Dell Assistant Driver Download
Billie Kjergaard
Hi team, hoping someone has a process they are willing to share. I am trying to configure a way that while imaging, maybe there is a way that machines when they come online, will automatically go out to the vendor (Dell, HP), and automatically pull the drivers they need. I know about driver injection etc., but trying to get away if possible from having a ton of drivers on a share. I know both Dell and HP have some tools you install, then manually execute, but not sure if those tools can be automated. Either way would love to hear what some of you are doing out there to automate your driver download and installation during imaging. I am using MDT and LANDesk by the way, but we may be moving away from LANDesk to Tanium, but keeping MDT. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Thanks for the response. Are you saying to forego the option/thought of implementing what I am seeking, and stick to driver injection? I know HP has the softpaq that is leveraged by SDM and SSM, but that relies on storing the drivers on a network share. We are in 40 different countries with over 30,000 users, so while setting up a share is possible, I was trying to avoid that, and rely on a process to just reach out to the vendor rather than a share.
Hey, I wish we were on SCCM, but again, we use LANDesk, and MDT. I was tasked with coming up with a process if at all possible for either automatically pulling the drivers from the internet, or the techs running an application that would do that. I could just go with the latter by simply installing HP support assistant on the HP and Whatever Dell uses on the Dells. I want to go with the former before going the manual route.
I have seen this done with sccm but not sure about mdt. I lean torward this to be true with mdt too. I saw a post...a video... showing in the TS it would boot to wipe (this makes me think it is sccm only) and in cmd prompt it started to reach out to dell site and started downloading latest drivers. I cannot recall where I saw that but with Dell it has been my experience that the latest driver (even bios) does not mean it will be stable with no bsod's. I use to have no concern of bios problems but in the past 2 years has not been good. Anything from load errors to missing Tpm chips in some latest bios in so much dell enginering team called me to help then released fixed bios.
Well, management jus told me they only want the internet option, even though I disagree. However, I am not seeing a tool for HP that you just execute and it goes out to the internet and pulls the drivers based on the model it's launched from. I know about going to the HP site and having it do the detection. Is there a tool that will auto recognize the device, then download the drivers for it? Even with the HPSupport assistant installed, you still have to go to the website, then click through a bunch of tabs, and even then, filter through the different components.
Thanks, Priscilla, I decided to go with HPSA. However, when I set the option to not download updates, when I close and reopen the app, it revers to always download. Also, is there a way to use some sort of config or registry to deploy the HPSA with preconfigured settings? I would have preferred to use the HP SSM, but it relies on a local or network share. Management wants the drivers to come from HP over the internet, hence the option to use the HPSA. In case I am missing something, can the HP SSM pull from the internet in addition to the share?
For months I keep getting prompted by the Intel Driver Support Assistant Windows program that I have a new update available for my Intel UHD Graphics 630 card to driver version 27.20.100.9664 when it redirects me to -driver-support-assistant.html, but checking in Device Manager I already have the driver, published by Intel.
It also prompts me that if I have an OEM driver installed (like from Dell), then to use that instead; if that is the case, do I need the Intel Driver Support Assistant installed at all? Dell and Windows Update report no new drivers/updates available. The Intel DSA is the latest version.
In reference to this scenario, you mentioned "It also prompts me that if I have an OEM driver installed (like from Dell), then to use that instead", that is correct, we always recommend to install the drivers provided by the manufacturer of the computer, since that driver was customized by them to work with your specific platform, that should be the proper driver for your system. The Intel drivers are generic, meaning they might or might not work with your specific platform.
"do I need the Intel Driver Support Assistant installed at all?" That is actually up to you, many customers prefer to update the drivers manually others prefer to use the tool, but as long as you keep checking the website from the OEM for updates on drivers that are done normally every few months you can always uninstall the Intel Driver Support Assistant and keep updating the drivers manually.
"I will uninstall the Intel DSA", perfect, excellent, we completely understand your decision and respect it as well. As long as you keep checking the manufacturer's website for updates there will be no problems at all with your machine in regards to drivers.
If you have issues with the 'PC OEM' driver updates, or support for your model ended and their tool offers nothing (I've been there), or if you built your own desktop PC, then the ('hardware OEM') Intel DSA / GCC / Download Center webpage, & ('software OEM') Windows Update / checking through Device Manager would be your options, but with laptops that probably have custom 'PC OEM' drivers beware of these updates (as Scott mentioned).
Scott, in the event a driver update goes wrong, shouldn't Windows Safe Mode load native drivers to work with the graphic chipset, if only even with basic functionality to restore a backed up custom driver?
I was still getting a back-and-forth between Windows 10 updating the driver, & then Dell Update rolling it back. A ping-pong ball, my 630 felt like. For a while if I clicked 'Check for Updates', Windows would just update it without even asking me. Now it at least just shows up under Optional Updates, & doesn't force update it, just for Dell to want to roll it back.
I turned off update notifications in Intel GCC. A manual check prompts for update to v.31.0.101.2115, but in GCC if I go to System -> GPUs -> Intel UHD Graphics 630, it says I'm using the most current driver, v.27.20.100.8935. Lol.
Once the OEM abandons the user - you know, when that anemic warranty you got ends - a tool like Intel's IDSA can provide some updates. But - and this is a big 'but' - you have to be careful with laptops to not upgrade customized drivers as the customizations will be lost and, in some cases, the laptop could become unstable. Talk to your OEM's support folks to find out if this is the case - and if you are lucky, they will respond and provide useful information (sigh!).
If you don't use a generic tool like IDSA or a more-specific one from your OEM, then you have to either download and install your drivers manually or wait for them to eventually appear in the Windows Update catalog and be installed automatically. If you want to stay ahead of the game and do it yourself, you are going to need to go to the pages that your OEM provides for drivers and other updates specific to your PC. For generic drivers from Intel, you can use the Intel Download Center ( -center/home.html) to search for and download them. All of Intel's driver packages are easy to install; simply run the setup executable (note name may be different) and it will then walk you through the installation process (ok, only a little sarcasm in that statement).
Something I also missed when I first posted, was that the Intel DSA was displaying the current version of the driver installed, which I mistook for the update it was offering. Still had issues with the driver being rolled back though.
Anyhow, to recap, Intel DSA cautions that installing the new driver (v.31.0.101.2115, released 12/29/22) that it provides for my onboard Intel UHD Graphics 630 chip may remove computer manufacturer (OEM) customizations from my Dell PC, and if a newer driver is available from Dell, to use that.
But (and I forgot this part) IDSA also advises that OEM customizations will remain intact after upgrading to the latest graphics driver it offers, if I have a 6th gen Intel processor or higher, which I do.
You prompted me to check which driver version was installed via device manager, and it was the previous driver. Without using the IDSA tool, I checked for a newer driver on my PC which it found as I had downloaded and tried to instal it twice before!
760c119bf3