Customers like Matt K., Aggrey Ellis, John P., Peter F. Goddard, and others commented about a blue screen error that references PCD5SRVC.PKMS. This is indeed caused by a Dell Support Center (DSC) error. It has now been corrected. Since I alerted the development team, they been working to address the issue. I asked them to explain the issue and what customers need to do to correct it—here’s what they told me.
Update, 12-6: I just posted more details on how to uninstall and reinstall Dell Support Center. I hope this helps any of you who are still having problems with it.
First, let me apologize for this issue—we know must be frustrating. Here’s what happened: we recently released an update to Dell Support Center that includes a number of enhancements, including a new diagnostic tool. As part of the diagnostic process, DSC identifies the hardware components of your system and based on what’s there. After that, we send a customized set of hardware diagnostics to your computer for use in troubleshooting.
The PCD5SRVC.PKMS process creates the component list. A code error created a situation where, on some systems, the process could run at the same time under two different sets of credentials—both as a user and as a service. When this occurs, it results in a conflict that creates the issue that several of you have commented on.
We’ve fixed the issue. If you install DSC, it will sync with the server, get the fixed update and you won’t have the problem. DSC is scheduled to check for updates on a periodic basis, so if you have the application installed now, it should get the update in the next 24 – 72 hours.
Again, we do apologize that Dell Support Center caused a software conflict on some systems. Our goal is to provide you with the best service and support tools. We are sorry for the inconvenience and hope that you will considering reinstalling Dell Support Center on your system.