SupportAssist for Home PCs Version 3.10.3 User’s Guide August 2021 Rev.
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. © 2021 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Contents Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................. 5 Key features..........................................................................................................................................................................5 Document purpose..............................................................................................................................................................
Get Drivers and Downloads tile notifications..............................................................................................................27 Chapter 6: Scanning PC hardware............................................................................................... 28 Scan a specific hardware component.......................................................................................................................... 28 Run a quick hardware scan........................................
1 Introduction SupportAssist automates support from Dell by proactively and predictively identifying hardware and software issues on your PC. SupportAssist addresses PC performance and stabilization issues, prevents security threats, monitors and detects hardware failures, and automates the engagement process with Dell Technical support. Depending on your Dell service plan, SupportAssist also automates support request creation for issues that are detected during a scan.
New and enhanced features Bug fixes Supported PCs SupportAssist is supported on the following Dell PCs with 64-bit Windows 10 RS4 and later versions of the operating system: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Inspiron G Series XPS Alienware Vostro Latitude Precision OptiPlex NOTE: SupportAssist is not supported on virtual machines. SupportAssist capabilities and Dell service plans SupportAssist proactively and predictively detects and notifies you about hardware and software issues that may occur on your PC.
Table 1. SupportAssist capabilities and Dell service plans (continued) SupportAssist capabilities Description Dell service plans Basic ProSupport Premium Support ProSupport Premium Plus Support Plus Dell Software Support (DSS) efficient and reliable network. Troubleshoot issues manually You can fix common PC issues by using the step-by-step instructions and video tutorials that are available on the troubleshooting page.
Table 1. SupportAssist capabilities and Dell service plans (continued) SupportAssist capabilities Description Predictive issue detection and support request creation for failure prevention 3 If a part is identified for possible failure, an alert is sent to you. SupportAssist opens a support request, and a Dell Technical Support agent contacts you to ship the replacement part.
Table 2. Other service offers (continued) Service offer Description Availability data, you can erase and reset your old PC before you sell, gift, or trade in the PC . NOTE: In this document, the term data refers to the files and settings that you want to migrate. The term old PC refers to the PC from which your data is migrated and new PC refers to the Dell PC to which your data is migrated. locales section in the Dell Migrate User's Guide available on the Dell Data Assistant documentation page.
2 Getting started with SupportAssist for Home PCs SupportAssist is preinstalled on all PCs shipped out of the Dell factory. If SupportAssist is not preinstalled, follow the instructions in this section to install, configure, and use SupportAssist. Minimum PC requirements The following table lists the minimum PC requirements for installing and using SupportAssist: Table 3.
Install SupportAssist for Home PCs By default, SupportAssist is installed on all PCs shipped from the Dell factory. If SupportAssist is not installed on your PC, you can manually download and install SupportAssist. Prerequisites ● The PC must meet the minimum PC requirements for installing and using SupportAssist. See Minimum PC requirements on page 10. ● You must be logged in as an administrator. Steps 1. Go to www.dell.com/supportassistforpcs. 2. Click Download Now. The SupportAssistInstaller.
If there are any additional Dell service offers applicable for your PC, the link to review, purchase, or use them are displayed on the bottom pane. For information about Dell service offers, see Other service offers on page 8. When you hover over the Service Tag, the model number and the following details are displayed: ● ● ● ● ● ● Warranty details —service plan and service offers applicable for the PC, its start date, and expiration date. Service Tag—the unique identifier of the PC.
5. To add a secondary contact, select Add secondary contact and enter the details. 6. If you do not want SupportAssist to automatically create a support request, clear the Automatically create Support Requests check box. NOTE: The automatic support request creation capability is available and enabled only for PCs with an active ProSupport, ProSupport Plus, Premium Support, or Premium Support Plus service plan. 7. Click Done.
● If the shipping details are invalid, a message is displayed to update the details. Click Update and Finish to update the details. ● If the shipping details are valid, the Home page is displayed. Use a different SupportAssist profile Prerequisites You must be logged in as an administrator. Steps 1. On the top-right corner of the SupportAssist user interface, click the username and click Use a different profile. 2. Click Continue.
About this task By default, SupportAssist scans your PC to detect hardware issues, driver updates, and the required PC optimizations. The default frequency of the scans depends on your PC service plan. If an urgent driver update, hardware issue, or a virus or malware is detected during the scan, a notification is displayed. The type of notification depends on the operating system that is installed on your PC.
Table 4. Notifications on the SupportAssist user interface Scenario Action A SupportAssist profile has not been created. ● Click Complete Profile to create a SupportAssist profile. See Create a SupportAssist profile on page 12. ● Click Remind Me Later to view the notification when you reopen SupportAssist after 24 hours. ● Click Never Remind Me to stop SupportAssist from displaying the notification again. Dell technical support is still working on your support request.
Table 5. Windows action center notifications (continued) Scenario Action ● Click Tell me more to view the issue details and create a support request. ● Click Remind me tomorrow to view the notification later. For other components, perform one of the following steps: ● Click the notification to view issue details. ● Click Remind me tomorrow to view the notification later. A hardware component must be replaced for an issue that is detected during a manually initiated or scheduled scan.
Banners on SupportAssist Home page When the service plan of your PC is nearing expiry or has expired: ● A notification is displayed on the SupportAssist user interface. ● A notification is displayed in the Windows action center. ● A banner is displayed on the SupportAssist Home page. You can renew or upgrade your service plan by using the links that are provided in the notification or banner.
The Uninstall or change a program page is displayed. 2. Right-click Dell SupportAssist, and click Uninstall. 3. When you are prompted to confirm the uninstallation, click Yes. Results Dell SupportAssist is uninstalled.
3 System reset and repair overview SupportAssist OS Recovery enables you to reset or repair your PC. You can invoke SupportAssist OS Recovery from the SupportAssist for Home PCs user interface. System reset The system reset feature enables you to reset the operating system of your PC. You can either reset the operating system to factory state or install the latest version of the operating system.
About this task The Reset to factory settings option resets your operating system and default applications to the state they were in when your PC was shipped from the Dell factory. Steps 1. Open SupportAssist and go to Troubleshooting > Erase everything and reset my PC to its original state, and then click Reset my PC. 2. Click Yes, reboot. The PC restarts, and the SupportAssist OS Recovery user interface is displayed.
Repair your PC About this task System repair feature enables you to diagnose and troubleshoot common issues that may occur before your PC boots to the operating system. It checks and fixes the partition table, start-up file, and the health of the Windows operating system. Steps 1. Open SupportAssist and go to Troubleshooting > Restore my PC with System Repair, and then click Launch System Repair. 2. Click Yes, restart. The PC restarts , and the SupportAssist OS Recovery user interface is displayed.
4 Dell Migrate overview Dell Migrate is an on-demand service that enables you to securely migrate your personal files and settings to your Dell PC from any PC running the Windows operating system 8.1 or later. After you migrate your data, you can erase and reset your old PC before you sell, gift, or trade in the PC. To purchase the Dell Migrate service for your PC, go to https://www.dell.com/Migrate. The Migrate service is available only for the Inspiron, G Series, XPS, and Alienware PCs in certain regions.
Migrate data from old to new PC Prerequisites Ensure the following: ● Dell Migrate service is available for your new PC. For instructions to purchase, go to https://www.dell.com/Migrate. ● The operating system that is installed on your old PC is Windows 8.1 or later. ● The operating system that is installed on your new PC is 64-bit Windows 10 RS4 or later. ● Both the PCs are connected to an electrical outlet. ● You are logged in to your old and new PCs as an administrator.
If any other applications are running on your new PC, you are prompted to close the applications and continue or cancel the migration process. NOTE: Do not close Dell Data Assistant or click Cancel on your old PC while the migration is in progress. 6. After the migration process is complete, perform one of the following steps: ● If all your data was migrated successfully, click Finish.
5 Drivers and downloads overview Updating the drivers helps improve PC performance and fix security risks. By default, SupportAssist scans your PC every week to detect updates available for drivers and Dell applications that are installed on your PC. If required, you can configure the frequency in which SupportAssist performs the scan. SupportAssist categorizes the updates based on their severity as Urgent, Security, Recommended, and Optional.
● If the update must be manually installed, an Install link is displayed in the Status column after the download is complete. To install the update, click Install. NOTE: You may have to restart your PC to complete the installation of certain drivers. 5. Click Finish. The Home page is displayed. The number of drivers that are installed is displayed on the Home page and History page. 6. If an update requires restart, click Restart Now to restart the PC immediately.
6 Scanning PC hardware Running a hardware scan enables you to detect hardware issues on your PC. By default, SupportAssist scans your PC hardware once a month to detect hardware issues. You can also manually perform one of the following to identify a hardware issue: ● Scan a specific hardware component ● Run a quick hardware scan ● Run a stress test NOTE: If SupportAssist is minimized and an issue is detected during a scan, a notification is displayed on the Scan Hardware tile.
Results ● If no issue is detected, Passed status and are displayed. ● If an issue is detected and it does not require creating a support request, Failed status and are displayed. ● If an issue is detected and requires creating a support request, the issue details page is displayed. For instructions to create a support request, see Create a support request for an issue detected by a scan on page 36. Run a quick hardware scan Prerequisites You must be logged in as an administrator.
● If an issue is detected and requires creating a support request, the optimization tiles are disabled and the issue details page is displayed. For instructions to create a support request, see Create a support request for an issue detected by a scan on page 36. ● If an issue is detected and does not require creating a support request, the issue title is displayed above the tiles, a notification is displayed on the Scan Hardware tile, and the optimization tiles are disabled. To enable the tiles, click OK.
7 Optimizing your PC SupportAssist helps you optimize your PC by running a series of diagnostics to identify modifications to files and settings of your PC.
Optimize network About this task SupportAssist updates your PC settings to keep your network efficient and reliable. Steps 1. Open SupportAssist and click . 2. On the Optimize Network tile, click Run. During the optimization, the name of task that is running is displayed above the tiles and the progress of scan is displayed on the tile. CAUTION: If you cancel the optimization while it is in progress, the changes that were performed are not reversed.
About this task Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are programs that are installed in the background when you install an application. PUPs reduce your PC performance or display unwanted advertisements. SupportAssist detects PUPs on your PC through a manually initiated or automated virus and malware scan. If PUPs are detected, the Remove Viruses & Malware tile icon is displayed in red color and the number of PUPs that were detected is displayed on the tile.
2. If the issue persists, click Still Need Help to manually create a support request. NOTE: The manual support request creation capability is applicable only for PCs with an active Premium Support, ProSupport, Premium Support Plus, or ProSupport Plus service plan. The support request page is displayed. For instructions to manually create a support request, see Manually create a support request on page 37.
8 Virtual assistant overview Use the virtual assistant from any page to troubleshoot PC issues such as slow performance and hardware issues or chat with a Dell technical support agent. To troubleshoot an issue, the virtual assistant may prompt you to update your drivers, run optimizations, or create a support request, if necessary.
9 Creating a support request SupportAssist helps you proactively and periodically monitor your PC for hardware or software issues. If an issue is detected on your PC, SupportAssist enables you to create a support request with Dell technical support. Depending on the service plan of your PC, SupportAssist may also automatically create a support request for the issue. NOTE: The automatic support request creation capability is not available for PCs with an expired warranty.
Manually create a support request About this task Depending on the service plan of your PC, you can manually create a support request for issues that are not detected by SupportAssist. For information about the SupportAssist capabilities for different service plans, see SupportAssist capabilities and Dell service plans on page 6. Steps 1. Open SupportAssist and click the Get Support tab. 2. Click Open a Support Request.
Issue summary page The following table describes the information that is displayed on the issue summary page: Table 11. Issue summary page Information Description Service Tag The unique identifier of the PC. The Service Tag is an alphanumeric identifier. Warranty The service plan 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.
10 Troubleshooting overview The Troubleshooting page enables you to troubleshoot issues with network connectivity and PC performance. It also enables you to scan your PC for hardware issues and provides links to video tutorials to troubleshoot common hardware and software issues. The troubleshooting links enabled for you depends on your user account type. For instructions to know your user account type, see the operating system documentation at https://support.microsoft.com/.
11 History overview The History page displays information about the SupportAssist activities and events such as software optimizations, troubleshooting tasks, driver updates, hardware scans, virtual assistant conversation, and so on. The information for the activities performed in the last 90 days in a chronological order. The History page displays links to view the transcripts of your chat conversations with the virtual assistant and to check the status of your support requests online.
12 Getting support SupportAssist enables you to contact Dell technical support agents through phone, chat, or social media. The Get Support page lists the help and support options available for your PC. The help and support options that you can access depend on the service plan of your PC and your region. For information about the help and support options available for various service plans, see SupportAssist capabilities and Dell service plans on page 6.
Send files to Dell technical support About this task If requested by a Dell technical support agent, you can send files describing the issue on your PC or any other specific file that is requested by the support agent. You can send a ZIP, RAR, TXT, JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, DOCX, DOC, ODT, PDF, XLS, or XLSX file. NOTE: The maximum size of the file that you can send is 4 MB. NOTE: You can send up to three files in a day. If you have multiple files, compress the files to .zip format and send the ZIP file. Steps 1.
Steps 1. Open SupportAssist and click the Get Support tab. 2. On the right pane, click Start a remote session. 3. Read and accept the terms and conditions that are displayed on the Dell RemoteAssist Terms & Conditions page, and then click Finish. The technical support agent can now access and troubleshoot your PC remotely. Allow remote troubleshooting by using Remote help Prerequisites ● ● ● ● You must be logged in as an administrator.
13 Provide feedback When you close the SupportAssist user interface after completing an activity, a survey option to provide feedback on your overall experience with Supportassist for Home PCs is displayed. NOTE: The survey option for providing feedback is currently available only on certain PC models and in certain regions. Your feedback remains confidential and helps Dell to make product improvements.
14 Frequently asked questions SupportAssist installation and user interface 1. How can I identify the build number of the operating system that is installed on my PC? Perform the following steps: a. Search and open the Run application. b. Enter winver and click OK. The operating system build number is displayed, for example, OS Build 15063.1266. 2. How can I check if SupportAssist is installed on my PC? To verify if SupportAssist is installed, perform the following steps: a.
● Your PC may not have a valid warranty. Contact Dell technical support for help. 8. Can I update the BIOS on a BitLocker enabled PC? It is recommended that you disable the BitLocker encryption on the PC before updating the BIOS. 9. I currently have 3.9.2 version of SupportAssist running on my PC. Why am I not able to update to the latest version? You might be running an operating system version which is Windows 10 RS3 or earlier. To update supportAssist version to 3.
2. 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 will be displayed again after six hours or when you restart the PC. 3. I am not receiving notifications for driver updates. What should I do? If your service plan has expired, SupportAssist does not display notifications for driver updates available for your PC.
15 SupportAssist for Home PCs resources This section lists the documentation resources and other useful links that provide more information about SupportAssist for Home PCs. Table 13. SupportAssist for Home PCs resources Contents Resource Go to Minimum requirements, installation, and product features SupportAssist for Home PCs Version 3.10.3 User's Guide SupportAssist for Home PCs manuals New features, enhancements, known issues, and limitations in the release SupportAssist for Home PCs Version 3.
16 Contact Dell Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country or region and product, and some services may not be available in your area. If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information in your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog. Steps 1. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues, perform the following steps: a. Go to https://www.dell.com/support. b.
