🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dell › supportassist: download verification was unsuccessful. please restart the download process.
r/Dell on Reddit: SupportAssist: Download verification was unsuccessful. Please restart the download process.
September 28, 2024 -

I have a "new to me" Dell XPS 13 9315. I'm trying to factory reset the OS and running into a roadblock.

TLDR; The issue here is the Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery tool fails and errors with "Download verification was unsuccessful. Please restart the download process."

I've tried 3 different methods:

METHOD 1: build USB drive using Dell utility on another system

I created a bootable USB drive using Dell OS Recovery Image Creator. The tool has me enter the Dell service tag so it is aware of the CPU and what drivers will be needed for this system. I boot the XPS 13 and get into the BIOS by pressing F12 and to be clean about it, under Boot Configuration, I uncheck the Micron NVMe SSD so that it can only boot into my removable Kingston USB drive (which IS visible on the list of boot devices).

I boot into the USB and select the only prompts that make sense or are available:

a. select "reset and update"

b. do not do any backups of settings and personal files (I don't care about what is on this drive currently)

c. I understand that all data will be deleted - yep

d. Select a drive - only one is presented is the Micron NVMe SSD so that's what I select (this proves that the USB image has the necessary Micron driver loaded)

e. it starts to download but errors almost immediately with "Download verification was unsuccessful. Please restart the download process."

only options here are to cancel (back to the menu) or 'try again' which just fails the same way

In the background of the error, I can see that it is on the very first item in the list "Download Recovery Contents\\Operating System Recovery"

METHOD 2: SupportAssist OS Recovery launched from the system's BIOS

This method takes 15-20 minutes to download the OS files from the web but otherwise, it does the same thing. I answer the prompts the same as in #1 above and get the same error. I find this even more odd to fail on "download verification" because it was JUST DOWNLOADED, it's super fresh.

METHOD 3: build Microsoft Windows 11 bootable installation media

Taking Dell out of the picture and going direct with MS media because I understand that the Windows key is stored in the BIOS.

This is a work in progress.

Notes:

  • there is no 'system' or 'admin' BIOS passwords configured because it never prompts for that on boot. BIOS screen shows that I could set them without entering an existing password.

  • is there something else that could be locking this SSD drive? is it encrypted and that is not allowing the recovery to happen? The error suggests otherwise.

  • I considered that the factory recovery partition on the SSD was missing or corrupt but method #1 should have gotten around that.

  • possibly interesting - if I connect to my Canadian ISP directly for method #2, it fails very early in just trying to download the files with "an error occurred in app". If I connect to my router to my US VPN, it downloads all the files as described (weird) in method 2 but fails later on with the "Download verification was unsuccessful. Please restart the download process."

  • I cannot find many hits on the web for this issue suggesting that it's quite rare and perhaps something unique to this specific laptop. One post suggests that the SSD is failing despite all checks coming back clean - hmmm. The only other vague hit suggests using a network cable - tried this. no help.

Any ideas on what I can do to get this thing reimaged?

Top answer
1 of 5
1
Progressing on method 3, I cannot get any bootable media that has diskpart.exe available (Win PE or Paragon, so far) to see the Micron SSD in order to clean it and prepare it for a fresh Win 11 install. When I do a 'disk list' it only shows the removable USB drive's partition and no others. I thought that these boot images just did not have the driver for the SSD but in scouring the net, including Micron's site, there is no Windows driver for it....it should just work. And that's likely true on a FULL Win 10 or 11 install but that's not what I'm working with at this stage. Anyways, it's a "3460 NVMe Micron 512GB". Any ideas why I can ALMOST never see the SSD? I DO see the SSD when I boot using Dell's SupportAssist image but it has no offer of a command prompt (via shift+F10) and all it can do is try to download and install its own Win 11 packages which always fails with the "download verification was unsuccessful" error. There are some posts that discuss triggering the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) if you force the system to fail loading Windows a number of times in succession OR at the Windows logon screen, holding shift while selecting Restart. Neither of these work on this system. Are there any other way to get access to that recovery env?
2 of 5
1
Well, dang. It's finally reimaged and I'm not really sure what I did differently to get the Dell OS Recovery tool to build me a USB drive that worked and did not complain about download verification. One change to process was that on my 64 GB USB drive, I did not clear all partitions and format the whole thing for the Dell tool to use like normal. The tool only found a 32 GB partition left over from earlier. I just let it use that. Perhaps the BIOS OS Recovery cannot handle a partition as large as 64 GB? Oh, and I moved the USB-C dongle from the left side to the right side for better cable management. I'll have to see if those two USB-C ports are not identical somehow. Anyways, solved I guess and one more hit for "Download verification was unsuccessful. Please restart the download process."
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dell › supportassist os recovery download fail
r/Dell on Reddit: SupportAssist OS Recovery Download Fail
April 23, 2024 -

Got a Dell Inspiron about a week ago. Was trying to get VSCode, Gradle, and Java Development Kit set up, when things went wrong. Started with start menu search being broken, ended with being unable to boot into Windows anymore. SupportAssist repair does say the partition is bad, and that it fixes it, but it doesn't. Or at least, it "fixed it" twice already. Trying to do the OS Recovery, it's only been a week, nothing too important on there. Tried three times already and every time I get a message "Download verification was unsuccessful. Please restart the download process" The reset to factory option is gone now too. Didn't want to do that since it goes to Windows 10, not Windows 11 like it came with, but now apparently can't even do that. What's the deal? Can't imagine download corrupted three times. Brand new laptop, a week in it's busted, and the recovery tool doesn't work. Anyone know a way to get this working? Plan to contact Dell support, see if they can't see why download always fails, and do something. Adjust on backend what iso it's trying to download? But, not home now, so can't get serial number. And, who knows if they can/will help, so planning ahead at other options.

🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dell › [deleted by user]
[deleted by user] : r/Dell
May 15, 2024 - Both as well as the most recent ... C:\ProgramData\dell\OS Recovery Tool\Downloads If that ISO doesnt work, search the log file for the URL it is actually pulling the data from, and manually download in browser....
🌐
Dell
dell.com › dell community › software › windows general
Support assist os recover | DELL Technologies
August 10, 2022 - When i try to reset my laptop using dell support assist os recovery(because its the only thing i can access) i get this message saying "download verification was unsuccessful please restart the dow...
🌐
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › latitude
Latitude 3420 OS Recovery Tool - USB Update fails | DELL Technologies
December 29, 2021 - Downloaded the OS recovery tool for my Latitude 3420. Successfully installed tool to a USB 3 drive. Connect the laptop to an ethernet jack. Run the tool on the laptop and it passes all the hardware diags. "Reset to factory settings" is greyed out. "Reset and update" is the only available option. Try to run this option and it errors out with a "Download verification failed".
🌐
Dell
dell.com › dell community › software › supportassist for pcs › supportassist for pcs
SupportAssist OS Recovery Download Verification failed | DELL Technologies
December 17, 2025 - fails regardless of usb drive, network (WiFi and cable) and OS selected, internal OS recovery or usb based.
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dell › supportassist os recovery (4.0.1.5869) download failed
r/Dell on Reddit: SupportAssist OS Recovery (4.0.1.5869) download failed
October 19, 2018 -

Hello, I want to reset my windows 10 because of the last Microsoft update (1809)... So I use the Dell os recovery tool app and download SupportAssist OS Recovery (4.0.1.5869) and mount it on my usb key.

I boot it, and I run the restore process. Its download the 1/10 file with success (and create a folder "osri" on the usb key with files inside) but the app can't download the 2/10 files and I got a message like this " we are currently unable to connect to the backend. Please check your internet connection and try again"

Its wierd because it's download the first 1/10 files so all is fine with my connection

I tried to change my DNS in the settings but no success...

Take a look on the screenshot : https://ibb.co/exRjd0

I have a 9570 xps

UPDATE 1: In sys_settings_sos.xml (from downloaded files) there is an URL https://mycloudsos.dell.com, but if i put it in a web browser I have an error with DNS (something like there is no IP bound with this domain) maybe the Dell API is unreachable because of this...?

Find elsewhere
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dell › cannot download recovery img with dell os recovery tool
r/Dell on Reddit: Cannot download recovery img with dell OS recovery tool
February 3, 2023 -

I currently have a xps 13 plus with windows 11 pro and tried to install Ubuntu on it. Various hardware didnt work on it so I wanted to go back to windows 11 pro. When I try to use the OS recovery tool it says "No OS images for the tag, though images exist for the product.".

I tried to contact Dell support through whatsapp but that person kept linking me to the default Windows media creation tool, which is all fine to use, except it does not have any Dell drivers and I cannot access the internet during the Windows 11 installation. Meaning.. I cannot complete the installation (ridiculous design but okay..). Internet DOES work in BIOS which is weird to me that the Windows 11 installation UI cannot find any networks.

So I am hoping anyone here is able to help me. Otherwise this thing is as good as a brick.

Top answer
1 of 14
2
@FredZeppelin I had some success getting past this issue and completing the Windows install. After re-reading anne_droid's post I noticed that step 4 says to plug in a USB drive 16gb or larger (which too me doesn't make much sense if it's installing via internet download and the instructions never said to do so) but I did it anyway. There was also no indication at any point to suggest the usb drive was being used during the process, but the install completed successfully any way. Not sure if that was the difference that made it work, but it's the only change I made between a previous failed attempt and a successful attempt.
2 of 14
0
Hi On a non-booting machine this may not be relevant.......... You can do an OS recovery on a Dell desktop either using SupportAssist OS Recovery (if your model has it) or by downloading a Dell OS Recovery image from Dell’s site and re‑installing Windows from USB. Below are two clear paths, depending on whether you can boot or not. 1. If the PC can barely boot (or you can run SupportAssist) This uses Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery built‑in on many Dell consumer desktops (Inspiron, Vostro, XPS, some OptiPlex‑type designs etc.). Steps: Start or restart the PC and, as soon as the Dell logo appears, hammer F12 until the One‑Time Boot Menu appears. Use the arrow keys to select SupportAssist OS Recovery and press Enter. Wait for the environment to load. It will show options like: Repair Windows (for boot issues) Reset to Factory Settings (wipes C: and reinstalls factory‑shipped Windows + drivers) Reset and update (cloud restore; downloads latest Windows over the Internet) If you want a full OS reinstall: Plug in a USB drive (16 GB or larger). Choose Reset and update (cloud restore) if you have internet and the PC supports it. SupportAssist will download the latest Dell‑certified Windows image and reinstall it automatically. Important: Back up data first if you can still get into Windows; this process wipes C:\. Cloud restore needs Power + Internet + USB; local restore only works if the internal recovery partition exists. 2. If the PC won’t boot at all, or no SupportAssist Dell OS Recovery Tool  You can download a Dell OS Recovery image and create a bootable USB to reinstall Windows. On another PC (Windows machine): Go to Dell Support: Open a browser and go to https://www.dell.com/support (UK site is fine: https://www.dell.com/support/home/gb/en/gbbsdt1). Enter your Service Tag (on the back or bottom of the desktop) or let it auto‑detect if it’s a Dell‑brand PC. Download the Dell OS Recovery Tool (Windows utility). Run the tool and: Select 'This computer' and follow prompts. It will download the correct factory Windows image and create a bootable USB (you need a 16 GB+ USB). On the Dell deskmargin: 0;'>Insert the USB. Power on the desktop and press F12 repeatedly to get the boot menu. Select the USB flash drive from the list. The Dell OS Recovery environment loads; choose 'Restore system to factory default' or similar, then wait for the reinstall and drivers to finish.
🌐
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › latitude
Support Assist OS Recovery on Latitude 3520 | DELL Technologies
June 15, 2022 - We could sometimes try Support Assist OS Recovery after and get them through. But still most failed there giving an error "Dell download verification was unsuccessful please restart the download process".
🌐
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › inspiron
Downloading ISO from Recovery Tool NOT Working | DELL Technologies
December 28, 2021 - I did manage to download it after a number of unsuccessful tries. I then began the restore -- which bombed after about 90 minutes with that error message to the effect of "We goofed -- sorry! We're working on it." ... Sorry, I meant Step 2 OF 9. So I only get the 1st step successfully, but can't tell what the heck that is. ... The one comfort I can offer you is that if you do manage to download everything and start the actual recovery, after an hour or so of grinding away, you'll almost certainly run into the same error that I and several others have reported, and you'll get no further.
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dell › is there anyway around the dell os recovery tool it's not working
r/Dell on Reddit: Is there anyway around the Dell OS Recovery tool it's not working
3 weeks ago -

I need to reset this laptop,its a Dell Pro 16 PC16250 and when i try using the Dell OS Recovery Tool it keeps saying it cant connect in the backend. I am hardwired and i know I have internet working because i am able to post and stream with no issues. I even tried disabling the UEFI and run the win11 ISO from microsoft but that isnt working either. anyone can help me please!

🌐
uBackup
ubackup.com › aomei software › articles › dell os recovery tool not working? solved now!
Dell OS Recovery Tool Not Working? Solved Now!
December 22, 2025 - Here’s how to fix it: Step 1. Check the Service Tag on your Dell PC by pressing F2 during startup to enter BIOS, or by locating the label on the device chassis. Make sure the Service Tag entered in the Dell OS Recovery Tool matches exactly.