SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Frequently Asked Questions

Manage PCs

• SupportAssist administrators in my company have downloaded and deployed SupportAssist to PCs in their fleet. However, these are not displayed on the Inventory page. What could be the reason?

  After you deploy SupportAssist, the PCs are automatically displayed on the Inventory page in TechDirect within 30 minutes after they connect to the Internet and Dell.

  If you do not see the PCs within 30 minutes, run the self-diagnosis test to ensure connectivity to Dell. See the Run the SupportAssist self-diagnosis test section in the SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Deployment Guide available on the SupportAssist for Business PCs Documentation page.

• How can I remove PCs from the Inventory page in TechDirect?

  You can remove the PCs from the Inventory page using one of the following methods:

  • Uninstall SupportAssist for Business PCs from the PC.
  • On the Inventory page, select Disconnected PCs from the list, select the PCs that you want to remove, and then click Remove PCs.

• How do I assign multiple administrators to manage my PC fleet?

  You can assign ownership of sites to Connect and manage administrators or technicians from the Define roles & permissions page. See the Define roles and permissions section SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Administrator Guide available on the SupportAssist for Business PCs Documentation page.

• Does SupportAssist require an active Internet connection to monitor the PCs?

  Yes, an active Internet connection is required. For the list of other prerequisites that a target PC must meet, see the Prerequisites for deploying SupportAssist section in the SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Deployment Guide available on the SupportAssist for Business PCs Documentation page.

• When can I see the PC utilization data on the Overview page in TechDirect?

  The PC utilization data is displayed on the Overview page if one or more criteria is met:

  • More than one operating system crash has occurred on the PC.
  • Memory utilization is greater than 75%.
  • CPU usage is high.
  • Installed memory is less than or equal to 4 GB.
  • Battery runtime is less than 2 hours.
  • Storage remaining is less than 10%.
  • Application failures are greater than 5.
  • Battery health is less than 30%.
  NOTE:The performance and utilization data are only available for PCs with an active ProSupport, ProSupport Plus, or ProSupport Flex for Client service plan.

• What replacement parts are dispatched when a hardware failure occurs on your PC?

  When SupportAssist detects an issue on your PC, a replacement part may be automatically dispatched to you depending on your PC service plan and region.

  Depending on the Dell Business policies, the following parts may be dispatched automatically:

  • Hard drive
  • Memory module
  • Optical drive
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • Battery
  • Video card

  For information about how dispatches are handled, see How are dispatch alerts handled when an alert is generated by SupportAssist?

• Is there an option to download and view the PC information?

  Yes, you can download the data that is displayed on a specific page as a CSV file and view the data offline. See the Data exports section in the SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Administrator Guide available on the SupportAssist for Business PCs Documentation page.

• What are custom catalogs and what are the types of catalogs can I create in TechDirect?

  In Connect and manage, you can create, manage, edit, and deploy customized catalogs of the latest BIOS, driver, firmware, and Dell application software updates. These custom catalogs help streamline the process of finding and determining PC updates that are must, to keep the PCs secure and updated.

  If your PCs connect to Dell and if the PCs have an active ProSupport Plus or ProSupport Flex for Client service plan, you can create a Product series, Fleet, or Model catalog.

  • Product series—includes devices in your environment for a particular Dell commercial PC family.
  • Fleet—includes all commercial devices in your environment.
  • Model—allows you to select up to 80 individual commercial device models.

• When can I see details about the external devices connected to a PC?

  You can view details about the Dell monitor and Dell docking station connected to your PC on the PC overview page after the SupportAssist telemetry is sent to Dell. For more information, see the PC overview section in the SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Administrator Guide available on the SupportAssist for Business PCs Documentation page.

• The System BIOS version is not displayed for certain PCs in my fleet. What could be the reason?

  The System BIOS version is available on the Inventory page only when a driver scan is performed on the PC. Ensure that you perform a driver scan on the PCs to see the BIOS version.

  If you are using custom catalogs, ensure that you deploy at least one catalog to the managed site and groups.