SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Frequently Asked Questions

Deploy SupportAssist

• What are the prerequisites for deploying SupportAssist?

  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.

• I have SupportAssist for Home PCs installed on the PCs in my organization. Can I deploy SupportAssist for Business PCs on the same PCs?

  No, you cannot install both the versions on the same PC. Before you install SupportAssist for Business PCs, you must uninstall SupportAssist for Home PCs from the PCs.

  If you are using the .exe deployment package format, SupportAssist for Home PCs is automatically uninstalled and SupportAssist for Business PCs is installed on the PCs.

  If you are using the .msi deployment package format, manually run the SupportAssistCleanup.ps1 script and then install SupportAssist for Business PCs on the PCs.

• What are the uses of the SupportAssistCleanup.ps1 script?

  The SupportAssistCleanup.ps1 script that is available in your SupportAssist for Business PCs deployment package performs the following:

  • Checks and uninstalls SupportAssist for Home PCs if it is installed on the PC.
  • Clears the registry entries, services, and folders related to SupportAssist, from the PC.

• I have used different deployment packages to deploy SupportAssist on the managed PCs. How are the PCs organized?
  • For PCs running SupportAssist for Business PCs version 3.1 or earlier—if multiple administrators have deployed SupportAssist using different deployment packages, then the PCs are organized in the site associated with the deployment package of the administrator.
  • For PCs running SupportAssist for Business PCs version 3.2 and later—the administrator can select a site and deploy SupportAssist. After deployment, the PCs are organized in the selected site.

• I want to deploy SupportAssist to new PCs in my environment. Do I need to download a new deployment package or can I use an existing package?

  It is recommended that you create and use a new deployment package to deploy the latest version of SupportAssist on your PCs. However, you can also use an existing valid deployment package for deployment. For more information about release versions and validity, see What is the expiry date for my SupportAssist installation?

• When I deploy SupportAssist, will I receive a registration email from TechDirect?

  Yes, a registration email is sent once, when the first PC in a site is connected to TechDirect.

• I have deployed SupportAssist for Business PCs on my PC fleet. When will the PCs display in TechDirect?

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

• I have deployed SupportAssist on my PCs, but I want to modify the settings. Should I redeploy SupportAssist on the PCs after the modifications?

  After you modify the preferences on the Setup and Connect > Configure page, the changes are automatically applied to the PCs immediately. However, you must redeploy SupportAssist if you change certain configurations such as proxy settings and Central Resource Manager settings.

  For more information, see the SupportAssist for Business PCs with Windows OS Deployment Guide available on the SupportAssist for Business PCs Documentation page.

• I have configured the proxy settings in the Deployment Package Manager wizard, but my proxy is not reachable from the PCs. Will SupportAssist connect to Internet and to Dell?

  Yes, if permitted, SupportAssist attempts to connect to the Internet and Dell directly even if proxy is configured but not reachable by the PCs.

• I want to deploy the latest version of SupportAssist for Business PCs on my PC fleet. Will it remove the older versions of SupportAssist for Business PCs on my PC fleet?

  No. When you deploy the latest version of SupportAssist for Business PCs on the PC fleet, the PCs running the older version of SupportAssist for Business PCs are automatically updated to the latest version.

• How do I verify if my proxy is configured in system context mode?

  Perform the following steps to verify if your proxy is configured in system context mode:

  1. Download Microsoft PsTools Suite from the Microsoft website and extract the files to a folder.
  2. Open Command Prompt with administrator rights.
  3. Change the working directory to the folder where you extracted Microsoft PsTools Suite.
  4. To open the command prompt in system context mode, run psexec -i -s cmd.exe. A new command prompt window is opened in system context mode.
  5. Run the netsh winhttp show proxy command. The proxy details are displayed and you can check if the proxy is configured in the system context mode.

• How do I verify if the SupportAssist installation file is digitally signed?

  Perform the following steps to verify if the SupportAssist installation file is digitally signed:

  1. Right-click SupportAssistx64.exe or SupportAssistx64.msi and select Properties.
  2. Select the Digital Signatures tab.
  3. In the Signature list section, select Dell Inc and click Details.

     If the installation file is signed, the This digital signature is OK. message is displayed in the Digital Signature Information section.

• The 1644 code is displayed while deploying SupportAssist. What could be the reason?

  The Windows system policies configured in your environment may prohibit the SupportAssist installation. Check your Windows system policies and refer to Microsoft documentation to resolve the issue.

• The 1939 error code is displayed while deploying SupportAssist. What should I do to complete the deployment?

  When the 1939 code is displayed, restart the PC and retry deploying SupportAssist.