update v5.4.0 and earlier).  The required service is now called Dell Core Services, and v5.5.0 now requires the Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime v8.0.x to be installed on the system as a prerequisite.

From my Inspiron 5584 shortly after I installed the recommended Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 on my system in April 2025:

*** NOTE: The latest MS .NET Desktop Runtime v8.0.x is v8.0.18 (rel. 08-Jul-2025).  If you have the correct MS .NET Desktop Runtime v8.0.x installed (available for download <here>) it will have the word "Desktop" in the program name but will be missing the word ".NET" at Settings | Apps and/or Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features as shown above.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.6093 * Firefox v141.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25060.7-1.1.25050.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.3.5.204-137.0.5331 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

@lmacri​ but -- do yourself a favor and set the Dell TechHub service to manual and turn off the service.

I do have DCU 5.50 installed, and it does require the Dell Client Management service. It will not run without that service. With our large user base , give or take 3,000 Dells of some kind or other, the Universal version caused more problems than not so we don't use it. It's only since Windows 11 that we've had any trouble with Dell Command Update.

Oh and @thumper300zx it's interesting that the TechHub service is already disabled on my machine. Hm. All Dell services are. The advanced, or more advanced, security of Win11 doesn't like Dell services for some reason??

@beth_wilkins​ Good. Leave that one that way (Dell TechHub). You can search it and find many threads here and in Reddit. At first people were rolling DCU back, but have seen the same issue there. Guessing 5.5.0 just speed up whatever service is getting installed that runs that (it isn't directy connected to DCU).

I thought the main Dell services need to run for DCU to run. So watch for that, but just make sure Dell TechHub remains manual and off unless needed. Then run what you need to, and turn Dell TechHub service back off.

@lmacri​ but -- do yourself a favor and set the Dell TechHub service to manual and turn off the service.

Hi thumper300zx:

Thanks for you feedback.  If you read the original post of my 05-Apr-2025 topic Dell Update v5.5.0 (rel. 01-Apr-2025) Installs Unnecessary Bloat I mentioned in my previous reply you will see I already confirmed this.  

I can confirm that disabling the Dell TechHub service and re-booting prevents the seven Dell processes shown in my 03-Apr-2025 image <here> from running at Windows startup, and Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 is still able to detect available updates for my system when the Dell TechHub service is disabled.

WARNING: Disabling the Dell TechHub service will break SupportAssist v4.x if this utility is also installed on your system.

The post I marked as the solution for that 05-Apr-2025 topic notes that I wiped all traces of Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 off my system and have no plans to reinstall it.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.6093 * Firefox v141.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25060.7-1.1.25050.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.3.5.204-137.0.5331 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

@thumper300zx​ Apparently the only requirement for DCU is the Client Management Service. I don't really use any of the other Dell services with the Precision. The machine is too temperamental as it is. Thank you for the intel.

I do have DCU 5.50 installed, and it does require the Dell Client Management service.

Hi beth_wilkins:

You might be right about that.  I found an old image of my Windows Services I captured on 02-Apr-2025 after installing Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 and it does show both Dell Client Management Service and Dell TechHub had a Status of "Running".  I thought Dell Client Management Service was an orphaned  remnant of SupportAssist or some other Dell utility I had uninstalled prior to April 2025 but perhaps I'm wrong about that.

I'd have to reinstall my Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 on my Win 10 machine to test if this software will still run correctly if Dell Client Management Service is absent or disabled, but I'm not too keen to do that since it was such a pain to wipe that bloated software off my Inspiron 5584 in the first place.  See my 22-Apr-2025 post <here> about how I inadvertently damaged my My Dell v2.2.6.0 app when I wiped Windows Universal v5.5.0 off my system using Revo Uninstaller Free in Aggressive Mode.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.6093 * Firefox v141.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25060.7-1.1.25050.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.3.5.204-137.0.5331 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

Apparently the only requirement for DCU is the Client Management Service. I don't really use any of the other Dell services with the Precision....

Hi beth_wilkins:

Don't forget to check for Dell Core Services and Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime v8.0.x as well. NOTE: Both should be listed at Settings | Apps and/or Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features, but Dell Core Services is NOT listed as a separate service in Windows Services.

The "Important Information" section of the Dell Command | Update v5.5.0 release notes <here> is a bit vague and only states "Dell Command | Update requires Microsoft .NET 8 or later to be installed on the system", but I believe it's Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime v8.0.x (i.e., not Microsoft .NET Runtime v8.0.x) that's required.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.6093 * Firefox v141.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25060.7-1.1.25050.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.3.5.204-137.0.5331 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0