setting up new PC - why so many Dell components?

glasskuter said:

When using Dell Command Update I have found no way to permanently exclude anything that DCU offers. If there is a way, someone please let me know.

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Starting with version 5.7, you can block certain update IDs. Not exactly user-friendly, but it works.

Hi @glasskuter . Thanks for your help. I found that if I uninstall the Dell os plugin the os recovery tools offer disappears. I assume they're related. I'm sure that I uninstalled the plugin when I binned Supportassist and Remediation before and I'm pretty sure they were reinstalled in the background in 2 of our 3 Dells, which is a pain.
The Dell Update interface has no ability to configure anything so I'll probably have to keep uninstalling it. Thanks again Mitch.

I have had Dell computers going back to Windows 95, although back then they did not have all these programs that they do today. Years ago, I do not remember the year, I uninstalled all their stuff on one computer because it was throwing errors and having problems. After doing that, I had some big problems that I won't go into now.

Over the years I have learned it's better, (safer) just to go into Windows Services and change their startups to manual. Boom, problem(s) solved. None of the preinstalled Dell programs ever run on my system(s) anymore, and the computer runs much better. All those programs, running all the time can be problematic, plus they use a lot of system resources, and the updates to them are not written all that well and that can cause even more problems... that I don't need.

Sometimes when I update one of those programs, (and I do from time to time) that installation may start a few of those turned off Dell services. After the install I just set the startup back to manual startup.

Over here, life seems easier this way.

@pseymour I was on the Dell site with my service tag and browsed to that link you gave using another tab and I got this. Mine is a 7080 tower.
If I go straight to that link using another browser that has no service tag cookie I do not get that notice.

Not sure why that is, @glasskuter. All four 7080s are supported in DCU 5.7.

Fun fact... where did Dell Support software originate from? This is my W7 system... Only 4 Dell branded items (altho maybe I deleted some. Not likely back then). Looks like perhaps the Doctor came in with a WIndows Update (altho no that doesn't make sense... not sure why/how)

glasskuter said:

Unlike @TraderGary I have no set schedule in running DCU. Usually once a month or so, whenever I think about running it.
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I run Dell Command | Update as part of my daily morning routine because I want BIOS updates, firmware updates, and driver updates as soon as they're available. That's part of my security strategy.

My opinions only, so don't take offense:

glasskuter said:

Dell Optimizer - Dell Optimizer is an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) software application built exclusively for select Dell computers. It automatically analyzes your specific usage patterns and tailors system settings to improve application performance, battery life, audio quality, and network connectivity.

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That can definitely go. Whooosh...

glasskuter said:

Dell Support Assist - a pre-installed software application on Dell computers that automatically monitors your PC's health, optimizes performance, and manages system updates. It features automated driver and BIOS updates, hardware diagnostic scans, and AI-driven predictive issue detection.

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That can also go. Whooosh...

glasskuter said:

Dell Core Services - a pre-installed software package that acts as a foundational framework for Dell applications, providing foundational system management. It supports and unifies various Dell background tools and agents, ensuring they work together to maintain your system.

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Looks like this stays out of necessity.

glasskuter said:

Dell Trusted Device - a security software and telemetry application that protects computers below the operating system. Formerly known as Dell BIOS Verification, it helps IT administrators secure hardware, detect BIOS tampering, and monitor for indicators of attack.

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That can go to the junkpile, too. I'm not in an Enterprise environment. Whooosh...

glasskuter said:

Dell Command Update- Dell Command | Update is a standalone application that automatically downloads and installs critical updates—such as BIOS revisions, firmware, drivers, and application updates—specifically for Dell commercial client hardware. It simplifies maintenance and ensures your hardware runs optimally and securely. I do use this application. It will not run if you uninstall Dell Core Services. I also have disabled Dell Command Update from running at startup and use it only on demand to update my drivers and UEFI bios. Dell releases A LOT of bios updates.

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Yeah, this is something I can use, although as time goes by and the machine gets older, I'm not sure how relevant it's gonna be. And yeah, it needs to be set to "On Demand" since I don't want this to be running in the background all the time. Like a lot of software out there, I'd want it to be dormant until I call on it.

How did you configure this? Did you go into services.msc and set the service to Manual?
Did you also untick it from msconfig as well?

Most people are overly concerned with background processes. Windows is an event driven operating system and no processes are running continuously using up any meaningful percentage of resources. I do absolutely no debloating or hacking of any kind and my CPU idle usage averages about 1% on my System One. You can see the apps I have loaded in my specs. I currently have 286 processes running.