Configure and Deploy

Configure, download and deploy the technology to your Dell PC fleet.

Tip! We will walk you through a first-time set-up of SupportAssist for Business PCs in TechDirect.

**SupportAssist for Business PCs is available through the following sources:** 1\. TechDirect—an online portal that enables you to configure SupportAssist, download a customized SupportAssist package, and manage SupportAssist alerts that are generated by your PC fleet. 2\. Image Assist—a tool set that enables you to use Dell imaging services to quickly create and maintain a ready-to-deploy Microsoft Windows image. You can include SupportAssist for Business PCs while building your dynamic image. 3\. Ready Image—a clean simple image with no added software. You can include SupportAssist for Business PCs while purchasing the Ready Image solution. 4\. SupportAssist for Business PCs about page—manually download the latest version of SupportAssist for Business PCs from the Connect to SupportAssist for Business PCs in TechDirect page. 5\. Dell Management Portal—connect to the Microsoft Intune partner portal, and select and deploy SupportAssist for Business PCs to desired groups from the management portal.

Navigate to the Set up and connect tab in your Connect and manage dashboard. From there you can configure, download and get your package ready to deploy. Begin by selecting "**Connect and manage**" from the landing page.

Click "Manage PC fleet"

Click "MANAGE"

Click "Set up and connect"

You are now ready to configure SupportAssist. Let's add the contact and shipping information. You can input new contact information or selected from existing profiles.

Select your primary and secondary contact information and select your shipping address. This is where replacement parts will be sent if auto-dispatch is enabled in TechDirect. Save your selections.

Tip! These next steps are all around configuring how SupportAssist will behave on your PC fleet. **What is configuration?** Selecting and customizing your preferences to choose how SupportAssist will operate on your PCs. Understanding each setting will guide your decisions. **Why does it matter?** Your configuration choices impact how SupportAssist performs...examples include: - When do you want your scheduled scans to run? - Enable automatic software upgrades? - Enable end users to interact with SupportAssist on their PC? **Can I change my mind?**\ Yes! You can modify choices anytime for near real-time PC updates. No need to redeploy.

**Configuring your preferences:**\ You have **two options**: preselected **default settings** *or* **custom configuration**. Our defaults include collections, scans, optimizations, and more for optimal performance. By unchecking defaults, you can tailor your preferences. You’re in control! **Default Preferences - why choose this option?**\ For customers who prefer not to customize their configuration, the default option is designed for optimal SupportAssist performance. Note, it doesn’t allow end-users to interact with the user interface; instead, all feature capabilities, insights data, and actions flow into your TechDirect dashboard.

**General preferences:** - **Auto update SupportAssist** – keeps SupportAssist up to date. - **Include software information in collected data** – include information about installed applications, drivers, and operating system updates with system data collectors. - **Include identification information** – include information about IP address, MAC address, and hostname with system data collections. - **Include smart PC update recommendations** – smart PC recommendations, based on Dell’s data science models, help you identify the right updates for your PC to keep it running at its best. This setting is applicable if you are managing PC updates through Dell recommended updates.

**Schedule scan and optimizations**\ Schedule your scans and optimizations – Perform automated scans to detect driver updates, hardware issues, and required system optimizations. - **Drivers & downloads scan** – Select desired frequency, weekly vs. monthly. - **Hardware scan** – You can skip resource-intensive tests and select either weekly or monthly scans. For details on the hardware and software data collected from connected PCs, [click here](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/supportassist-business-pcs/sab_winos_ri/introduction?guid=guid-478d6349-ffc5-498e-bcb0-bb982e19ee3d). - **Run system optimization scans** – You can customize optimizations and set their frequency. The virus and malware removal feature is exclusive to ProSupport Plus or ProSupport Flex systems. For details on clean files, tune performance, optimize network, and remove virus & malware functions, [click here](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/supportassist-business-pcs/sab_winos_faq/what-type-of-files-are-deleted-during-the-clean-files-optimization?guid=guid-876228e7-01d9-4c55-ab08-636637d75af7). - **Automatic system optimizations** – Enable automatic system optimizations for systems with an active ProSupport Plus or ProSupport Flex service plan. These optimizations occur silently in the background. If not enabled, you can manually address recommended optimizations in each category via the recommendations tab. - **Time range** – Scheduled scans can run during a specific time range. When choosing your time range, keep in mind the PC-state requirements for successful scan functionality. - **Run scans in background** – When background scans run, they operate silently, without displaying a scan window on the end user’s PC.

**User Interaction (Only for end-users) Overview** \ This functionality is not enabled as a part of the default settings. You must check the box allowing end users to open and run SupportAssist on their PCs. **Why choose this option?**\ Enabling end users to access SupportAssist on their PCs empowers them to perform self-help tasks, such as enhancing PC performance and optimizing software, without relying on support staff or administrators. This not only saves time but also reduces workload and minimizes trouble tickets. - **Admin vs. All users** - Selecting Admin enables the user interface exclusively for users with administrator rights on the PC. For all users, simply enable the user interface to make it accessible to everyone. - **Display system notifications** – Enabling this allows SupportAssist to display notifications about hardware and software issues, driver updates for the PC. - **Driver Updates** – Allows users with administrator rights to manually check and install driver updates. Driver refers to drivers, firmware, BIOS and Dell software application updates. - **Clean files** – Allows users to clear temporary, redundant, and other unwanted files from the PC. - **Tune performance** – Allows users to adjust power settings, registry, and memory allocation to maximize processing speed of the PC. - **Optimize network** – Allows users to optimize network and update the PC settings to maintain an efficient and reliable network. - **Remove viruses and malware** – End users can isolate and delete files infected by viruses and malware, this feature is exclusive to systems with ProSupport Plus or ProSupport Flex entitlement and is unavailable in certain regions, such as China.

**Remote Actions Overview**\ IT Admins can remotely perform actions on their PC fleet from the Recommendations tab. However, this feature is exclusive to systems with ProSupport Plus or ProSupport Flex entitlement. The available remote actions encompass updating drivers and downloads, running hardware scans, optimizing performance (such as cleaning files and tuning), and removing viruses and malware. **Remote actions** - **Run all remote scans and updates without end user interaction** – allows administrators the ability to remotely optimize your managed PCs without end user interaction. - **Suppress and user notification in case reboot is needed after installation** – allows SupportAssist to hide reboot notifications to users. If this option is enabled, the PCs are not rebooted automatically. The drivers, firmware, and BIOS updates are applied only when the user reboots the PC manually. - **Apply PC updates only within a time range** – Allows SupportAssist to remote update the PCs only during the selected time range. When choosing your time range, keep in mind the PC-state requirements for remote updates functionality.

Click "Save and next" to complete your configuration step.

We are now ready to download SupportAssist.

You are now ready to deploy SupportAssist. Review the instructions and continue.

SupportAssist Deployment Package Manager

Tip! The deployment package manager is completed on your local machine after downloading the .exe file.

Welcome to the SupportAssist deployment package. You will need to locate and launch the downloaded SupportAssist .exe file and configure your preferences. You will need local administrator rights to open this file. Please review the [prerequisites for deploying SupportAssist](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-us/supportassist-business-pcs/sab_winos_dg/prerequisites-to-deploy-supportassist?guid=guid-ce236884-dfce-495c-a7d1-5245523f06ac&lang=en-us) prior to completing the deployment package manager.

On the activation page, import the activation file to your desired location and click "Validate activation file" and select "Next".

To modify an existing deployment, select "Modify an existing SupportAssist deployment". For a new deployment, select "Create a new SupportAssist deployment".

Select the file format for your download. Windows 64-bit executable (.exe) versus Window 64-bit installer (.msi) The .exe package allows you to automatically upgrade and update previously installed versions. The .msi package follows industry standards for a new installation but will require customer to run the uninstall script to delete older versions of the software on the box.

If you have included the Central Resource Manager in your download package preferences, you will see this frame. The Central Resource Manager enables you to store BIOS administrator passwords for your PC fleet. SupportAssist uses the stored passwords to install BIOS updates on BIOS password-configured PCs. Input a seed value, which is a password for secure transaction of passwords between the central resource manager and SupportAssist running on each PC. Remember this seed value. Enter the IP address, hostname or domain where the central resource manager will be installed.

To see security scores, you will need to include the security agent, Dell Trusted Device. For more information, review the [Dell Trusted Device documentation](https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/trusted-device/docs).

If your PCs use a proxy to connect to the internet, enable the proxy internet connection, input details, required authentications, and selections.

Best practice is to opt-in for the server certificate validation check. And select "Next".

Tip! Remember your deployment package encryption key! It is required to deploy the package.

If desired, you can organize your assets by group for easier management in TechDirect. Enter key for deployment package encryption. It is critical to document this key as it is required to deploy the package. Click next to continue.

Select one of the preferred file formats for deployment—Windows Installer Setup Transform (MST) or Administrative Template Files (ADMX/ADML). Choose the location where you would like to save your file. \ \ Click "Generate output".

Open and review the deployment instructions file. You can only deploy SupportAssist on PCs using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) or VMware Workspace One. Dashboard insights, service plan data and more will begin to populate within 24 hours of deployment. Click "Finish".

Congratulations! You've completed your setup.