Hello VWDRV , I got the same two Messages you had . It said I had items loading at start up that didn't have any files and my CD recording software needed an updated driver . I have not let it FIX my start up yet . But I did get the driver from Simplisoft, same way you did. The only difference was my CD recording is Sonic I do not have Roxio. Mine was Dell loaded also.

  I did click on the instructions to fix the msconfig (start up items). To see what programs it was talking about but it did not say . It just basically said to disable the unwanted programs in msconfig . I have been meaning to do this anyways but need to research a little more to make sure I am not disabling  needed services and programs.

   I have a couple questions for you VWDRV did you happen too notice how many programs you had before and after you let it FIX yout start up? If not how many programs do you have at start up now ? My Sonic Update manager would not  connect to the Server. I have tried to connect with Sonic several times  before Dell Support 3 told me I needed an updated driver, but Sonic would never connect to Server that was the error messages I got

    Malron

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@VWDRV wrote:

........Well--I tried it.....expecting what I was told in a previous posting would be true......I was encouraged to try the "Fix It" feature by the following:

......" You should let it do an "auto-fix" once, just to watch, It's like when you do a 'remote control' connect to your IT expert and you then sit and watch your cursor move around under his control.

Except that Dell's "auto-fix" does it slowly and deliberately and you still get to 'accept' the result or stop it anytime:)

Art ,,,,,,"

.......Hmmmmm......that's NOT what happened......

#1 message re Start-up Menu......I let it "Fix-It" expecting to be able to watch what it was doing---as suggested above.....It didn't show me anything.....Just a screen for me to say finish/accept or not....

I bit the bullet and let it finish---crossing my fingers.....So far, I don't see any problem with what it did......But, it didn't handle the fix the way the above suggested....

#2 message re CD Recording Software needed an update....I proceeded with this one too.....This one gave 2 supposedly different ways to handle the update.....However, each way took me to the same website for me to do the download and install manually....

I did the d/l and install as instructed----installing from my desktop etc....Then I went looking for it to be sure I knew where it was etc...... I found it only in the d/l folder on my desktop

That's when I remembered------My CD software (installed by Dell at the factory) is ROXIO....This "update" is from Simplisoftware (formerly Oak Tech)....And I can't find any connection with Roxio .......So----what's up with this....????????

Now I'm even more reserved than before about what's really going on with this Support Tool.....Think maybe my original reservations were right.......

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VWDRV,

I have had Dell Support 3 since February, on just two Dells, a D800 and a Dimension, what I reported to you was what and how I had seen it work for six or so offers to "Fix" on those two units. Every one of them had done exactly what I reported, every time, this hardly qualifies me as an 'expert' on that subject and your results (I now know), may vary.

Some of the "Fixes" I have allowed to remain and others I have undone, I suppose an additional feature could be requested to add an "Un-Fix" (what it just fixed :))

My CD Burner (on the D800) was in need of attention, I had removed the Roxio over six months ago when the BSOD's were happening and Crash Analysis had flagged four Roxio Drivers.

Dell Support 3 had never made any mention of that at all, when I needed to burn a CD, found out that it would not work. Started with the (Dell CD) Roxio Program that shipped with unit, updated that with a patch from Dell Downloads and further 'patched' that on the Roxio Download site, works better (and different gui) than before, but same four conflicting *.SYS's.

It seems that this DS3 works differently on different systems, I have also never had any notices about Startup "Fixing".

As for deleting Startup items in msconfig, that works well in Win9x but if you use that method in WinXP, it will put up a warning on next boot about that and offer to fix for you. (And that will be "WinXP" not DS3) as I said, have never seen DS3's version of that 'Fix'.

A better way to control Startup items in WinXP is to use Control Panel; Administrative Tools, Services and right click the item and select it to be automatically started, manually started or disabled.

As it is in my signature, my computer knowledge is strictly from ten+ years of their use to manage Flight Operations and I can only report what I have seen.

Art

To Art...Another example of "Live and Learn" for all of us....Luckily, as far as I can tell, there's no harm done.....But it does emphasize the point that Users need to be extremely cautious before clicking 'fix-it'.....And it emphasizes the need for Dell to provide "a bit" (to say the least) more detail to the Users.....

What has 'saved my bacon' in the past and probably gives me too much boldness in 'trying' "offers" is two programs (that are now Norton Products) :(

Clean Sweep (with caution, 'green enabled' and read all the little 'do you want to...' boxes)
has been handy to remove (and re-install) much "Problematic Software".

Go-Back will really do the trick, if a recent action has caused a problem, I have found this to work well when Windows Restore would do nothing.

I have used those tools for so many years to keep out of trouble (LM has not had a re-load of OS for seven years) and I will try to keep that in mind, for any future suggestions from me in here on "trying...this"...:)

Art

After Dell automtically installed a new version plus some other "tool", My McAfee would stop scanning for incoming viruses.  Had to reboot computer to make McAfee work.  Ran scan of hard disk and got Blue Screen Warning that nv4_disp was in a loop.  Updated McAfee, updated nVidia diver - None worked.  Problem remained.

Used System restore and the unwanted dell products went away and so did the problems with Mcafee.  I have an Inspiron 8500 - XP pro -

These upgrades are pretty useless, painful and a waste of time IMO.