Unable to Install or Run Any Dell Applications - "Application is not supported" Error

I'm experiencing issues installing or running Dell applications like Dell Update, Dell Command | Update, SupportAssist, and My Dell on my Dell G15 5520 laptop. Whenever I try to install Dell Update, I receive the following error message: ...

Hi rftsngl:

Do you have any problems running Dell SupportAssist v4.x, and do any other third-party (non-Dell) programs currently fail to install on your system?

Does it make any difference if you download the .exe installer to your desktop, right-click, and choose "Run as Administrator"?

What version of My Dell, if any, is shown at Settings | Apps?  AFAIK, the new MyDell v3.x application is intended for newer Dell computer models that ship from the factory with Windows 11, and compatible computers models should list the full offline v3.x installer on their Dell support page.  I don't see any  My Dell v3.x installer listed on your Dell G15 5520 support page at https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/g-series-15-5520-laptop/drivers.

It would also be helpful if you could post an image showing the names and version numbers of all your installed Dell programs displayed at Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features. The Dell G15 5520 support page <here> currently lists Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 but does not list Dell Command | Update v5.x so this also makes me suspect that some of the .exe installers you are trying to run are not compatible with your system**.

** NOTE: Go to the Drivers & Downloads panel of your Dell G15 5520 support page <here>, click the blue "Identify Device" button on that support page and enter your unique Service Tag, and choose the "This Device" tab to view the Dell software and hardware drivers that match your hardware components.

Just FYI, I uninstalled all SupportAssist-related software after my service warranty expired, and recently uninstalled Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 [see my 05-Apr-2025 topic Dell Update v5.5.0 (rel. 01-Apr-2025) Installs Unnecessary Bloat].  The only Dell software currently installed on my Inspiron 5584 is My Dell v2.2.6.0 (a "legacy" UWP app only listed at Settings | Apps | Apps and Features that was pre-installed at the factory when my laptop shipped in 2019) and the Fusion Service required for this My Dell v2.x app.  From Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features on my Inspiron 5584:

Hi @lmacri​ ,

Thanks a lot for your detailed response and for your time.

To clarify, all non-Dell software installs and runs smoothly on my system—Office, Adobe apps, Steam, GPU drivers, everything works as expected. The only software that consistently fails are Dell-branded applications. I've tried downloading each installer directly to my desktop and running them as administrator, but most of the time I get the "Application is not supported on your operating system. 14393" error. However, I should mention that this is not the only error I receive. Sometimes I get other messages, like "this application is already present on your system" even though there’s no trace of it installed anywhere. But the “not supported” message is by far the most frequent.

Currently, I have no “My Dell” app or any other Dell utility installed—not in the Apps list, not in Programs and Features, nowhere. The system is completely clean of Dell software or services. I double-checked the runtimes as you suggested; both Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime 8.0.16 (x86 and x64) and 6.0.36 (x64) are installed and up to date.

When I check the Dell support site with Identify Device and my Service Tag, I only see basic driver downloads—no utilities like Dell Update, SupportAssist, My Dell, etc. I also tried installing Alienware Command Center, but it simply won’t install either. I’m not sure if that’s a compatibility issue or something else, and honestly, I have no idea how to get it working.

At this point, it feels like there’s something about my configuration or the way Dell identifies my hardware that is preventing any official apps from being installed. If you have any other ideas or manual steps I can try, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks again for all your help!

One detail that might be relevant: My Dell G15 5520 originally came with Ubuntu from the factory, and I later did a clean install of Windows 11 22H2.

rftsngl

At this point, it feels like there’s something about my configuration or the way Dell identifies my hardware that is preventing any official apps from being installed. .. One detail that might be relevant: My Dell G15 5520 originally came with Ubuntu from the factory, and I later did a clean install of Windows 11 22H2.

Hi rftsngl:

I've never tried switching from Ubuntu to Win 11 on a Dell computer so I'm not sure how much assistance I can provide.  However, it might help if you answered the following questions:

Has the service warranty for your Dell G15 5520 expired yet?

According to NJDave's 08-Dec-2022 post in gauraang's Install Windows 11 on Dell running Ubuntu if you system shipped with Ubuntu and did not come with an OEM Windows license (i.e., you purchased your retail Window 11 license separately) then Dell will not support your system.  However, I don't know if this means that Dell simply won't honour your service warranty and will refuse to provide customer support, or if Dell software installers will automatically fail once they detect you no longer have the original Ubuntu OS associated with your Service Tag.

When you say your Windows 11 24H2 OS is fully patched does that mean you currently have OS build 26100.4061 (KB5058411, rel. 13-May-2025), and what is your current BIOS version [open a Run dialog box (Windows key + R), enter msinfo32 to open your System Information, and look for the field named "BIOS Version / Date" in the summary].

After switching from Ubuntu to Win 11 did you install the hardware drivers offered by Windows Update or did you install the Win 11-compatible drivers listed on your Dell G15 5520 support page at https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/g-series-15-5520-laptop/drivers that match your hardware components?

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Go to the Dell G15 5520 support page at https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/g-series-15-5520-laptop/drivers, choose Find Specific Drivers | Select Drivers (do NOT enter your Service Tag), ensure your Win 11 OS is automatically detected, and select the "Application" category as shown below.  Download the Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 installer (Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_7CJ1W_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE, rel. 01-Apr-2025) from that filtered list, save it to your desktop, and right the .EXE file and choose "Run as Administrator".  Please post an image of any error message you see.

Also check the hidden C:\ProgramData\Dell\UpdateService\Log\Activity.log and C:\ProgramData\Dell\UpdateService\Log\Service.log files for any details about your installation failure.  You might also find .txt logs for individual installers in the hidden C:\ProgramData\Dell\UpdatePackage\log folder.

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Have any major hardware components been replaced (e.g., hard drive, motherboard, etc.) since your the Dell G15 5520 originally shipped from the factory?  

Your Service Tag is also your computer's serial number. To find your current Service Tag open a command prompt and enter wmic bios get serialnumber as instructed in the Dell support article Find the Service Tag of Your Dell Laptop.  From my Inspiron 5584:

Is there any discrepancy (mismatch) in Service Tag shown by this wmic command with the Service Tag shown on the label on the outside of your computer case?  When you enter this Service Tag at https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/products what is the URL of the support page that you are re-directed to?

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5854 * Firefox v138.0.4 * 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

Hi @lmacri​ ,

Thanks for following up and for your detailed questions. 

My Dell G15 5520’s service warranty ended on December 29, 2024. The laptop originally shipped with Ubuntu, and I later installed Windows 11 Pro with a retail key. Dell’s support website recognizes my device and service tag, but does not show any Dell applications (including SupportAssist, Dell Update, or AWCC) for download—neither on the device-specific nor the generic support page. These applications are also not available in the Microsoft Store.

My Windows 11 24H2 installation is fully updated, running OS build 26100.4061 (KB5058411, May 2025), and my BIOS is version 1.31.0 (dated March 2025). After switching to Windows, I initially installed all compatible drivers from Dell’s website for my exact model and kept everything up to date using Windows Update and, previously, SupportAssist. No major hardware components have ever been replaced, and my Service Tag is consistent everywhere (matches on device, in BIOS, and on the Dell website).

When I try to install Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 (downloaded as you described, with OS auto-detected and “Application” category selected), the installer seems to finish but doesn’t actually install anything—no error message, no folder, no program appears in the system. The AWCC installer fails with an “Application is not supported on your operating system. 14393” message or, at times, falsely claims the application is already installed. Running installers as administrator, disabling UAC, and clean reboots didn’t change the outcome.

I checked the logs in C:\ProgramData\Dell\UpdateService\Log\ and found a fatal error 1603 with DEP_HARD_ERROR, I'll send a copy of the log file for you. Nothing shows up in Programs and Features after these installs.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuQKw8325s9MY9ipdHIHsT_OlDCfkyKf/view?usp=drive_link

If there’s any other specific detail or log you’d like me to share, let me know. 

Thanks again for your help.

rftsngl

Hi @lmacri​ ,

Thanks again for all your help and the links you provided. I managed to solve the installation problem by following the forum advice: I closed all explorer.exe instances via Task Manager and then ran the installer from an admin CMD window. After doing this, the installation completed successfully.

From what I understand, the issue seems to be related to Windows Explorer holding some background file handles or system resources, which might interfere with the installer’s ability to write or update certain files or registry entries. Once I terminated all explorer.exe processes, it appears those resource locks were released and the installer could proceed without problems.

I'd love to know what you think is the main technical reason for this installer behavior. I would really appreciate it if you could let me know why it's necessary to terminate explorer.exe in these installation scenarios.

Thanks again for your time and for pointing me in the right direction!

Best,
rftsngl

I'd love to know what you think is the main technical reason for this installer behavior. I would really appreciate it if you could let me know why it's necessary to terminate explorer.exe in these installation scenarios.

Hi rftsngl:

Sorry, I have no idea why you would need to terminate all instances of Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) in Task Manager and run a silent install of Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_7CJ1W_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE from an elevated command prompt to avoid your DEP_HARD_ERROR, but kudos to GarTrev for posting that workaround on 08-May-2025 in Rich Downey's Dell Command Update 5.5.0 will not install (Resolved).

I searched your installation log at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuQKw8325s9MY9ipdHIHsT_OlDCfkyKf/view (i.e., the 21-May-2025 log with the DEP_HARD_ERROR) and could not find any reference to "Open File: explorer" like GarTrev did, so perhaps your silent installation of Dell-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_7CJ1W_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE from an elevated command prompt with the "/s" switch was all that was necessary. 

Just FYI, if I launch two instances of File Explorer on my Inspiron 5584 / Win 10 v22H2 machine then Task Manager looks like this...

.... but when all File Explorer windows are closed my Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) goes back to running as a single background process under my Windows Processes.

I assume Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) behaves the same way on Win 11 v24H2, so if you see more than one instance of explorer.exe running in Task Manager or notice any sort of strange behaviour on your system I'd suggest you perform an in-place repair of your Win 11 OS as instructed in Brink's ElevenForums tutorial Repair Install Windows 11 With an In-place Upgrade.  An in-place repair of your OS will not delete your apps, programs or personal data and can sometimes fix odd glitches with your system files, even when commands like DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and SFC /scannow do not detect a problem.  Before starting an in-place repair it's always advisable to back up your personal data in C:\Users\<yourusername> to an external backup drive before starting just in case something goes wrong.

The only software that consistently fails are Dell-branded applications. I've tried downloading each installer directly to my desktop and running them as administrator, but most of the time I get the "Application is not supported on your operating system....When I check the Dell support site with Identify Device and my Service Tag, I only see basic driver downloads—no utilities like Dell Update, SupportAssist, My Dell, etc. 

Even though you managed to install Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 on your system I'm still not convinced it will be able to correctly detect available updates that match your OS and Service Tag.  Going forward, I'd suggest you monitor your Dell G15 5520 support page at https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/g-series-15-5520-laptop/drivers to see if any new updates are posted, and then run Dell Update for Windows Universal v5.5.0 to see if it eventually detects that update (assuming the new update matches your system components).***

*** NOTE: When SupportAssist and Dell Update for Windows Universal were installed on my Inspiron 5584 I often had to wait about 7 - 10 days after a compatible update was posted on my support page before it was detected by those Dell utilities.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5854 * Firefox v138.0.4 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.25040.2-1.1.25040.1 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.3.1.188-133.0.5274 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * My Dell v2.2.6.0 * Fusion Service 2.2.14.0