DUA Update notice

Always include exact PC model and version of Windows in your posts...

There are, to my knowledge, four ways to receive Dell OEM driver and application updates:

1- through the SupportAssist app;
2- through the Dell Update app;
3- from Windows Update; and
4- from Dell's support website.

How you choose to receive updates is up to you - I rely on Windows Update. You'll get the same updates no matter which of these methods you choose.

If I was to guess why Dell makes updates work this way, because all I can do is guess, it's that regardless of how you like to use your computer, Dell has a way for you to get your updates.

@Bulldog​ 

#3 might not happen, and even if it does, it can cause problems.

First, if you go to the BIOS and disable Capsule Update, in theory it should/will stop Windows from installing a driver update (all including Dell ones, BIOS included). That said, I've seen it put down a new BIOS on me (checked the History Log and saw it, but it might not have installed and I never saw the Install on the Dell boot screen showing it was being installed?). Also with that BIOS setting, I've seem some of the Driver settings appear in the Optional Updates, but I've also had those at some point auto-install?

Also, to force the installed, for some reason, when Dell ships it to MS to include, the name is different, that is instead of BIOS V2.13 it is BIOS V0.2.13.

I for one DO NOT like forced/unknown install of drivers. The other items in your list though are good as they DO call out ones specific to your Service code. Windows Update doesn't do that.

In ANY of them, one should CHECK to see if they want/need that file installed, and OK it if they do want it.

@ispalten​ 

This is very interesting to me.

SupportAssist and Dell Update always tell me that my system is up to date, and I have enabled nothing to run automatically. In addition, when I download allegedly critical updates from the Support website and try to install them, Windows tells me they are already installed. Where else could all these updates have come from, if not from Windows Update, which apparently knows my Service Tag?

@Bulldog​ 

Windows does not know your Service Tag, but it can scan your PC and know what DRIVERS you have... Very easy then to know if they have to install something.

There are two different numbers it seems in the Windows Update files. Those drivers are 'packaged' and named. Most from Dell start with '0.' for the version number, with the matching Dell ones behind it. Windows finds a hit on one of the files in its payload, you get it, unless Windows considers it OPTIONAL (it then goes onto the Option list you can see and allow an install for).

As for packages on the Windows Update payload, I think there are flags in it on what to do. I and others even with Capsule Update did have Dell updates sneak in. Here, look what I see in History, and look at the version numbers:

Even Nvidia drivers, but note the way they are numbered...

I'm running V537.34. but the actual Driver version is 31.0.15.3734, the last 6 digits count here to match that actual driver version.

So how the package and flags in it are part of the problem, not set right, you get it without approving it.

Luckily, since last July, this has stopped... possible it was a Windows error, who knows.

@ispalten​ 

Thank you! That was very interesting.

So now I'm a little concerned: How can I be sure that I have all the updates I need from Dell?

I removed SupportAssist because I do not need or want it to scan hardware, clean files, tune performance, optimize my network or remove viruses and malware.

Dell Update only ever tells me "This system is up to date."

When I try to install updates from the Support website, Windows 11 tells me they are already installed.

Windows Update may list drivers as "Optional" but after a week or two, it can and will force install them without warning or permission. 

Several Intel driver updates, eg Intel SoftwareComponent 2.20.100.1, and an NVidia driver update were all listed as optional for my XPS 8930 with Win 10 for a couple of weeks. Then one day Windows Update force-installed them. 

So don't be lulled into thinking you can permanently avoid "Optional" updates, unless you have a Pro version of Windows. Pro versions include Group Policy Editor (gpedit) that will let you stop Windows Update from installing all driver updates. Unfortunately, we can't pick/choose the ones we will accept.

FWIW, since the one time WU force-installed a BIOS update on this PC, with UEFI Capsule Updates disabled in BIOS setup, it has not tried to install another BIOS update. That one time was actually the very first time WU offered Dell BIOS updates, and it appears to have ignored the UEFI Capsule setting that one time.  So there was probably a bug.

Just keep in mind that every time a new BIOS is installed, regardless of whether you do it manually, SupportAssist does it, or WU does it, UEFI Capsule Updates will be (re-)enabled in BIOS setup, so you have disable that setting again after every BIOS update

@Bulldog  Search for driver updates manually by entering your Service Tag at the support site. (Don't post Service Tag here.)

After all the back-and-forth, which was enlightening, at the end of the day it seems like the only way to be assured that I have the updates from Dell that I need is to make a habit of regularly checking the Support website. The worst that can happen from doing this is that Windows will say "oh, you already have that one."

I didn't intend to hijack the OP's question, but it happened anyway, and for that I apologize.