Disable Dell Automatic Software?

[MJOLNIR]

How do I stop the Dell DataSafe Local Backup, and Dell Support Center from always randomly trying to do things in the middle of using my computer? Basically, Dell DataSafe keeps telling me to upgrade when I want it to shut up, and Dell Support Center always tries to run something (a framed black window appears abruptly and then goes away. Usually it's trying to run/install something but it ends up failing each time.)

Is there a way to just stop them from doing this…maybe it has something to do with what programs begin to run when I log on to Windows? By the way, I'm not looking to un-install anything...just want to know how to get them to stop prompting me to do stuff.

Also I would like no answer like “Dell sucks, so the solution is get another computer”. I already have my laptop and I can’t just exchange it instantly and at no cost, so please, tell me how to simply disable (not delete) these 2 softwares from doing what I said they do.

Thanks. My OS is Windows 7 and 64-bit.

 

[brkkab123]

You can try PC Decrapifier. Here's the link for it. http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ Be forewarned this program will uninstall that software. You can also try SysInternals Autoruns. Here's the link for it. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902 To run Autoruns, right click on autoruns.exe and select Run As Administrator, then click on either the Boot Execute, Logon or Winlogon tabs and scroll down until you see anything that says Dell and remove the check marks from it on the left and restart your pc. Personally Autoruns is the better option, unless if you want to uninstall the apps. If you want to uninstall them use PC Decrapifier.

 

[bassfisher6522]

If you don't want to uninstall them but just turn them off, you can use a couple of programs. One is Ccleaner; just open up Ccleaner and click tools and then the start up tab and then highlight the process you want and click disable..."turning it off from starting up". Another program is SpyBot S&D....with the same procedure.

 

[MJOLNIR]

Wait a minute brkkab123...why does it not matter whether I choose the Boot Execute, Logon or Winlogon tabs with the Autoruns program? What's the point of it having those 3 sections then?

Also bassfisher6522 (and brkkab123) it seems that simply disabling these softwares have to do with just disabling them when I start up my PC (like I predicted). Well then can't I just do this via msconfig in my start menu? Since that's the default way for disabling programs at startup that I always use...I'd prefer this if it saves me from running and downloading stuff.

Please reply back.

MJOLNIR

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Well then can't I just do this via msconfig in my start menu? Since that's the default way for disabling programs at startup that I always use...I'd prefer this if it saves me from running and downloading stuff.

That's the way I'd prefer to go. I'd also have the "Services" window open at the same time to see if I could directly correlate a Start Entry to an automatic start Service.

 

[brkkab123]

Msconfig. doesn't work 100% of the time. There are app's out there that reenable themselves. Autoruns is better at dealing with those types of apps. Where exactly say to diregard those 3 tabs in Autoruns ???

 

[MJOLNIR]

Hey Fudd, if I disable the stuff I want to do from even starting up in the startup tab, I'm not sure what doing anything in the Services tab does? I mean, I'm guessing disabling stuff in services just prevents them from working in general, while in startup, it just doesn't make it start up when windows starts...shouldn't this (preventing them from starting up) prevent it from doing anything, unless you manually start it up later (which I obviously won't do in this case?).

brk123, I didn't say you said to disregard the 3 sections. I wondered what's the point of having the 3 if they seem to do the same thing...I guess now that each don't do exactly the same number of things, but that either will do the task of disabling stuff on startup. I guess this is what you meant.

Take care all.

 

[brkkab123]

I guess it's a Microsoft programming thing, but if you open up 3 instances of Autoruns and open one of the 3 tabs in each, there will be a few different things from one to the other. The only tab that shows all of them is Everything.

 

[Nibiru2012]

If it were me, I would uninstall ALL Dell related software. It's junk and chews up RAM and hard drive space unnecessarily. That is the best, easiest and simplest fix.

Yes, I read that you don't want to remove the software, that's your prerogative. My question is... Why keep it? Does it truly serve a useful purpose or function? Is it really necessary?

 

[MJOLNIR]

Well um...if they're disabled then wouldn't that not affect the RAM, but just affect the hard drive space?

I thought RAM and memory had to do with applications currently running...not how much free storage data you have.

 

[Nibiru2012]

If it shows up in your System Tray as an icon running, then RAM is being affected.

 

[bassfisher6522]

If it shows up in your System Tray as an icon running, then RAM is being affected.

Quite right Nibs...quite right.

 

[MJOLNIR]

Ok holy ****.

Because Nib said that, I actually checked that area on the lower right and that freaking Dell DataSafe icon is still there, but I checked msconfig again to see that it's disabled from startup! And this was after I restarted and ran the shutdown-update on my computer (which is also a recurring problem for me, eff this crap...)

So um...how is it even up when it's disabled from starting up in the first place? Oh well maybe after the next shutdown it will disappear...after all, my last "shutdown-update" didn't go exactly as I had expected...

If it appears again in that case that out my list of programs you go!

Well the only thing that was annoying me anyway was that every now and then it would pop up messages and try to run some crap while I was doing something, even when I've countlessly told it I wasn't interested and wasn't going to update jack.

 

[bassfisher6522]

I'm of the same mind as Nibs when it comes to preloaded branded software. If you don't use it, delete it. Because most of the time that stuff just runs in the background whether you turn it off or not. You can always go back to Dell and re-download any software for retail PC's.

This is from personal experience, it's why I build my own PC's now as do most of us these days. You control what you want for hardware/software, and are not limited like retail PC's as to what upgrades you can have...hardware and software. And for the money, it's not that much of a difference, sometimes it's cheaper to build.