Support for Dell Update / Alienware Update Ending December 2024

I agree. Support Assist is basically bloatware that gets removed immediately. I much prefer Dell Update as it's to the point. 

Hi @lmacri 

Thank you for giving me credit for my post back in May, though you didn't need to. Just like everyone else; I just want answers and a single solid reliable solution from Dell.

In fact, I came to this forum this morning to start this very topic and found this thread.

I have removed the Dell Update app from my XPS 15 9520 , as well as my Inspiron systems, because I use my systems for long hours of mission-critical work every day and cannot take a chance on something just borking my PC's on December 31st. These are not "toys". I make my living with them. Resetting Windows or rolling-back to a restore point every time something goes wrong is not an option.

I'm reluctantly using Dell SupportAssist because, even though it's always been buggy in every version, I don't trust Windows Update (and other sources) to provide proper updates to some of Dell's proprietary drivers.

So yeah... @Dell - we need some answers. Is Dell Update really going away on all consumer systems? Or are you going to change your minds again and continue with the "two separate tools to do essentially the same thing"? Why is Dell Update going away (if it really is)? 

Part of the confusion for me - when I visit the Dell Support > Drivers & Downloads page, Dell/Alienware Update Windows UNIVERSAL Application version 5.4.0 is available for my system, and was released months AFTER the announcement at https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000149088/dell-update-overview-and-common-questions

This is confusing to me because it seems to possibly indicate that the "Dell Update" app has maybe been replaced by the "Dell/Alienware Update Windows Universal" app.

Some clarification from Dell is needed at this point. Which one of us is going to call the support line and spend an hour to possibly not get an answer? ;)

Part of the confusion for me - when I visit the Dell Support > Drivers & Downloads page, Dell/Alienware Update Windows UNIVERSAL Application version 5.4.0 is available for my system...This is confusing to me because it seems to possibly indicate that the "Dell Update" app has maybe been replaced by the "Dell/Alienware Update Windows Universal" app.

Some clarification from Dell is needed at this point. Which one of us is going to call the support line and spend an hour to possibly not get an answer? ;)

Hi SomeDave:

I agree.  Unfortunately, my service warranty has expired so I cannot contact Dell customer support.  Perhaps @Dell-Brad L or @DELL-Chris M could provide some clarification.

If you enter your unique Service Tag on your XPS 15 9520 support page at https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/xps-15-9520-laptop/drivers which Dell Update utility is recommended for your system?  There are three Dell Update v5.4.0 utilities released 31-Jul-2024 on that support page - the "classic" standalone Dell Command | Update application (Dell-Command-Update-Application_6VFWW_WIN_5.4.0_A00.EXE) and two Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, namely Dell/Alienware Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 (Dell-Alienware-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_6F25R_WIN_5.4.0_A00.EXE) and Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 (Dell-Command-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_9M35M_WIN_5.4.0_A00.EXE).

I'm not certain, but there is a possibility that the 31-Dec-2024 end-of-life announcement does not include the Dell Command | Update v5.x utilities ("classic" and UWP) that are compatible with many higher-end Latitude, Optiplex, Precision and XPS models typically used in a business environment.  Dell posted a new support article at Alienware Update and Dell Update End of Life (EoL) Announcement, and if I enter your XPS 15 9520 model there it says "This article dos not apply to XPS 15 9520".**

** NOTE: That may not mean much, however, since that same support page incorrectly reports "This article does not apply to Inspiron 15 5584" even though the image in my original post <above> clearly shows my Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 utility is reaching end of life on 31-Dec-2024.

Also see the recent 10-Dec-2024 discussion I had with ner0 on page 3 of ThomasAAT's Buggy support assist, new version 4.0 about the difference between the "classic" Dell Command | Update application and the Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal UWP app.  According to ajscott's 24-Feb-2023 Dell Command Update 4.8 Non-Universal App Version Available in the reddit forum Dell decided to continue supporting the "classic" standalone Dell Command | Update application for certain Dell computer models after complaints from users with higher-end computer models.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5247 * Firefox v133.0.3 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.3.156-1.0.5108 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

@lmacri​

If you enter your unique Service Tag on your XPS 15 9520 support page at https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/xps-15-9520-laptop/drivers which Dell Update utility is recommended for your system? 

The version in my screenshot - Dell-Alienware-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_6F25R_WIN_5.4.0_A00.EXE

Dell posted a new support article at Alienware Update and Dell Update End of Life (EoL) Announcement, and if I enter your XPS 15 9520 model there it says "This article dos not apply to XPS 15 9520".**

Thanks, I was unaware of that.

** NOTE: That may not mean much, however, since that same support page incorrectly reports "This article does not apply to Inspiron 15 5584" even though the image in my original post <above> clearly shows my Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 utility is reaching end of life on 31-Dec-2024.

Chaos and confusion.

Also see the recent 10-Dec-2024 discussion I had with ner0 on page 3 of ThomasAAT's Buggy support assist, new version 4.0 about the difference between the "classic" Dell Command | Update application and the Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal UWP app.  According to ajscott's 24-Feb-2023 Dell Command Update 4.8 Non-Universal App Version Available in the reddit forum Dell decided to continue supporting the "classic" standalone Dell Command | Update application for certain Dell computer models after complaints from users with higher-end computer models.

It really shouldn't be this difficult for us to have one solid solution, especially on a $2500.00 system. This is becoming a time drain.

@lmacri​

** NOTE: That may not mean much, however, since that same support page incorrectly reports "This article does not apply to Inspiron 15 5584" even though the image in my original post <above> clearly shows my Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 utility is reaching end of life on 31-Dec-2024.

Same for my 9520:

... I'm reluctantly using Dell SupportAssist because, even though it's always been buggy in every version, I don't trust Windows Update (and other sources) to provide proper updates to some of Dell's proprietary drivers.

Hi SomeDave:

Just anr FYI that employee Dell-Brad L announced yesterday that Dell is planning to push out two SupportAssist v4.x updates to fix serious bugs in v4.6.2 - see their 19-Dec-2024 post in MichaelInParis's Any way to reduce the size of the DTPDB.DB file?. From what I understand from that post, the v4.6.3 update will begin rolling out next Tuesday on 24-Dec-2024 to fix a bug that impacts system performance due to excessive RAM and CPU consumption, and a second update will be released at a later date to fix a bug that causes database files in the C:\ProgramData\Dell\DTP\DB folder to grow over time and consume excessive amounts of disk space (i.e., typically in the range of 20 - 80 GB).

It also looks like Dell has pulled SupportAssist v4.6.2 from their download servers because of the severity of these bugs and temporarily reverted back to the previous v4.0.3 - see melzie's 19-Dec-2024 post in Aleric's Missing "Dell Client Management Service".

Regardless, I won't be re-installing SupportAssist when my Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 reaches end of support on 31-Dec-2024.  If necessary I can enter my unique Service Tag at https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/products (which now opens the newly redesigned support page for my Inspiron 5584) to see a filtered list of Dell software and driver updates that match my system components.  The only drawback is that I can't run a check for updates at Driver Updates | Scan Now on that support page (that Scan Now button isn't functional if SupportAssist is not installed), but that's not a concern for me since my Inspiron 5584 is five years old and rarely receives BIOS or driver updates from Dell these days.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5247 * Firefox v133.0.3 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.4.157-1.0.5116 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

... Regardless, I won't be re-installing SupportAssist when my Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 reaches end of support on 31-Dec-2024.  If necessary I can enter my unique Service Tag at https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/products (which now opens the newly redesigned support page for my Inspiron 5584) to see a filtered list of Dell software and driver updates that match my system components.

Some good news, at least for now.  My (now unsupported) Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 app still appears to run correctly in spite of the 31-Dec-2024 end-of-life warning displayed on the main user interface (see the first image below), so for now I'm assuming that the 31-Dec-2024 EOL date announced at Alienware Update and Dell Update End of Life (EoL) Announcement just means that v5.4.0 will be the final version released for my Dell Update program.

WARNING: That announcement states that Dell is "removing Dell Update and Alienware Update from the Dell Support Site as of December 31, 2024" so I saved a copy of the latest v5.4.0 .exe installer (which is still available for download on my Inspiron 5584 support page as of today) to a safe location on my hard drive in case it's eventually pulled from the Dell download servers.

From my 02-Jan-2025 check for updates:

NOTE: I always decline installation of the Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Plugin for Dell Update v5.5.x because I uninstalled all SupportAssist-related software, including Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery (a.k.a. Dell SupportAssist Remediation or System Repair) from my Inspiron 5584 and no longer need this plugin. 
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5247 * Firefox v133.0.3 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.4.157-1.0.5116 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.4.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

Well, this is unexpected.  Dell just posted a new Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 (Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_7CJ1W_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE, released 01-Apr-2025) on my Inspiron 15 5584 support page.

The full release notes <here> state that v5.5.0 addresses a Dell Security Advisory (DSA) but no specific CVE number is mentioned, and as of today I can't find a relevant DSA posted at https://www.dell.com/support/security/en-us/.  That isn't unusual for most new Dell software releases, though, and I expect further details about the security vulnerability patched by v5.5.0 will be added to the release notes at a later date.

Unfortunately, there is still a warning on the v5.5.0 interface stating that "Support for Dell Update expires at the end of 2024".

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5608 * Firefox v137.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25020.1009-1.1.25020.1007 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.9.176-129.0.5196 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

... Dell just posted a new Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 (Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_7CJ1W_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE, released 01-Apr-2025) on my Inspiron 15 5584 support page.

Further to my previous post, I just noticed that installation of Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 added the Dell Core Services application to my system.

Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 also appears to have installed the Dell TechHub service.  That also seems odd since Dell TechHub service is normally used by SupportAssist to run hardware diagnostic scans, which is not a feature built in to Dell Update.  Dell TechHub service was uninstalled from my system when I uninstalled SupportAssist almost 2 years ago, but updating to Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 seems to have reinstalled this service for some unknown reason.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5608 * Firefox v137.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25020.1009-1.1.25020.1007 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.9.176-129.0.5196 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

Further to my previous post, I just noticed that installation of Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 added the Dell Core Services application to my system.... Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 also appears to have installed the Dell TechHub service.

Even worse, I now have 7 new Dell-related processes starting automatically at bootup since Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 was installed on 02-Apr-2025.  AFAIK Dell Update v5.x doesn't automatically run in the background at Windows startup like SupportAssist v4.x, unless there have been major changes in the design of Dell Update v5.5.0 that aren't mentioned in the latest 01-Apr-2025 release notes and/or user guide at https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/dell-update/resources/manuals.

Sadly, it looks like Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 has become yet another bloated, resource-hogging Dell utility that will need to removed from my system if this isn't fixed soon.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5608 * Firefox v137.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25020.1009-1.1.25030.1 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.9.176-129.0.5196 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

Even worse, I now have 7 new Dell-related processes starting automatically at bootup since Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 was installed on 02-Apr-2025.

I can confirm that disabling the Dell TechHub service and re-booting prevents the 7 Dell-related processes shown in my 03-Apr-2025 image <above> from running at Windows startup, and Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 is still able to detect available updates for my system while the Dell TechHub service is disabled.

As of today I haven't tested to see what effect uninstalling the Dell Core Services program would have.

I'll monitor this situation for now and if I don't get a response from Dell as to why all this bloat as been added to v5.5.0 then I'll wipe both Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 and Dell Core Services off my system with Revo Uninstaller.  New updates are rarely posted on the support page <here> for my Inspiron 5584 these days (and I refuse to re-install the buggy, bloated SupportAssist v4.x) so I'm sure I can live without a Dell Update utility on my system.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5608 * Firefox v137.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25020.1009-1.1.25030.1 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.9.176-129.0.5196 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0 * Revo Uninstaller Free Portable v2.5.8

@lmacri​ Hello, I have made a Dell account just to tell you that I have been dealing with this working in IT, and this has been occurring on many, many Dell laptops in the company that I support.

We have learned that if we uninstall Dell Core Services, it does stop those RAM-hogging processes, especially Dell Data Manager, Dell Analytics, and Dell Instrumentation, but it also breaks Dell Command Update, so can't install drivers and firmware updates after that.

Thanks for your recommendation on disabling the Dell TechHub service; I'll be trying that next time I get a call about a super slow computer, which has been at least once almost every day now.

Since that was over a month ago since your last post, have you noticed anything new since then, or is it still running well after disabling TechHub?

We have learned that if we uninstall Dell Core Services, it does stop those RAM-hogging processes, especially Dell Data Manager, Dell Analytics, and Dell Instrumentation, but it also breaks Dell Command Update, so can't install drivers and firmware updates after that....Since that was over a month ago since your last post, have you noticed anything new since then, or is it still running well after disabling TechHub?

Hi Caleb Hawn:

See my 05-Apr-2025 topic Dell Update v5.5.0 (rel. 01-Apr-2025) Installs Unnecessary Bloat for further details

No one from Dell would to respond to my questions so I went ahead and uninstalled Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 and Dell Core Services v1.10.33.0, plus a few other extra bits I found [e.g., unnecessary 32-bit (x86) .NET v8 components – namely Microsoft ASP .NET Core 8.0.15 – Shared Framework (x86) and Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime 8.0.15 (x86)] that were apparently installed along with Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0.

As of 20-Apr-2025 the only Dell software left on my Inspiron 5584 (other than an old, unsupported  Dell CinemaColor UWP app I've never used) is the MyDell v2.x UWP app, which requires Dell's Fusion Service. I also kept the 64-bit MS .NET Desktop Runtime v8.0.x (x64) since that .NET Runtime is still required for my QuickInstaller software.

Going forward I will visit the support page <here> for my Inspiron 5584 every few weeks, manually enter my unique Service Tag, and check the "This Device" tab on the Drivers & Downloads panel to see if any new updates have been released that match my system components. This is fine for me since I'm a home consumer with a single computer, and Dell rarely releases updates for my 5-year-old Inspiron laptop these days anyway.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5737 * Firefox v138.0.3 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25030.2-1.1.25040.1 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.3.0.186-132.0.5253 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0

@lmacri​ Okay, good to know. Thanks for the thorough reports!