DELL (clueless) wants to install something on my computer 1

[judgehopkins]

I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. If it is, I will move it.

My Dell computer wants to install sprtcmd.exe on my computer but claims it can't find it.

I'd really like to get rid of the whole message but Dell support has no idea what do to.

Any suggestions?

(Let me know if you need further info.)

Thanks!

There are two guaranteed rules of success: First, never tell everything you know.

 

[BadBigBen]

How to remove sprtcmd error

http://www.file.net/process/sprtcmd.exe.html

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[judgehopkins]

Thanks, Ben.

I bought the full package from those folks and ran it.

There was a marginal improvement in speed.

But it didn't stop the Dell problem.

Finally (duh!) I ran msconfig and unchecked the Dell support startups.

That solved it.

There are two guaranteed rules of success: First, never tell everything you know.

 

[BadBigBen]

Judgehopkins - I would not have bought it... the link was just for informational purposes, as to what that file was used for/by... meaning if you had any of the listed softwares installed, then I would have reinstalled it...

but you found the fault with MSCONFIG, and turned it off...

next step would be to search the REGISTRY for that service startramp and delete it, thus killing it permanently...

you probably got the original message due to a malware cleanup or a corruption of the installed application...



Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[judgehopkins]

Oops...spoke too soon.

The message is still appearing.

What (exactly) do I look for in the registry to delete.

Ben...I really appreciate your time.

There are two guaranteed rules of success: First, never tell everything you know.

 

[BadBigBen]

Open REGEDIT, either through the RUN BOX or the CMD window...

then hit CTRL+F (Search) and enter: sprtcmd
as search string...

it may take a while, for it to find anything, once it finds it look on the left side there is an open FOLDER icon, that is the KEY where the string is found... BACK it UP (right click - EXPORT), then DELETE that KEY...

the above may not be fruitful in finding what is causing the install process... in that case you may need to run the MS INSTALL CLEANER tool...

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[wahnula]

Have you Googled sprtcmd.exe?

The first hit is:

http://www.what-is-exe.com/filenames/sprtcmd-exe.html

This is called Dell support agent and is often found along with the dsagnt module in the same folder. This file is considered a safe file, and is not virus, spyware, or malware related software.

What is the sprtcmd.exe location, where is it stored on my computer?
This file will be on your hard drive in location "C:\Program Files\Dell Support Center\bin\sprtcmd.exe" /P

There is no indication it's malware, and Dell support should have known all about it. Here's a forum post that discusses another poor soul's problem with this service, along with some other ideas to try:

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/sprtcmd-exe-WINDOWS-SHUT-DOWN-t213832.html&p=1347268

While waiting for Ben to reply, I'll tell you how to get around in the Registry:

Make sure you know how to backup & restore your Registry:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756

Backup the Registry;
Start=>Run=> type "regedit" without the quotes;
Use the key combo Ctrl + F to launch the "Find" dialog;
Type "sprtcmd" and delete any keys that contain that string. There may be others that load the service but are more cryptically named.

Please note that by mucking around in the Registry you stand the chance of totally hosing your PC, so tread lightly.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[goombawaho]

Easier and safer to use Autoruns to find and shut down things that are starting on your computer. You can uncheck something to stop it from running vs. directly editing the registry and no backup is needed.