I manage a small group (13) of Dell computers for my church. They are all running the latest version of Windows 11 Pro and are 0-5 years old. I had some problems updating Dell Command|Update from v5.7.0 to v5.7.1. A couple of machines did it OK using the usual semi-automatic methods, but the vast majority didn't make it at all. Most gave a Microsoft Desktop Runtime error.
Here is the procedure that worked for all the machines that didn't upgrade using the usual means (Dell|Command Update itself or Dell SupportAssist):
1. Delete Dell Command|Update v5.7.0 using Control Panel --> Programs and Features.
2. Download and install Microsoft Desktop Runtime v10.0.11 (latest version available from MS).
3. REBOOT.
4. Download and install Dell Command|Update v5.7.1 from Dell.
This procedure worked well for me on all that machines that would not upgrade the usual semi-automatic methods. Don't forget the reboot before the final install.
@Gatorgogo I had a very similar issue on some of the PCs I support. Try getting rid of DCU 5.7.0 first and rebooting before installing DCU 5.7.1.
Here is the procedure that worked for all the machines that didn't upgrade using the usual means (Dell|Command Update itself or Dell SupportAssist):
1. Delete Dell Command|Update v5.7.0 using Control Panel --> Programs and Features.
2. Download and install Microsoft Desktop Runtime v10.0.11 (latest version available from MS).
3. REBOOT.
4. Download and install Dell Command|Update v5.7.1 from Dell.
This procedure worked well for me on all that machines that would not upgrade the usual semi-automatic methods. Don't forget the reboot before the final install.
I know less than nothing about updating 13 dell computers, so I asked the internet, and the response is below (NB: How it is better then your existing methods,I know not)....
You can upgrade Dell Command | Update (DCU) from v5.7.0 to v5.7.1 on 13 Windows 11 Pro machines either manually per machine, via a silent installer script, or using your existing RMM/MDM tooling. The key points are:
DCU 5.7.1 requires .NET Desktop Runtime 10.0 version 10.0.8 or later on x64/ARM64 systems. dell+1
The Win32 (classic) installer supports in‑place upgrade and retains settings. dell
You can deploy silently using the standard MSI/EXE installer with /S or /silent style switches (depending on package) and then reboot once. dell+1
Below are three practical approaches, with commands you can adapt.
1) Confirm which DCU variant you have
On one of the machines, check:
Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
If you see Dell Command | Update Windows Universal Application, that’s the UWP variant.
If you see Dell Command | Update, that’s the classic Win32 variant. dell
Your upgrade path and CLI differ slightly between UWP and Win32. For bulk automation on Windows 11 Pro, the Win32 (classic) version is usually easier to script and deploy.
2) Get the v5.7.1 installer
From a management machine:
Go to Dell’s driver page for DCU (search “Dell Command | Update” under your system’s Drivers & Downloads, or use the direct driver ID if you have it). dell+1
Download the Win32 package:
File name example: Dell-Command-Update-for-Win32_61R17_WIN64_5.7.1_A00.EXE dell
Save it to a shared location accessible by all 13 PCs (e.g. \\server\share\Dell\DCU\).
Also ensure .NET Desktop Runtime 10.0 ≥ 10.0.8 is present on all targets; if not, stage that installer too. dell+1
3) Manual upgrade (one-by-one, GUI)
If you just want to do this interactively on each machine:
On the target PC, run the downloaded Dell-Command-Update-for-Win32_..._5.7.1_A00.EXE.
The installer will detect the existing 5.7.0 and perform an in‑place upgrade, retaining settings. dell
Reboot when prompted (or defer and reboot later). dell
Repeat on all 13 machines.
4) Silent bulk upgrade via script (recommended for 13 PCs)
Assuming Win32 DCU and a standard EXE wrapper around an MSI, you can typically use silent switches like /S or INSTALLMODE=Silent. Dell’s docs and community scripts show patterns such as:
powershell
# Example PowerShell – adjust paths and switches as needed for your exact EXE $dcuExe = '\\server\share\Dell\DCU\Dell-Command-Update-for-Win32_61R17_WIN64_5.7.1_A00.EXE' # Optional: ensure .NET 10.0.8+ is installed first (use your own deployment method) # Run silent install/upgrade Start-Process -FilePath $dcuExe -ArgumentList '/S' -Wait # Reboot once after install (optional, can be scheduled) shutdown /r /t 60 /c "DCU 5.7.1 upgrade – reboot required"
Notes:
The exact silent switch depends on the wrapper Dell uses for 5.7.1; common ones are /S, /silent, or INSTALLMODE=Silent. Check the EXE’s help (/h, /?) or test on one machine with logging. dell+1
Because this is an upgrade from 5.7.0 → 5.7.1, the installer should detect the existing version and upgrade in place, preserving configuration. dell
Plan a single reboot window after deployment; DCU notes that a restart is required after installing the application. dell
You can wrap this in a simple batch/PowerShell loop over your 13 hosts using Invoke-Command (PowerShell Remoting) or your RMM tool.
5) Using DCU CLI after upgrade (optional)
Once 5.7.1 is deployed, you can use dcu-cli.exe to scan/apply driver/BIOS/firmware updates in bulk, e.g.:
@anne_droid : Thanks for the search for all of the AI info related to this issue.
With all of this information clearly available, I wonder why Dell has not used it to improve the process to upgrade from DCA 5.7.0 to DCA 5.7.1?
For example, Microsoft Desktop Runtime v10.0.11 is clearly a prerequisite for DCA 5.7.1, so why doesn't the Dell DCA 5.7.1 installation module search for this and automatically install it if it is not already present?
Same thing with any required old file deletions (e.g. DCA 5.7.0) and any required reboots? Dell does this all the time with other driver and software updates that say "Restart Required." Why not with the DCA 5.7.1 update?
Like most users, when I install a Dell hardware driver or software update, I expect the process to be automated, so that all the end user has to do is find the update, run it and reboot if necessary.
Why Dell didn't build these details into the DCA 5.7.1 update escapes me.
Dell Command Update keeps trying to update to 5.7.1 on my Dell Optiplex. The program runs and then closes by itself to install DCU in the background (this is the normal update process for DCU). The problem is it DCU never updates to 5.7.1. Reviewing the Activity Log I see the "Install Update POP70 (APAC) fails with exit code 4".
All of my Dell PC's have this same failure. I'm just going to wait and see if Dell gets this figured out.
5.7.1 installed fine on my machines, but it crashes every time you try and check for updates. We have hundreds of Dell machines. Anyone else having the issue? Gui crashes, bit CLI update works.
My PC finally updated to Dell Command Update 5.7.1. The key to get this update to work was having Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime 10.0.11 installed. I apparently did not have it installed previously and that's why the update failed.
I checked the 'Programs and Features' section in Control Panel to see if the 10.0.11 version of Microsoft Desktop Runtime was installed. I noticed that it actually was installed today. So it must have done that in a Windows update because I didn't install manually.
When I re-ran Dell Command Update, it went though the update and when it finally finished I now have Dell Command Update 5.7.1. Having Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime 10.0.11 installed is the key.
nhowardtx1
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Posted August 17th, 2026 21:11
@Gatorgogo I had a very similar issue on some of the PCs I support. Try getting rid of DCU 5.7.0 first and rebooting before installing DCU 5.7.1.
Here is the procedure that worked for all the machines that didn't upgrade using the usual means (Dell|Command Update itself or Dell SupportAssist):
1. Delete Dell Command|Update v5.7.0 using Control Panel --> Programs and Features.
2. Download and install Microsoft Desktop Runtime v10.0.11 (latest version available from MS).
3. REBOOT.
4. Download and install Dell Command|Update v5.7.1 from Dell.
This procedure worked well for me on all that machines that would not upgrade the usual semi-automatic methods. Don't forget the reboot before the final install.
Good Luck!