Dell's reporting amount of memory changed at bootup

fireberd · 16 Jan 2021

Scroll to last post for fix info.

For info.
There are at least two threads on the Dell Community forums about the Dell Support Assist reporting the amount of memory has changed at boot or reboot. One thread is Alienware laptops (4 models) and another is for Inspiron 15 Gaming 5577 model. I happen to have a 5577 and also experiencing the problem. I have escalated it to our "Rockstar" support staff but its early in the game. Posting this here in case others are seeing the same error.

Its apparently happening with different versions of Win 10 but primarily with 20H2.
One Alienware user reported it happening immediately after installing Microsoft update KB4580980. It went away after uninstalling that update. That KB is not for 20H2 version and it appears most users are on 20H2.

Dell, as it would appear has two versions of their Support Assist installed. One for Widows and one for POST. I uninstalled Support Assist and did a restart and at boot Support Assist reported the (erroneous) problem. When Support Assist reports memory has changed, BIOS check shows it has detected correct amount of memory, so back to whatever has keyed the Support Assist error.

FWIW, steps I've taken with my 5577 laptop.
1. Reseated Memory (what Support Assists recommends).
2. Replaced Memory.
3. Replaced CMOS Memory 2032 battery.
4. Uninstalled (older version) Support Assist (but as previously noted still get the error with it uninstalled).
5. Installed latest version of Support Assist.
6. Ran complete Dell hardware diagnostics (no errors).

NavyLCDR · 16 Jan 2021

Is Windows reporting the correct amount of memory?

fireberd · 16 Jan 2021

Yes Windows and the BIOS report correctly. The built in Dell diagnostics also report correct amount.

Here is an update:

I had originally uninstalled SA (Support Assist) using the Windows Uninstall and still had the SA error at either Power On or just Restart.
This morning I uninstalled SA using Revo Uninstaller Pro which also has option to scan registry and allow deletion of left over registry entries. That seems to have "fixed" the problem. I've restarted about a dozen times and did Power off/Power on starts and have not had any bogus SA memory alerts. I'll keep monitoring to see if the problem resurfaces.
I don't personally need SA but for those that do it still needs a fix.

ken1943 · 16 Jan 2021

Support Assist has been known, to be kind, not very good. I had a laptop where it told me about a driver update. The update was for a different AMD laptop, mine was Intel.

Berton · 16 Jan 2021

Hadn't used my Dell Inspiron 15R 5537 w/8GB RAM this month [actually not since shortly after updating 11/24/2020] and just checked it. The Support Assistant seems to be okay, is Version 3.8.1 and Copyrighted 2021.

Dell's reporting amount of memory changed at bootup-image.png

Got a bunch of updates to do. Have another similar one to check.

Update:
Strangely the icon is now missing from the Dell section of the Start menu but it still runs from the Search box on the Taskbar.

fireberd · 16 Jan 2021

The latest version of support assist has the problem, along with older versions. It happened to me with an older version and then the current version. No reports on the Dell forum, so far, of any models except "gaming" laptops - the Alienware line and the 5577 which Dell lists as a gaming laptop. Reports on the Alienware laptop forum back up the complete removal as I did with Revo Uninstaller Pro fixes the problem.

Our Dell Rockstar interface thinks some Windows update is causing the Support Assist glitch. Probably going to take a Support Assist patch to compensate for what Windows update did.

Side note, although my 5577 is a "gaming" laptop, I don't game but I use it in my recording studio. I bought this model as it has better cooling and it comes with a 130 watt charger. Most of the Inspirons only come with a 60 or 90 watt charger.

fireberd · 19 Jan 2021

1/19 update.
Only two Dell model users are reporting this error, Alienware 17 R4 laptop and the Inspiron 15 Gaming 5577 laptop. For this reason it would appear to be some common element between the two models and although Support Assist is erroneously reporting the amount of memory change, it may not actually be a Support Assist problem but some other software or BIOS that is causing Support Assist to report the memory change.

Waiting on response from our Dell Rockstar interface.

fireberd · 17 Feb 2021

Updates.
1. No fix or update from Dell.
2. Models that have reported the problem: Inspiron 15 Gaming 5577 laptop. Alienware laptops 15R2, 15R3, 17R3 and 17R4.

fireberd · 27 Feb 2021

2/26/21 update from our Dell Rockstar interface.

A Dell Support Assistant update to correct the problem is projected for release late March. Finally a fix.

AaronY · 15 Mar 2021

fireberd said:

For info.
There are at least two threads on the Dell Community forums about the Dell Support Assist reporting the amount of memory has changed at boot or reboot. One thread is Alienware laptops and another is for Inspiron 15 Gaming 5577 model. I happen to have a 5577 and also experiencing the problem. I have escalated it to our "Rockstar" support staff but its early in the game. Posting this here in case others are seeing the same error.

Its apparently happening with different versions of Win 10 but performantly with 20H2.
One Alienware user reported it happening immediately after installing Microsoft update KB4580980. It went away after uninstalling that update. That KB is not for 20H2 version and it appears most users are on 20H2.

Dell, as it would appear has two versions of their Support Assist installed. One for Widows and one for POST. I uninstalled Support Assist and did a restart and at boot Support Assist reported the (erroneous) problem. When Support Assist reports memory has changed, BIOS check shows it has detected correct amount of memory, so back to whatever has keyed the Support Assist error.

FWIW, steps I've taken with my 5577 laptop.
1. Reseated Memory (what Support Assists recommends).
2. Replaced Memory.
3. Replaced CMOS Memory 2032 battery.
4. Uninstalled (older version) Support Assist (but as previously noted still get the error with it uninstalled).
5. Installed latest version of Support Assist.
6. Ran complete Dell hardware diagnostics (no errors).

Thanks for this thread. I have a Dell Inspiron 5575 (not a gaming model at all) and am having the same issue and it was right after installing I think the same update. So I hope per the latest posts in this thread some new patch will fix it. One thing to note is that when I click on "This PC" and then properties sometimes it shows the right amount of memory (16 gb) and other times it was showing 8 gb. Mine came with 16 gb and I never touched it or changed it.

Dell's reporting amount of memory changed at bootup

Dell's reporting amount of memory changed at bootup FIXED