Dell Update Packages Version 14.05.00 User's Guide

Question: Must I reboot my system after applying every Dell Update Package (DUP)?

Answer: DUPs that are running in the interactive mode determine if it is necessary to reboot the system. If so, you are prompted to reboot. In the silent unattended mode, the exit code is set to 2, which indicates that a system restart is required.

Question: Which operating systems are supported by DUPs?

Answer: The Dell Systems Software Support Matrix available at dell.com/support/manuals has information about the various Dell systems, the operating systems supported by these systems, and the Dell OpenManage components that can be installed on these systems.

Question: How do I perform updates if my operating system is not supported by DUPs?

Answer: For those operating systems that are not currently supported, you can perform updates by using the existing update formats from dell.com/support.

Question: I cannot locate a DUP on dell.com/support for my device. Where is it?

Answer: Make sure that you have provided all the required information for downloading DUPs, such as product category, product line, product model, download category, and operating system.

DUPs are not available for all devices. Dell will continue to make additional DUPs available for more devices in future releases. See the readme.txt file for a list of devices currently supported by DUPs.

Question: I'm using a software distribution tool to deploy my applications or operating system updates to my remote servers. Can I use DUPs with this tool to remotely update my servers?

Answer: DUPs are designed to work with most software distribution tools. For more information, see the documentation for the tool.

Question: Where can I find the error messages generated by a DUP that is running in an unattended mode?

Answer: The execution messages are stored in the Package log file and in the Windows System Event Log (SEL), which are described in Messages Log Files.

The Package log file resides in the following default directory: %SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Dell\UpdatePackage\log

Windows Server 2003: %SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Dell\UpdatePackage\log

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012: %SystemDrive%\Program Data\Dell\UpdatePackage\log.

The Windows SEL is available through the Windows Event Viewer.

Question: When I execute a DUP from the command line prompt, I continue to see Windows dialog boxes and pop-up messages. Can I direct the output to the command line prompt console?

Answer: Use the /s and /l options to direct the output to the log files.

Question: How can I gain access to the DUP dependency information and other information?

Answer: This information is displayed on the initial graphical user interface (GUI) screen when you run the DUP.

Some information is also available by using the CLI,/c/s options. (You must use the /c /s options together.) However, this method provides limited information, such as the version of the update and whether it is applicable for the target system.

Question: Can I use DUPs on other vendors’ systems?

Answer: No. DUPs are designed for use on Dell systems only.

Question: I recently updated the BIOS on my system and now I would like to go back to the previous version. Can I do this with DUP?

Answer: Yes. Download the DUP for the previous version of the system BIOS from dell.com/support and install it. If a DUP is not available, use one of the other formats on dell.com/support.

Question: Why does the DUP for the system BIOS require a reboot?

Answer: The BIOS update is applied only after you reboot the system.

Question: I'd like to apply several updates to my system at once. Can I do this with DUPs? Do I need to be concerned about the order in which I apply the updates?

Answer: Yes, you can apply multiple updates to the system at the same time. For information about the update order , see Installation Order of DUPs .

Question: If I rename Windows DUPs, will they still function correctly?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Can I modify DUPs?

Answer: No. DUPs contain logic to guard against potential corruption of their contents. Because of this design, DUPs cannot be modified.

Question: Can I use any other program to inspect or extract the contents of DUPs?

Answer: Yes, you can use WinZip or an equivalent software application.

Question: I am running a non-English version of Windows 2000. Can I use DUPs?

Answer: Yes. You can use DUPs on non-English versions of Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 operating systems. Currently, DUPs are available only in English.

Question: How will I know when there are new DUPs available for my systems?

Answer: You can check dell.com/support for updates or register for the File Watch Service at dell.com to receive automatic notification for upgrades to the system.

Question: Why do BIOS and firmware updates fail to re-apply (update to the same version), even when using the force (/f) option in CLI mode?

Answer: Incase you are facing issues with the CLI mode, run DUPs in the GUI mode and confirm the re-application.

Question: Why does my system only execute one of the CLI options that I entered in a command string?

Answer: Only certain CLI options can be used simultaneously. When invalid combinations of CLI options are entered in a single command string, only the option with the highest priority is executed. For details on which commands can be used together for different operating system, see Command Line Interface Reference .

Question: How do I verify that the DUPs that I have downloaded has a digital signature?

Answer: In Windows Explorer, locate the DUP that you want to verify and right-click the filename. Click Properties in the pop-up window. If you see the Digital Signature s tab in the Properties window, the DUP has a digital signature. If that tab is not displayed, the DUP is not signed. See Verifying the Digital Signature on Windows for additional information.

Question: Why can’t I use a signed DUP with my current release of DUP?

Answer: DUPs released on 3rd quarter of 2005 and later are digitally signed.