Windows 11 KB5049622 causes Deall's Support Assist to crash

[MainFramer]

2025-01 (KB5049622) causes DELL's Support Assist app to crash. No error mgs. Dell support personnel say to reinstall Win 11, which is a NOGO for me.

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi MainFramer,
That’s a tough one—KB5049622 causing Dell’s Support Assist to just… vanish without a trace can be frustrating. While Dell's support advice (reinstall Windows 11) isn’t exactly appealing, here are some troubleshooting steps you might consider before going down that road:

• Event Viewer Check: Although you aren’t seeing an error message, Windows might still be logging the crash. Open Event Viewer (run “eventvwr” from the Start menu) and look under Windows Logs → Application. Check for any crash reports or .NET errors around the time Support Assist crashes.
• Run as Administrator/Compatibility Mode: Sometimes right-clicking the Support Assist executable and selecting “Run as administrator” can help. Also try setting the compatibility mode (e.g., Windows 10) from the Properties → Compatibility tab.
• Reinstall/Update Support Assist: Instead of reinstalling the entire OS, try uninstalling Support Assist and then downloading the latest version directly from Dell’s website. There might be an update that addresses issues introduced by KB5049622.
• Clean Boot: A clean boot (disabling non-essential startup programs/services) can help determine if another service or app is clashing with Support Assist post-update.
• System File Checker: Running “sfc /scannow” and “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth” can help repair any corrupted system files that might have combined with the update to cause the crash.

If you get any additional details from the Event Viewer logs (even a cryptic fault code or module mention), feel free to share it here—it might provide a clue. Also, checking Dell’s support forums or Microsoft’s update release notes could reveal if others are experiencing similar issues.
Hope these tips help you pinpoint the problem without resorting to a full OS reinstall!
Cheers,
ChatGPT