Dell SupportAssist for PCs and Tabletstopics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/dell-supportassist-pcs-tablets_users-guide... · Scheduling hardware and software scans ... Severity categorization of

Dell SupportAssist for PCs and TabletsUser’s Guide

Notes, cautions, and warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Copyright © 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.

2017 - 08

Rev. A08

Contents

1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................................5What is new in this release................................................................................................................................................5Key features........................................................................................................................................................................5SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlements..............................................................................................6Additional Dell SupportAssist resources.......................................................................................................................... 7

2 Getting started.............................................................................................................................................. 9Minimum system requirements.........................................................................................................................................9Installing SupportAssist....................................................................................................................................................10SupportAssist window..................................................................................................................................................... 10Choosing your preferred language.................................................................................................................................. 11Registering SupportAssist................................................................................................................................................ 11

Creating new Dell My Account................................................................................................................................. 12Signing in with your social media account............................................................................................................... 12

Updating contact and shipping information.................................................................................................................. 13Signing in with a different account................................................................................................................................. 13System details................................................................................................................................................................... 13Scheduling hardware and software scans..................................................................................................................... 14

3 Issue detection and Support Request creation............................................................................................. 15Dispatchable parts............................................................................................................................................................ 15Checking hardware status............................................................................................................................................... 15

Hardware status..........................................................................................................................................................16Creating Support Request for issues detected by a scan........................................................................................... 16

Issue details page........................................................................................................................................................ 17Issue summary page .................................................................................................................................................. 17

Creating Support Request for issues not detected by a scan.................................................................................... 18Engaging through Chat....................................................................................................................................................18Viewing Support Request details....................................................................................................................................18Closing Support Request.................................................................................................................................................19

4 Optimize My System................................................................................................................................... 20Cleaning files..................................................................................................................................................................... 21Tuning your system performance................................................................................................................................... 21Optimizing network.......................................................................................................................................................... 21Removing viruses and malware.......................................................................................................................................21Running all system optimizations................................................................................................................................... 22System optimization tile.................................................................................................................................................. 22Enabling automatic optimization.................................................................................................................................... 23Disabling automatic optimization....................................................................................................................................23

5 DellConnect.................................................................................................................................................24

Contents 3

6 Drivers and Downloads................................................................................................................................ 25Severity categorization of drivers..................................................................................................................................25Installing driver and firmware updates...........................................................................................................................25Rolling back your driver and firmware updates............................................................................................................ 26

7 Troubleshooting............................................................................................................................................27

8 History.........................................................................................................................................................28

9 Get Support.................................................................................................................................................29

10 Warranty notification..................................................................................................................................30

11 Uninstalling SupportAssist .......................................................................................................................... 31

12 Frequently asked questions........................................................................................................................ 32

4 Contents

IntroductionDell SupportAssist for PCs and tablets automates support from Dell by proactively identifying hardware and software issues on your system. Depending on your Dell Service entitlement, SupportAssist also automates the Support Request creation for issues detected during manual scan. For more information about the SupportAssist capabilities available for different service entitlements, see SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlements

NOTE: In this document, the term system refers to Dell laptops, desktops, and tablets.

SupportAssist also enables you to perform system optimizations such as file clean-up, network optimization, system performance tune-up, and virus and malware removal.

SupportAssist collects and sends the required system information securely to Dell Technical Support to analyze and resolve the issues on your system. The collected information enables Dell to provide you an enhanced, efficient, and accelerated support experience.

SupportAssist is compatible with the following Dell systems:

• Laptops and desktops

• Inspiron

• XPS

• Alienware

• Latitude

• Vostro

• OptiPlex

• Precision

• Tablets

• Venue

This document provides information about installing and using SupportAssist.

Topics:

• What is new in this release

• Key features

• SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlements

• Additional Dell SupportAssist resources

What is new in this release• Perform system optimizations such as file clean-up, network optimization, system performance tune-up, and virus and malware

removal.

• Troubleshoot issues by using the available step-by-step instructions.

• View details of system optimization and troubleshooting tasks that have been performed in the last 60 days.

Key features• Hardware Checkup — Perform scheduled and manual scans to identify hardware issues, if any.

1

Introduction 5

• Optimize My System — Clean temporary files, optimize network connectivity, fine-tune system performance, and remove viruses and malware.

• Drivers and Downloads — Notify and install drivers and downloads to keep the system up-to-date.

• Get Support — Depending on your Dell Service entitlement, contact Dell Technical Support through email, chat, or phone for assistance.

• Troubleshooting — Resolve issues by using the available step-by-step instructions.

SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlementsSupportAssist proactively detects and notifies you about hardware and software issues that may occur on your system. Depending on the Dell Service entitlement, SupportAssist automates and facilitates your engagement with Dell Technical Support.

The following table summarizes the SupportAssist capabilities available for systems with an active Basic, Premium Support, ProSupport, ProSupport Plus, and Premium Support Plus service entitlements.

Table 1. SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlements

SupportAssist capabilities

Description Dell Service entitlements

Basic Premium Support

ProSupport ProSupport Plus

Premium Support Plus

Schedule hardware and software scans

You can schedule hardware and software scans depending on your preference. SupportAssist will perform the scans based on the schedule.

Notify issues detected during a manually-initiated scan and self-dispatch parts1

If a Support Request is created for an issue, an alert is sent to you. If an issue is detected for in-warranty parts, you are prompted to confirm your shipping address to ship the replacement part.

Clean files manually You can clear temporary, redundant, and other unwanted files from your system.

Tune system performance manually

You can adjust the power settings, registry files, and memory allocations to fine-tune your system performance.

Optimize network connectivity manually

You can optimize network connectivity by adjusting the system settings to have an efficient and reliable network.

Troubleshoot system issues

You can search and fix issues by following the steps provided on the troubleshooting page.

Parts self-dispatch through automated system scans1

If an issue is detected for in-warranty parts, you are prompted to confirm your shipping address to ship the replacement part.

Automated Support Request creation1

If an issue is detected during an automated scan, a Support Request is automatically created and a Technical Support agent contacts you about the solution.

6 Introduction

SupportAssist capabilities

Description Dell Service entitlements

Basic Premium Support

ProSupport ProSupport Plus

Premium Support Plus

Manually create Support Request

You can manually create a Support Request if you presume that there is an issue that is not detected by SupportAssist.

Chat with Dell Technical Support2

You can chat with a Dell Technical Support agent after creating a Support Request.

Request onsite assistance for replacing a self-replaceable part3

You can request assistance from Dell Technical Support for replacing a self-replaceable part at your location.

Manually remove viruses and malware4

You can remove the viruses and malware from your system by isolating and removing the infected files.

Predictive issue detection and Support Request creation for failure prevention5

If a part is identified for possible failure, an alert is sent to you. SupportAssist opens a Support Request and Dell Technical Support contacts you to ship the replacement part.

Notify system optimization issues identified in scheduled scans

After a scheduled software scan, you are notified of the software issues detected during the scan on the Notifications tile.

Automatically optimize your system4

You can enable SupportAssist to automatically optimize your system after a scheduled software scan is performed.

Specify preferred contact time

You can provide your preferred contact time. A Technical Support agent will contact you only during the specified hours.

1 For Basic Service entitlement, support for parts dispatches and the Support Request creation depends upon Dell's operational policies.

2 Chat functionality is available only for Support Requests that are created for nondispatchable parts and chat support is available based on your region and time.

3 Onsite assistance for replacing a self-replaceable part is available only in certain regions.

4 The virus and malware removal capability is not available in certain regions, for example, China.

5 Predictive issue detection feature is available only for batteries, hard drives, and solid-state drives (SSD).

Additional Dell SupportAssist resourcesIn addition to this guide, you can also refer to the following resources:

• Dell SupportAssist Community online portal at Dell.com/SupportAssistGroup. This portal provides information about the capabilities and features of SupportAssist, blogs, FAQs, and other technical documents.

• SupportAssist for PCs & tablets (Managing Personal Devices) playlist on YouTube provides video tutorials for the tasks you can perform with SupportAssist.

Introduction 7

http://en.community.dell.com/dell-groups/dell_integrated_support/end-user/f/4985

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoACC-2Quho&list=PLe5xhhyFjDPermZ-uJOVPgWodfk-qYBFN

• TechDirect online portal at TechDirect.com. This portal provides information about enrolling your company and managing SupportAssist alerts as well as Technical Support and self-dispatch parts requests.

8 Introduction

https://techdirect.dell.com/portal.30/Login.aspx

Getting startedSupportAssist may be preinstalled on your system. If SupportAssist is preinstalled, you can open SupportAssist by browsing through your applications. If SupportAssist is not preinstalled, follow the instructions in this chapter to install and register SupportAssist.

Topics:

• Minimum system requirements

• Installing SupportAssist

• SupportAssist window

• Choosing your preferred language

• Registering SupportAssist

• Updating contact and shipping information

• Signing in with a different account

• System details

• Scheduling hardware and software scans

Minimum system requirementsThe following table lists the minimum system requirements to install and use SupportAssist.

Table 2. Minimum system requirements

Particulars Requirements

Operating system

NOTE: SupportAssist is supported on both 32 and 64 bit operating systems.

Laptops and desktops:

• Microsoft Windows 7


• Microsoft Windows 8.1


Tablets:

• Microsoft Windows 8.1


Software Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or later

NOTE: If you do not have Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or later installed, SupportAssist installs Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2 on your system.

Graphical web browser Internet Explorer 10 or later

Hardware• Memory (RAM) — 2 GB

• Hard drive free space — 2 GB

Network Internet connectivity

Network ports• 5700 — For opening the SupportAssist user interface

2

Getting started 9

Particulars Requirements

• 9012 — For communication with Dell

Installing SupportAssistPrerequisites

• The system must meet the minimum system requirements for installing and using SupportAssist. For more information, see Minimum system requirements.

• You must have administrator rights on the system.

Steps

1 Visit Dell.com/SupportAssist and download the SupportAssist for PCs and Tablets installation file.

The aulauncher.exe file is downloaded.

2 Double-click the aulauncher.exe file.

The appropriate installer package is downloaded. After the download is complete, the installation of SupportAssist begins automatically.

NOTE: The SupportAssist Agent application is downloaded and installed automatically after the installation of SupportAssist is complete. SupportAssist Agent monitors your system for hardware or software issues, if any.

3 Open SupportAssist.

The SupportAssist window is displayed.

4 Read the Dell System Information Sharing and Auto update data and then click Done.

NOTE: In Settings > Privacy, the I allow my system to receive these updates and alerts and I allow Dell to collect Service Tag and other system usage data as described above checkbox are preselected. If you clear the I allow my system to receive these updates and alerts checkbox, you must update SupportAssist manually.

SupportAssist windowThe SupportAssist window helps you experience the various features available in SupportAssist. When you open SupportAssist on your system, the SupportAssist window is displayed.

On the left pane, the following details are displayed:

• System image and model number

• Service Tag

• Express Service Code

• Warranty

On the right pane, the following tiles are available:

• Notifications

• Hardware Checkup

• Optimize My System

• Get Support

• Drivers and Downloads

• System Info

10 Getting started

http://dell.com/supportassist

Figure 1. SupportAssist window

1 Header area

2 Language selection list

3 Settings icon

4 Notifications tile

NOTE: Figure 1 is for illustrative purpose only. Individual features such as header area color, buttons, and so on are different on the Alienware systems.

Choosing your preferred languageSupportAssist is available in 24 languages. By default, SupportAssist is set to English on your system. After you install SupportAssist on your system, you can change the language according to your preference.


2 On the header, click the language drop-down and select the desired language. For example, English.

3 On the pop-up window, click OK.

SupportAssist restarts in the preferred language.

Registering SupportAssistPrerequisitesYour system must have access to an active internet connection.

About this task

Registering SupportAssist enables you to receive the automated support capabilities available based on the Service entitlement of the system.

Steps


2 Perform one of the following:

• Click the Notifications tile on the SupportAssist window. On the Notifications window, click the Register Now tab, and then click Register.

• Click the Optimize My System tile on the SupportAssist window. On the Optimize My System window, click Register.

Getting started 11

NOTE: If you have not accepted the SupportAssist terms and conditions, the terms and conditions page is displayed. Accept the terms and conditions, click Done, and then click Register.

NOTE: If SupportAssist is not able to connect to the internet, an appropriate error message is displayed. You can click on the troubleshooting links displayed below the error message to fix the issue.

3 On the Dell My Account Sign In page, perform one of the following:

• If you already have a Dell My Account, enter your My Account credentials, and click Sign In.

• If you do not have a Dell My Account, create an account to sign in. For more information, see Creating a new Dell My Account.

• Sign in with your social media account. For more information, see Signing in with your social media account.

The Contact and Shipping Address page is displayed.

4 Enter your contact information and shipping details in the appropriate fields.

5 Select one of the following as your preferred contact method:

• Email

• Phone

6 Select your preferred contact time.

NOTE: The preferred contact time is applicable only for systems with an active Premium Support or Premium Support Plus service entitlement in U.S. or Canada.

7 If you want to add a secondary contact, select Add secondary contact and enter the details in the appropriate fields.

8 If you want SupportAssist to automatically create Support Requests, select Automatically create support requests.

NOTE: The automatic Support Request creation capability is available only for systems with an active ProSupport, ProSupport Plus, Premium Support, or Premium Support Plus service entitlement.

9 Click Done.

• If the shipping details are incorrect, a pop-up is displayed. If you want to correct the details, click Update and Finish or click Ignore to close the pop-up and proceed further.

• If the shipping details are correct, the Optimize My System home page is displayed. The first name, last name, and a icon are displayed on the header area.

Creating new Dell My Account1 In the Create an Account section of the Dell My Account Sign in page, enter the first name, last name, email address, and password

in the appropriate fields.

NOTE: The password must contain a minimum of six characters, and must include at least one alphabet and one number.

2 Re-enter the password.

3 Click Create Account.

A new Dell My Account is created and you are signed in to SupportAssist.

Signing in with your social media accountPrerequisitesYou must have a valid account with any of the following social media platforms:

• Facebook

• Google Plus

• Linkedin

• Twitter

12 Getting started

Steps

1 On the Dell My Account Sign In page, click the appropriate social media icon.

2 On the corresponding social media login page, enter the user name and password in the appropriate fields.

3 Click Sign in.

A new Dell My Account is created with the credentials that you entered for signing in to your social media account.

Updating contact and shipping informationAbout this taskAfter you register SupportAssist, you can edit the contact and shipping information that you provided during registration. If you want to edit your firstname, lastname, and e-mail address, you must de-register and register again. For more information see, Signing in with different account.

Steps

1 Open SupportAssist and click the Optimize My System tile.

The Optimize My System home page is displayed.

2 Click the user name displayed on the header area and click Account Details.

The Contact and Shipping Address page is displayed.

3 Edit the required details and click Done.

• If the shipping details are incorrect, a pop-up is displayed. If you want to correct the details, click Update and Finish.

• If the shipping details are correct, the Optimize My System home page is displayed.

Signing in with a different accountAbout this taskYou can deregister your SupportAssist and register again by signing in with a different account. When you sign in with a different account, you cannot access your previous contact and shipping address details.

Steps



2 Click the user name displayed on the header area and then click Sign in with different account.

3 On the pop-up window, click Continue.

NOTE: When you click continue, SupportAssist deregisters the current user profile and remove access to the saved contact information and shipping details.

The Optimize My System home page is displayed and the link to register is displayed below the header.

System detailsOn the Optimize My System home page, when you point to the system model number or Service Tag displayed below the header, the system image and its details are displayed. The following table describes the system details displayed:

Table 3. System details

Field Description

Service entitlement type The Dell service entitlement type and its expiry date.

NOTE: When your service entitlement expires, the service entitlement type and the expiry date are shown in red color.

Service Tag The unique identifier of the system. The Service Tag is an alpha-numeric sequence.

Getting started 13

Field Description

Express Service Code The numerical sequence that can be used during automated phone help. For example, 987-674-723-2.

Memory The RAM installed on the system. For example, 16 GB.

Processor The type of processor installed on the system. For example, Intel Core i5 6200U

Operating System The operating system running on the system. For example, Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise.

Scheduling hardware and software scansAbout this taskSupportAssist enables you to schedule a hardware and software scan on your system. You can select the frequency, day, and time when you want to run the scan.

Steps

1 Click the settings icon displayed on the SupportAssist window header area.

2 On the SupportAssist Settings window, click the Checkup tab.

3 Under the Scheduled Scan section, select Enable Scheduled Scan.

The frequency, day, and time fields are enabled.

4 Select the frequency, day, and time when you want to run the hardware and software scan.

5 Click Done.

NOTE: SupportAssist performs a scheduled scan only when the system is connected to an electrical outlet and the system is not in use during the start of the scheduled scan.

14 Getting started

Issue detection and Support Request creationSupportAssist helps you proactively and periodically monitor your system for hardware or software issues. If an issue is detected on your system, SupportAssist enables you to create a Support Request with Dell Technical Support. Depending on the service entitlement of your system, SupportAssist automates the Support Request creation.

NOTE: The automatic Support Request creation capability is not available for systems with an expired warranty.

Topics:

• Dispatchable parts

• Checking hardware status

• Creating Support Request for issues detected by a scan

• Creating Support Request for issues not detected by a scan

• Engaging through Chat

• Viewing Support Request details

• Closing Support Request

Dispatchable partsWhen SupportAssist detects an issue on your system, a replacement part may be automatically dispatched to you depending on the Dell Service entitlement of your system.

The following are the parts that may be dispatched automatically:

• Hard drive

• Memory

• Optical drive

• Keyboard

• Mouse

• Battery

• Graphic adapter

Checking hardware statusAbout this task

SupportAssist enables you to run scheduled and manually-initiated hardware scans. If a hardware issue is detected, it is indicated on the Hardware Status tile. The indication on the Hardware Status tile depends on the severity of the hardware issue.

NOTE: For hardware issues that are detected, the Hardware Status tile indicates the issue only for seven days. If you do not create a Support Request for the issue within seven days, the indicator is automatically removed.

Steps


2 On the SupportAssist window, click the Optimize My System tile.


3

Issue detection and Support Request creation 15

3 Check the indication on the Hardware Status tile. For more information, see Hardware status.

Hardware statusThe following table describes the different statuses indicated on the Hardware Status tile.

Table 4. Hardware Status tile status indicators

Status icon System icon Status Description

NOTE: The date of last hardware scan is displayed.

Normal No hardware issues have been detected.

Warning A hardware issue has been detected in some component, other than the system memory or hard drives.

Critical

NOTE: If a critical hardware issue is detected, the system optimization tiles are disabled until the issue is resolved and you close the Support Request.

A hardware issue has been detected in the system memory or hard drives.

Creating Support Request for issues detected by a scanAbout this taskIf a hardware issue is detected during a scheduled or manually-initiated scan, it is indicated on the Hardware Status tile on the Optimize My System home page. The indication on the Hardware Status tile depends on the severity of the detected issue. For more information, see Hardware Status. When a hardware issue is indicated, you can create a Support Request to submit the issue to Dell Technical Support.

Steps



2 Click Fix Now.

NOTE: If the Warning status is displayed, you can click Fix Later and create the Support Request later. If you click Fix Later, the system optimization tiles are enabled.

The issue details page is displayed. For more information about issue details page, see Issue details page

3 Click Next.

• If you have not accepted the SupportAssist Terms & Conditions, the Terms & Conditions page is displayed.

• If your system does not have an active internet connection, an appropriate error message is displayed.

• If you have already registered SupportAssist, the contact address and shipping information are displayed.

NOTE: If you want to update the contact information and shipping address, click Edit and make the necessary updates.

• If you have not registered SupportAssist, the Dell My Account Sign In page is displayed.

4 If the Dell My Account Sign In page is displayed, register SupportAssist and click Finish. For more information, see Registering SupportAssist.

16 Issue detection and Support Request creation

The issue summary page is displayed. For information on the details that are displayed on the issue summary page, see Issue summary page.

5 Click Done.

The Optimize My System home page is displayed and the Support Request Open status is displayed on the Hardware Status tile.

Issue details pageThe following table describes the information displayed on the issue details page.

Table 5. Issue details page

Information Description

System image The image of the system.


Warranty The service entitlement type and its expiry date.

Issue The details of the issue for which the Support Request is created.

Solution The recommended solution.

Checkbox

NOTE: The I would like onsite support option is displayed only for systems with an active Premium Support, Premium Support Plus, ProSupport, or ProSupport Plus service entitlement.

If you want a Dell technician to assist you in replacing a system component, select I would like onsite support.

Issue summary page The following table describes the information displayed on the issue summary page.

Table 6. Issue summary page

Information Description

System image The image of the system.


Warranty The service entitlement type and its expiry date.

Issue The details of the issue for which the Support Request is created.

Support Request # The Support Request number for the issue.

NOTE: You can contact the Dell Technical Support through phone, e-mail, or chat depending on your service entitlement. For more information on the SupportAssist capabilities available for various Dell Service entitlements, see SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlements.


Creating Support Request for issues not detected by a scanAbout this task

Depending on the Service entitlement of your system, you can create a Support Request for hardware or software issues that are not detected by SupportAssist. For more information on the SupportAssist capabilities available for various Dell Service entitlements, see SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlements.

Steps


• Open SupportAssist, click the Get Support tile, and then click Open a Support Request.

• Open SupportAssist, click the Optimize My System tile, click the Get Support tab, and then click Create Support Request.

If no scan was performed in the last 24 hours, a message is displayed stating that a scan is about to begin.

2 Click Continue to run the scan.

NOTE: If you cancel the scan, you cannot create a Support Request. However, while SupportAssist performs the Video Transformation and Lighting test, multiple graphics are displayed and you cannot perform any actions on the system.

If no issues are detected, the Support Request page is displayed.

NOTE: During the scan, if an issue is detected on your system, the scan is stopped and the issue is indicated on the Hardware Status tile. To create a Support Request for the issue, see Creating Support Request for issues detected by a scan.

3 On the Support Request page, perform the following steps:

a From the Select a category selection list, select an appropriate issue category.

b Enter a description of the issue.

c Click Next.

• If you have not registered SupportAssist, the Dell My Account Sign in page is displayed.

• If you have already registered SupportAssist, the issue summary page is displayed. For information on the details that are displayed on the issue summary page, see Issue summary page.

4 If the Dell My Account Sign in page is displayed, register SupportAssist and click Finish. For more information on registering SupportAssist, see Registering SupportAssist.


5 Click Done.


Engaging through ChatIf a Support Request is created automatically for a nondispatchable part, you can engage in a live chat with a Dell support representative.

NOTE: The chat option is not available for Support Requests created manually for nondispatchable parts.

NOTE: Chat support is available based on your region and time and available only for systems with an active Premium Support, Premium Support Plus, ProSupport, or ProSupport Plus Service entitlement.

Viewing Support Request detailsAbout this taskAfter a Support Request is created, the Support Request details can be viewed until you close the Support Request.

18 Issue detection and Support Request creation

Steps



2 Click View Details.


Closing Support RequestAbout this taskWhen a Support Request is created for a hardware issue, the Support Request Open status is displayed on the Hardware Status tile. After the issue is resolved, you must confirm and close the Support Request. The Support Request Open status is displayed until you confirm and close the Support Request.

NOTE: You can close a Support Request only after Dell Technical Support closes the Support Request.

Steps



2 Click View Details.


3 Select Yes and click Submit.

The Optimize My System home page is displayed and the Support Request Open status that was displayed on the Hardware status tile is removed.


Optimize My SystemSupportAssist helps you optimize your system by running a series of diagnostics to identify modifications to files and settings of your system. Optimizing your system improves your system speed, storage space availability, and stability by cleaning temporary files, tuning system performance, optimizing network, and removing virus and malware from your system.

Figure 2. Optimize My System home page

1 Header area

2 Menu bar

3 System model number and Service Tag

4 Footer

NOTE: Figure 2 is for illustrative purpose only. Individual features such as header color, buttons, and so on are different on the Alienware systems. The options available on the home page will depend upon your service entitlement.

You can access the Optimize My System home page by opening SupportAssist and clicking the Optimize My System tile.

When you point to a system optimization tile, an estimate of the time required for the optimization is displayed. The indication on the tile depends on the time since the last optimization was performed. For more information on the system optimization tile indications, see System optimization tile.

NOTE: If a hardware issue is detected on your system, the system optimization tiles are disabled.

Topics:

• Cleaning files

• Tuning your system performance

• Optimizing network

• Removing viruses and malware

• Running all system optimizations

• System optimization tile

4

20 Optimize My System

• Enabling automatic optimization

• Disabling automatic optimization

Cleaning filesAbout this task

Cleaning your files helps you remove redundant files, temporary folders, and other unnecessary clutter from your system.

Steps

1 On the Clean Files tile, click Run Now.

After the optimization is complete, a icon and the last optimized date are displayed on the tile.

NOTE: During optimization, the name of the task that is performed is displayed below the menu bar. The percentage of optimization that is complete is also displayed on the tile.

2 If you want to stop the optimization, click Cancel.

NOTE: If you cancel the optimization, the changes that were performed are not reversed.

Tuning your system performanceAbout this task

Tuning your system performance helps you adjust the power settings, registry, and memory allocation to maximize the processing speed of your system.

Steps

1 On the Tune Performance tile, click Run Now.





Optimizing networkAbout this taskOptimizing your network helps you ensure network connectivity and updates your system settings to maintain an efficient and reliable network.

Steps

1 On the Optimize Network tile, click Run Now.





Removing viruses and malwareAbout this taskRemoving viruses and malware helps you isolate and remove files infected by viruses and malware to keep your system secure.

Optimize My System 21

NOTE: The virus and malware removal capability is available only for systems with an active ProSupport Plus or Premium Support Plus service entitlement.

NOTE: The virus and malware removal capability is not available in certain regions, for example, China.

Steps

1 On the Remove Virus & Malware tile, click Run Now.





Running all system optimizationsAbout this taskSupportAssist enables you to perform all the system optimizations continuously. After a system optimization is completed, the next optimization is initiated. When all the system optimizations are performed, it is indicated on the System History page. You can access the System History page from the Hardware Checkup tile.

Steps

1 On the Optimize My System home page, click Run All.

NOTE: During optimization, name of the task performed is displayed below the menu bar. The percentage of optimization completed is also displayed on the tile.

A icon and the last optimized date are displayed on each system optimization tile.



3 If you presume that the issue is not resolved, click Create Request.

4 On the Support Request page, perform the following steps:

a From the Select a category selection list, select an appropriate issue category.

b Enter a description of the issue.

c Click Next.

• If you have not registered SupportAssist, the Dell My Account Sign in page is displayed.

• If you have already registered SupportAssist, the issue summary page is displayed. For information on the details that are displayed on the issue summary page, see Issue summary page.

5 On the Dell My Account Sign In page, register SupportAssist and click Finish. For more information on registering SupportAssist, see Registering SupportAssist.


6 Click Done.


System optimization tileThe indication on the system optimization tile depends on when you performed the optimization. The following table describes the different indications on the system optimization tile.

22 Optimize My System

Table 7. System optimization tile

Last optimized Indication

Less than one weekA green check mark and the optimization date

More than one week, but less than one month Only optimization date

More than one monthA warning symbol

Enabling automatic optimizationPrerequisitesEnsure that your system has an active ProSupport Plus or Premium Support Plus service entitlement.

About this taskIf your system has an active ProSupport Plus or Premium Support Plus service entitlement, you can allow SupportAssist to automatically optimize your system after a scheduled software scan. For more information on scheduling a software scan, see Scheduling a software scan. By default, the auto-optimization capability is disabled.

Steps


2 On the Optimize My System home page footer, click the Enable link.

3 Select I want SupportAssist to automate system scans and optimizations and click Enable.

The auto-optimization capability is enabled and the Optimize My System home page is displayed.

Disabling automatic optimizationAbout this taskIf you do not want SupportAssist to automatically optimize your system after a scheduled software scan, you can disable the auto-optimization capability of SupportAssist.

Steps


2 On the Optimize My System home page footer, click the Disable link.

3 Clear I want SupportAssist to automate system scans and optimizations and click Disable.

The auto-optimization capability is disabled and the Optimize My System home page is displayed.

Optimize My System 23

DellConnectYou can contact Dell Technical Support through chat, email, or phone to report an issue with your system. In certain circumstances, the support representative may need to remotely access your system to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. In such circumstances, you can allow the support representative to remotely access your system by using DellConnect.

NOTE: You can start a DellConnect session only after it the technical support representative enables the session. If you try to start DellConnect before the technical support representative enables it, an appropriate message is displayed.

You can launch DellConnect from the following paths:

• SupportAssist > Get Support > DellConnect

• SupportAssist > Optimize My System > Get Support > Get Live Help With DellConnect

When you start DellConnect, the DellConnect Terms & Conditions page is displayed. Select I agree to the terms and conditions and click Finish.

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24 DellConnect

Drivers and DownloadsA driver is a software that allows the operating system to communicate with the hardware devices on your system. Devices such as video cards, sound cards, and modems require drivers to work efficiently. Sometimes, the operating system includes drivers for the system, but generally drivers must be downloaded and installed separately. The system drivers and firmware on your system should be updated for numerous reasons, some of which include increased system performance, patch security risks, and expand compatibility. SupportAssist allows you to keep your system up-to-date with the latest drivers and firmware.

Topics:

• Severity categorization of drivers

• Installing driver and firmware updates

• Rolling back your driver and firmware updates

Severity categorization of driversSupportAssist categorizes the drivers and firmware based on their importance. Depending on the severity, the drivers are categorized into the following categories:

• Urgent — Indicates potential harm to your system in the absence of the update.

• Recommended — Indicates that if the update is installed, there could be a significant improvement in your system performance.

• Optional — Indicates that based on your requirement, you can choose to install or ignore the driver.

NOTE: If your system is working fine and the driver is not listed as an Urgent or Recommended download, ignoring to update the drivers does not harm your system.

Installing driver and firmware updatesAbout this taskSupportAssist scans your system and proactively suggests the driver and firmware updates required for your system to perform efficiently.

Steps


2 On the SupportAssist window, perform one of the following:

a Click the Notifications tile and then click the Drivers and Downloads tab.

b Click the Drivers and Downloads tile.

The Drivers and Downloads page is displayed with a list of drivers and firmware based on your system requirement.

NOTE: If your system is up-to-date and there are no recommendations to install additional drivers and firmware, the Dell Driver and Downloads page is displayed.

3 Select the drivers and firmware you want to install and click Install Selected.

The selected drivers and firmware are installed.

NOTE: You may have to restart your system to complete the installation of certain drivers and firmware.

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Drivers and Downloads 25

HTTP://WWW.DELL.COM/SUPPORT/HOME/PRODUCTS/?APP=DRIVERS

HTTP://WWW.DELL.COM/SUPPORT/HOME/PRODUCTS/?APP=DRIVERS

Rolling back your driver and firmware updatesIf you encounter problems with your system after updating the driver or firmware, you may restore the driver or firmware to a previous version.

PrerequisitesYou must have the Service Tag of the system.

Steps

1 Go to Dell Drivers and Downloads.

The Drivers and Downloads page is displayed.


• Under Browse for a product, click View Products and choose your product.

• Under Enter a Service Tag or Express Service Code, enter your system Service Tag and click Submit.

The Product Support page is displayed.

3 Click Find it myself.

Based on your product or Service Tag, a list of all the drivers and firmware updates are displayed.

4 Choose the driver or firmware category you want to roll back.

If there are any previous versions for the chosen driver or firmware, Other versions option is displayed.

5 Click Other versions and then select the version you want to install.

The Driver Details page is displayed.

6 Click Download File.

The selected driver or firmware version is downloaded.

7 Locate the downloaded file in your system and then manually install the driver or firmware.

26 Drivers and Downloads

http://www.dell.com/support/home/Products/?app=drivers

TroubleshootingSupportAssist helps you identify hardware or software issues and create a Support Request, if necessary. You can resolve certain common issues by yourself without the assistance of Dell Technical Support. The Troubleshooting tab displays common issues as groups with step-by-step instructions for each issue.

If the issue you are facing is not listed in any of the available groups, enter your issue in the search box and click Search Topics.

NOTE: You cannot perform any other tasks while SupportAssist is troubleshooting an issue.

NOTE: If a hardware issue is detected on the system, an appropriate message is displayed.

If the issue is still not resolved, you can create a Support Request or contact Dell Technical Support for assistance.

The following is an example of the steps to troubleshoot an internet connectivity issue.


2 On the SupportAssist window, click the Optimize My System tile.

3 Click the Troubleshooting tab.

4 From the issues listed on the Troubleshooting page, click I cannot connect to the internet.

5 Click Run Now.

6 If SupportAssist is not able to identify the type of internet connection available on your system, select the type of connection, for example, Wired (LAN).

7 Click Continue.

8 Perform the troubleshooting steps that are displayed and click Continue.

9 After the issue is resolved, click Done.

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Troubleshooting 27

HistoryThe History tab displays the details of the system optimization and troubleshooting tasks that were performed on your system. The system optimization task details are recorded as events and are listed separately in reverse chronological order for each optimization. The date and time of the last event is also displayed for each optimization.

NOTE: The History tab provides details of the optimization tasks that were performed in the last 60 days only.

You can view the history from:

• SupportAssist > Optimize My System > History

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28 History

Get SupportThe Get Support page enables you to access various help and support features that are available for your system. The following table describes the support features available on the Get Support page.

Table 8. Get Support page

Support feature Description

Contact Us You can contact the Dell Technical Support, order support, and sales through phone, chat, or email.

Get Live Help With DellConnect You can allow a support representative to access your system remotely to troubleshoot and resolve an issue. For more information about DellConnect, see DellConnect.

Create Support Request Depending on your service entitlement, you can create a Support Request for a hardware or software issue. For more information on Service entitlements that allow Support Request creation, see SupportAssist capabilities and Dell Service entitlements.

Owner's Manual You can view and download manuals that are available for your system.

Warranty Information You can view the warranty details of your system.

Online Tools and Info You can access the tools, additional information, and resources available for your system.

Service Contracts You can access the service entitlement site available for your region.

Community Support Forums You can access the various forums available for all Dell products and services.

Hardware Repair Service You can contact a hardware repair service expert, if needed.

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Get Support 29

Warranty notificationWhen the warranty of your system is nearing expiry or has expired, SupportAssist notifies the warranty status on the Optimize My System home page. You can renew or upgrade your system warranty by using the links provided in the notification. The following table describes the notifications that may be displayed:

Table 9. Warranty notification

Warranty status Action

0 to 60 days for expiry Click Renew to renew the warranty.

Expired, but the warranty is within the renewable period

Click Renew to renew the warranty.

Expired, but the warranty is not within the renewable period

Click Contact Dell to extend or upgrade the warranty.

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30 Warranty notification

Uninstalling SupportAssist

1 Press the Windows logo key.

The Start menu is displayed.

2 Click Control Panel.

3 Perform one of the following based on your operating system:

• On Microsoft Windows 8.x (x can be 0 or 1) or Windows 10 operating system, click Uninstall a program in Programs and Features.

• On Microsoft Windows 7 operating system:

1 Click Programs.

2 Click Add or Remove Programs.

4 Right-click Dell SupportAssist and click Uninstall.

5 When you are prompted to confirm the uninstallation, click Yes.

6 After SupportAssist is uninstalled, right-click Dell SupportAssist Agent and click Uninstall.

7 When you are prompted to confirm the uninstallation, click Yes.

SupportAssist and SupportAssist Agent are uninstalled.

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Uninstalling SupportAssist 31

Frequently asked questionsHow can I check if SupportAssist and SupportAssist Agent are installed?

When you install or update SupportAssist, SupportAssist Agent is downloaded and installed automatically. To verify if SupportAssist and SupportAssist Agent are installed, perform the following steps:

1 Open Control Panel and click Programs > Programs and Features.

2 In the list of programs, verify if Dell SupportAssist and Dell SupportAssist Agent are present.

I downloaded and installed SupportAssist, but SupportAssist Agent is not installed automatically. How do I download and install SupportAssist Agent?

If SupportAssist Agent is not downloaded and installed automatically, a notification is displayed on the Notifications tile stating that SupportAssist Agent is not available. To install SupportAssist Agent, perform the following steps:

1 Click the notification.

2 On the Notifications page, click Install SupportAssist Agent.

How can I select different categories for which I would like to receive notifications?

To select the categories for which you want to receive notifications, perform the following steps:


2 In the Categories section, select or clear the categories for which you want to receive notifications.

3 Click Done.

Can I schedule a hardware scan?

Yes, you can schedule a hardware scan. For more information on scheduling a hardware scan, see Scheduling hardware and software scans.

How can I edit my contact and shipping information?

To edit your contact and shipping information, perform the following steps:


2 On the left pane, click Account Details.

3 On the Account Details page, click Manage My Account.

4 On the Dell My Account Sign In page, sign in to your My Account.

5 Edit your contact and shipping information as required and click Next.

6 Click Finish.

7 On the SupportAssist Settings window, click Done.

I accidentally canceled a notification about a failure. How and where do I get the notification again to view details about the failure?

If you cancel a notification, it is still available in the SupportAssist Notifications section. You can view details about the issue from the Notifications section. However, the notification is retained only for seven days.

Can I change the contact information and shipping details while creating a Support Request?

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32 Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can change the contact information and shipping details while creating a Support Request.

Why should I enter my shipping details for an issue with a nondispatchable part?

After analysis, if a hardware failure is identified as the root cause of the issue, the shipping address is used to ship a replacement part to you. If you had entered your shipping address while registering SupportAssist, your shipping address is automatically retrieved and before you submit an issue.

What are the languages that the SupportAssist user interface supports?

The SupportAssist user interface supports 24 languages. The supported languages are Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (Iberian), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. For instructions to change your language preference, see Choosing your preferred language.

I have installed SupportAssist on my system, but I am not able to open it. What could be the reason?

SupportAssist requires 5700 network port to open the SupportAssist interface. If the 5700 port is used by any other application, SupportAssist will not open in your system. Try to open SupportAssist after ensuring that no other application is using port 5700.

It is taking a lot of time to open SupportAssist. What should I do?

If it is taking a long time to open SupportAssist, check the speed of your internet connection. If your system connects to the internet through a proxy server, ensure that you have configured the proxy server settings in SupportAssist.

When I click the Optimize My System tile, no window is displayed. What should I do?

If the Optimize My System window is not displayed, verify if SupportAssist Agent is installed on your system. To verify if SupportAssist Agent is installed, perform the following steps:

1 Open Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Programs and Features.

2 In the list of programs, verify if Dell SupportAssist Agent is present.

I am facing a hardware issue on my system. Why is it not detected by SupportAssist?

If a hardware issue is not detected, ensure that the SupportAssist services are running on the system. To verify if the SupportAssist services are running, perform the following steps:

1 Press the Windows logo key.

2 From the Start menu, open the Service application on the system.

3 Verify if the following services are running on your system:

• Dell Data Vault Collector

• Dell Data Vault Processor

• Dell Data Vault Service API

• Dell SupportAssist Agent

Where can I check details of the optimizations that were performed on my system during a scheduled or manual optimization?

SupportAssist retains the details of all the system optimizations that were performed in the last 60 days. To view details of the optimizations, perform the following steps:


2 Click the History tab.

Frequently asked questions 33

3 Expand the required optimization to view the details of the optimizations that were performed.

Why does SupportAssist take more time to perform the optimizations than the duration specified on the system optimization tiles?

The time displayed on the system optimization tiles is only an estimate based on your system configuration. The actual time required to perform the optimizations may differ from the estimate.

I have Windows 10 operating system installed on my system. Why am I unable to install SupportAssist?

The default web browser Windows 10 operating system is Microsoft Edge. SupportAssist is not supported on Microsoft Edge. To install SupportAssist, Internet Explorer 10 or later is required. For information on the minimum system requirements for SupportAssist, see Minimum system requirements.

When I click DellConnect and accept the terms and conditions, the support representative is unable to access my system remotely. What should I do?

Request the support representative to disconnect the current session and initiate a new DellConnect session.

When I point to the Service Tag or system model number on the Optimize My System window menu bar, Unknown Warranty is shown. Why?

Unknown Warranty is displayed because of the following reasons:

• SupportAssist is not connected to the internet. Go to the Troubleshooting page for steps to troubleshoot your internet connection.

• If your system connects to the internet through a proxy server, ensure that you have configured the proxy server settings in SupportAssist.

During optimization, SupportAssist stopped working. What should I do?

Close and restart SupportAssist and then try to run the optimization again.

34 Frequently asked questions

Documents

Dell SupportAssist for PCs and Tabletstopics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/dell-supportassist-pcs-tablets_users-guide... · Scheduling hardware and software scans ... Severity categorization of