SupportAssist Fails to Launch

Hi GlobalEngineer:

Does your Latitude 5590 still have a valid service warranty?

Run System File Checker (sfc /scannow) and DISM commands like Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth from an elevated command prompt as instructed in the ghacks.net article Use DISM to Fix Issues SFC Can't and see if any of those scans find a problem with the system files for your new Win 10 v21H2 install

If you haven't already done so I'd also suggest that you disable the Fast Startup power option (also known as hybrid boot-up / hybrid shutdown) as instructed in the TenForums tutorial How to Turn On or Off Fast Startup in Windows 10 and then re-boot and see if SupportAssist runs correctly. This power option is enabled by default but Fast Startup can interfere with the loading of services and drivers of third-party software at boot-up and cause unexpected problems, and Microsoft has acknowledged that Fast Startup can even interfere with Windows Update - see the MS support article Updates May Not Be Installed With Fast Startup in Windows 10.

When you go to Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features does it show that you have the current SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 (rel. 23-Jun-2022)? From my Inspiron 5584:

Please see my 19-Jul-2022 post in aadvanderpol's SupportAssist 3.11.4 Not Working about the new minimum system requirements for this latest version. Did you recently update to the Dell Latitude 5290/5490/5590 System BIOS v1.23.0 (rel. 14-Jul-2022) listed on the support page <here> for your Latitude 5590 (open a Run dialog box, enter msinfo32 to open your System Information panel, and look for the “BIOS Version/Date” field), and does Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features show that you have MS .NET Runtime v5.0.17 installed as shown in the image above?

If you have SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 installed does Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services show that the Dell TechHub service is running?  Note the image below shows that I have deliberately disabled my Dell SupportAssist Remediation service because I don't want this program (also known as SupportAssist OS Recovery Tools) loading at boot-up.

You also mentioned that you "uninstalled SupportAssist, rebooted, and reinstalled". When I notice a problem with SupportAssist I normally use instructions in employee DELL-Chris M's SA Uninstall / Reinstall. When I reach the step to uninstall all SupportAssist-related programs (e.g., Dell SupportAssist Remediation, Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Plugin for Dell Update, etc.) I usually use Revo Uninstaller Free in "Aggressive" mode to  to ensure I clean up most of the orphaned files and registry entries left behind by the "regular" uninstaller. When I am ready to reinstall SupportAssist I download a fresh copy of the SupportAssist installer (SuppportAssistInstaller.exe) to my desktop, right-click, and choose "Run as Administrator".

The Dell Tech Support video at Dell SupportAssist Not Installing includes some folders, registry entries and Windows services that might still need to be cleaned up manually after your SupportAssist uninstall. XPS_Man has also posted alternate instructions <here> for a clean reinstall of SupportAssist that uses Microsoft's Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter for uninstalling your Dell programs.  I've never used XPS-Man's instructions to uninstall SupportAssist or other Dell utilities so I can't tell you how well they would work on my Inspiron 5584.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1826 * Firefox v102.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19400.3 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.11.202-1.0.1716 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867 * Dell SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 * Dell Update Windows Universal v4.5.0 * Dell Fusion Service v2.0.58.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.18.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

I have a new 7610 laptop. If it starts it runs 2 items and then sits and  does nothing on the others. I have also a brand new AIO  that  says it is installed over and over but will not run!  So, 2 for 2  it is useless. Has not been right for a long time. install, uninstall, does not matter. I am also trying to get current updates for my SPECIFIC AIO and it says it can not do that  now  so get them manually. What good is the dell  support if we can not get anything to work??

 

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@Kitten56 wrote:

I have a new 7610 laptop. If it starts it runs 2 items and then sits and  does nothing on the others. I have also a brand new AIO  that  says it is installed over and over but will not run!  So, 2 for 2  it is useless. Has not been right for a long time...

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Hi Kitten56:

If you require assistance it would be best if you start your own topic, since your problems sounds slightly different than what the original poster GlobalEngineer reported in this thread. Be sure to include the full model number of your 7610 (e.g., Inspiron 16 7610, Precision R7610, etc.), as well as your Windows OS (include the version and build shown at Settings | System | About | Windows specifications), your current BIOS version (open a Run dialog box, enter msinfo32 to open your System Information panel, and look for the “BIOS Version/Date” field),  and whether your service warranty is still valid. Also let us know if the .NET (Core) Runtime v5.0.17 discussed <above> is installed at Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Feature, since this .NET Runtime v5.x is a new system requirement for SupportAssist v3.11.4.29. It might be best if you restrict your comments in your new topic to your 7610, since the problems on your second AIO machine are a bit different and might require a different solution.

If none of the troubleshooting steps I suggested in this thread has helped you please read my post today in aadvanderpol's SupportAssist 3.11.4 Not Working. There are so many people having problems either installing or running SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 right now that it might be best if you simply wait for Dell to release a newer version that installs correctly and has fewer bugs. As I noted in that thread, I prefer to use Dell Update instead of SupportAssist for checking for Dell software and driver updates, and if I ever want to run a hardware scan I can still run Dell's F12 ePSA hardware diagnostics from my BIOS. My Windows 10 OS also has its own built-in hardware diagnostics at Settings | Update & Security | Troubleshoot | Additional Troubleshooters | Network Adapters, etc.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1826 * Firefox v102.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19400.3 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.11.202-1.0.1716 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867 * Dell SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 * Dell Update Windows Universal v4.5.0 * Dell Fusion Service v2.0.58.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.18.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

I am having trouble getting SupportAssist for Home PCs to start. It was working fine Saturday 7/23/2022. PRODUCT Inspiron 15 5579 2-in-1. My extended services basic warranty isn’t due to expire until March 04, 2023.

The app is stuck at ‘Loading PC optimization tools’. According to the SupportAssist Installer.exe I downloaded this morning (7/25/2022), I have the current version of Support Assist (3.11.4).

I logged in to the Dell Support website and was initially able to get into the Product Support page for my device. I initiated a scan for Drivers and Downloads. Before the scan completed, I got the following error message:

'You don't have permission to access "http://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/servicetag/0-QjMxLzdVQUd0RU5pbXRyN1lMUGtUZz090/overview ?" on this server.

Reference #18.c91c2117.1658753496.47850369'

I now cannot get to the Product Support page for my device from the ‘My Products and Services’ page. I get the same error message as above. I tried initiating a chat with Support describing this issue. The message came up that my issue could not be resolved.

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@EagleJCS wrote:

...The app is stuck at ‘Loading PC optimization tools’. According to the SupportAssist Installer.exe I downloaded this morning (7/25/2022), I have the current version of Support Assist (3.11.4)....I now cannot get to the Product Support page for my device from the ‘My Products and Services’ page. I get the same error message as above. I tried initiating a chat with Support describing this issue. The message came up that my issue could not be resolved.

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Hi EagleJCS:

Please see my comments to Kitten56 <above>. It would be best if you started a new topic in this SupportAssist for PCs board with all your system details [e.g., computer model, Windows OS version and build, BIOS version, whether Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features shows you have the required .NET (Core) Runtime v5.0.17 installed, etc.] so you don't take GlobalEngineer's thread off-topic. Also let us know if Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features shows that your installed version of Dell SupportAssist is v3.11.4.29 (i.e., that the installer actually ran to completion).

In the mean time, re-boot you computer and go to https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-ca?app=products, enter your unique Service Tag, and see if that re-directs you to the support page <here> Inspiron 15 5579 2-in-1. If the re-boot doesn't help try clearing your entire browsing history as instructed in the How-To Geeks article How to Clear Your History in Any Browser.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1826 * Firefox v102.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19400.3 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.11.202-1.0.1716 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867 * Dell SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 * Dell Update Windows Universal v4.5.0 * Dell Fusion Service v2.0.58.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.18.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Noted. I'll start a new topic if this comes up again.

I rebooted and ran the pre-boot SupportAssist Recovery. I did the hardware check first (no issues), then software repair. I booted up, then ran CCleaner to get rid of all the junk. I was then able to get the My Dell app set up (it should have been installed on my post 2018-build Inspiron, but for some reason wasn't). Doing all of that may have reset something, because I was then able to get SupportAssist for PC running. It's showing that my laptop is no longer covered by a Service Plan, even though my purchased extended warranty coverage is good through March 4, 2023. I have now run the diagnostics through SupportAssist and it found an Intel driver needed to be updated, but that's all.  Nothing else changed or updated between the time I ran it Saturday night and this morning, as far as I know.

From the Windows Application Event Log:

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Faulting application name: SupportAssistClientUI.exe, version: 3.11.4.0, time stamp: 0x62a81955
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.1826, time stamp: 0x299341e8
Exception code: 0xc000027b
Fault offset: 0x000000000010fb62
Faulting process id: 0x3354
Faulting application start time: 0x01d8a09938fc41b2
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\DellInc.DellSupportAssistforPCs_3.11.20.0_x64__htrsf667h5kn2\SupportAssistClientUI.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: 1bb32714-1e9d-4eaa-b4b6-82ddea9a0525
Faulting package full name: DellInc.DellSupportAssistforPCs_3.11.20.0_x64__htrsf667h5kn2
Faulting package-relative application ID: App

Hi Imari,

Thanks for the hints!

But, alas, after going through everything below, SupportAssist still crashes within a couple of seconds after displaying the start-up splash screen.

> Does your Latitude 5590 still have a valid service warranty?

No.  This is my former corporate laptop that I purchased from my company at the end of warranty support period.

> Run System File Checker (sfc /scannow) and DISM commands like Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

No problems found.  BTW, I had also run CHKDSK /f before, and also no problems found with the drive.

> If you haven't already done so I'd also suggest that you disable the Fast Startup power option

Done.

> When you go to Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features does it show that you have the current SupportAssist v3.11.4.29

Yes, SupportAssist 3.11.4.29 is installed.

> Did you recently update to the Dell Latitude 5290/5490/5590 System BIOS v1.23.0 (rel. 14-Jul-2022)

Yes (before all of this):  BIOS is 1.23.0 (5/27/2002)

>... does Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features show that you have MS .NET Runtime v5.0.17 installed as shown in the image above?

Yes, v5.0.17.31213 (x64)

> does Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services show that the Dell TechHub service is running?

Yes, that service is running.

> use Revo Uninstaller Free in "Aggressive" mode to  to ensure I clean up most of the orphaned files and registry entries left behind by the "regular" uninstaller.

> Done.

> I download a fresh copy of the SupportAssist installer (SuppportAssistInstaller.exe) to my desktop, right-click, and choose "Run as Administrator".

Done (each time).

> The Dell Tech Support video at Dell SupportAssist Not Installing includes some folders, registry entries and Windows services that might still need to be cleaned up manually after your SupportAssist uninstall. XPS_

Done; the only PCDr was found, and I deleted those files and reg entries.

> Man has also posted alternate instructions <here> for a clean reinstall of SupportAssist that uses Microsoft's Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter for uninstalling your Dell programs.  I've never used XPS-Man's instructions to uninstall SupportAssist or other Dell utilities so I can't tell you how well they would work on my Inspiron 5584.

> I sort of followed this, but the instructions weren't very clear (to me, anyway).

 

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@GlobalEngineer wrote:

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Faulting application name: SupportAssistClientUI.exe, version: 3.11.4.0, time stamp: 0x62a81955
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.1826, time stamp: 0x299341e8
Exception code: 0xc000027b ...

... Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\DellInc.DellSupportAssistforPCs_3.11.20.0_x64__htrsf667h5kn2\SupportAssistClientUI.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll ...
=================================

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Hi GlobalEngineer:

I used TreeSize Free Portable v4.5.3 to confirm that my SupportAssistClientUI.exe file is located in the same hidden and protected C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\DellInc.DellSupportAssistforPCs_3.11.20.0_x64__htrsf667h5kn2\ folder as your Latitude 5590, and my Win 10 Pro v21H2 (OS build 19044.1826) isn't having problems running SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 on my Inspiron 5584, so I'm not sure what's causing this particular error on your Latitude 5590.

I did notice that the support page <here> for your Latitude 5590 does not list a Fusion Service v2.0.58, which is a system requirement for the latest My Dell v2.0.30 app that EagleJCS mentioned in their 25-Jul-2022 post <here>. I believe that's normal for Latitude computers - the Fusion Service support page at https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-ca/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=m93kw shows this service is not compatible with a Latitude 5590 with a 64-bit Win 10 OS, and the My Dell support page <here> also says "My Dell is preloaded on all Inspiron, G Series, XPS, and Vostro devices built after 8/22/18" and does not mention Latitude laptops. The minimum system requirements listed <here> for SupportAssist v3.11.4 don't mention the Fusion Service as a required component so as far as I know you don't have to worry that the Fusion Service is not shown at Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services on your computer.

One more thing you might want to check. If you go to Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services, is your Dell Client Management Service running? The Startup Type for this service on my Inspiron 5584 is "Automatic (Delayed Start, Trigger Start)".  See sperryrand_360's 22-Jul-2022 SupportAssist Fails to Upgrade & Install due to BRADBURY CERTIFICATE in Update DCF about problems they had when this service did not start correctly at boot-up.

Other than that I'm not sure what else to suggest. As I noted in my 24-Jul-2022 reply <above> to Kitten56, there are so many problems with the current SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 (especially on higher-end Latitude / XPS / Precision / OptiPlex models) that you might be better just to wait for Dell to release a newer version and hope the next update includes a few bug fixes.

I personally don't like using SupportAssist because I find it's too buggy, consumes too many system resources, and the "system optimization" scans (Clean Files / Tune Performance / Optimize Network) are too aggressive and have the potential to do more harm than good - see my 12-Jul-2021 comment in ex-jedi's Prevent Automatic Recycle Bin Emptying about the registry cleaner that runs during the Tune Performance scan for one example. The Dell SupportAssist and Dell TechHub services are currently disabled on my Inspiron 5584 so that SupportAssist doesn't start automatically at boot-up and I normally use the Dell Update Windows Universal v4.5.0 app recommended on the support page for my Inspiron 5584 to check for Dell software and driver updates. If the Dell Command | Update v4.5.0 (Win 7 and higher) or Dell Command | Update Windows Universal v4.5.0 (Win 10 / Win 11 only  - I prefer using this Windows Universal UWP app) recommended <here> on the support page for your Latitude 5590 runs correctly you might want to use that utility for now and wait for Dell to release an improved version of SupportAssist - preferably one that that doesn't require an insecure .NET (Core) Runtime v5.0.x that reached end of support on 10-May-2022 (see the "Out of Support Versions" section of the  .NET support page <here>). I have no idea why Dell would even release a SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 in June 2022 that requires a .NET (Core) Runtime v5.x. that no longer receives security updates and was not designed to use the supported NET (Core) Runtime v6.x.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1826 * Firefox v102.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19400.3 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.11.202-1.0.1716 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867 * Dell SupportAssist v3.11.4.29 * Dell Update Windows Universal v4.5.0 * Dell Fusion Service v2.0.58.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.18.0
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Hi again lmacri,
Thanks again for your help!
Well, it appears that Fusion Service is not an issue, and the Dell Client Management Service is running.
One other point of possible interest is that when I check for drivers at Dell.com, it lists "This PC" as the subject laptop, but when I click "Latitude 5590" in that field, it can't find it, and presents the "Identify your product" box. When I cut and paste the service tag right the prior window, it finds it.
And, to that point, the web-based drivers update utility at Dell.Com is working on the subject laptop. That's the only reason that I ever really use SupportAssist anyway, so I will just give up now.
I am a Systems Engineer, and deal with Dell laptops frequently at work and at home. SupportAssist does not work as advertised at least half the installations I've seen -- at this point, I officially declare it to be more trouble than it's worth.
But thanks again for your attempts to help.

Well, a side affect of fixing another issue on this laptop was that SupportAssist now runs on it.

In short, the account I was using was created with Administrator Privileges, but it did _not_ really have full Administrator privileges.  (Apparently, this is a common problem with Windows 10.)

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/administrator-account-does-not-have-administrator/f704341b-09d2-431e-9c54-a2c7ab5370d3

I simply created a new account with Administrator Privileges (confirmed), and Support Assist runs when logged in to that account.

BTW, the problem that triggered this fix was a pop-up, "Windows cannot access specified device, path, or file..." at login; the folders listed were all related to apps from the Microsoft app store.

GlobalEngineer

 

I'll add this:  If SupportAssist is failing because the user doesn't have required privileges, why doesn't it simply tell us that at the time?

I design Windows applications in my work, and we do exactly that in ours.

GlobalEngineer