Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal is failing to update. Version 5.4.0 is currently installed, it is trying to update to version 5.5.0.
The update fails fairly quickly. Here is an excerpt from C:\ProgramData\PatchMyPC\PatchMyPCHomeUpdater.log
It is downloading Dell-Command-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_P4DJW_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE but trying to save it as Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal-5.5.0.exe.
ERROR Failed to update application due to error The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] INFO Start update for Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal application...
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] ERROR System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception (5): Access is denied.
at System.Diagnostics.ProcessManager.OpenProcess(Int32 processId, Int32 access, Boolean throwIfExited)
at System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessHandle(Int32 access, Boolean throwIfExited)
at System.Diagnostics.Process.KillTree()
at System.Diagnostics.Process.Kill(Boolean entireProcessTree)
at ModernHomeUpdater.ClientApp.ViewModels.ApplicationViewModel.<>c__DisplayClass72_0.<InternalApplicationUpdateAsync>g__EnsureProcessNotRunningBeforeUpdate|2(InstalledApplicationViewModel app, Boolean silentKill)
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] INFO Not able to update application Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal due to its running process.
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] DEBUG [Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal]: Created desktop snapshot.
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] DEBUG [Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal]: Started downloading: 'https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER12925773M/1/Dell-Command-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_P4DJW_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE'.
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] ERROR System.IO.IOException: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect. : 'C:\ProgramData\PatchMyPC\Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal-5.5.0.exe'
at Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles.SafeFileHandle.CreateFile(String fullPath, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options)
at Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles.SafeFileHandle.Open(String fullPath, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.Strategies.OSFileStreamStrategy..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.Strategies.AsyncWindowsFileStreamStrategy..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.Strategies.FileStreamHelpers.ChooseStrategyCore(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.System.CustomHttpClient.ProcessContentStream(Nullable`1 totalDownloadSize, Stream contentStream)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.System.CustomHttpClient.DownloadFileFromHttpResponseMessage(HttpResponseMessage response)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.System.CustomHttpClient.StartDownloadAsync(String filePath)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.Services.Implementations.ApplicationDownloader.DownloadAppAsync(String pmpcName, String url, String filePath, IProgress`1 downloadProgress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
at ModernHomeUpdater.ClientApp.Services.Implementations.InstallationManager.DownloadOrGetInstallerFromCacheAsync(InstallCommandArgs args, String cacheFolder, IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
at ModernHomeUpdater.ClientApp.Services.Implementations.InstallationManager.InstallApplicationAsync(InstallCommandArgs installArgs, IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] ERROR System.IO.IOException: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect. : 'C:\ProgramData\PatchMyPC\Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal-5.5.0.exe'
at Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles.SafeFileHandle.CreateFile(String fullPath, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options)
at Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles.SafeFileHandle.Open(String fullPath, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.Strategies.OSFileStreamStrategy..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.Strategies.AsyncWindowsFileStreamStrategy..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.Strategies.FileStreamHelpers.ChooseStrategyCore(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize, Nullable`1 unixCreateMode)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, Int64 preallocationSize)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.System.CustomHttpClient.ProcessContentStream(Nullable`1 totalDownloadSize, Stream contentStream)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.System.CustomHttpClient.DownloadFileFromHttpResponseMessage(HttpResponseMessage response)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.System.CustomHttpClient.StartDownloadAsync(String filePath)
at ModernHomeUpdater.Core.Services.Implementations.ApplicationDownloader.DownloadAppAsync(String pmpcName, String url, String filePath, IProgress`1 downloadProgress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
at ModernHomeUpdater.ClientApp.Services.Implementations.InstallationManager.DownloadOrGetInstallerFromCacheAsync(InstallCommandArgs args, String cacheFolder, IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
at ModernHomeUpdater.ClientApp.Services.Implementations.InstallationManager.InstallApplicationAsync(InstallCommandArgs installArgs, IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
at ModernHomeUpdater.ClientApp.ViewModels.ApplicationViewModel.<>c__DisplayClass72_0.<<InternalApplicationUpdateAsync>g__InstallAppAsync|0>d.MoveNext()
[2025-05-15 20:17:38] ERROR Failed to update application due to error The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect. : 'C:\ProgramData\PatchMyPC\Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal-5.5.0.exe'.
From the log file, it appears that the PMPC update script tried to rename the file downloaded from Dell from:
"Dell-Command-Update-Windows-Universal-Application_P4DJW_WIN64_5.5.0_A00.EXE)"
to:
"C:\ProgramData\Patch My PC\Dell Command | Update for Windows Universal-5.5.0.exe"
The proposed new file name contains a pipe character ("|") which is an invalid character in the name of a file and therefore the update file could not be run.
--
Reference:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/naming-a-file
The following are reserved characters and cannot be used in file or directory names:
< (less than)
> (greater than)
: (colon)
" (double quote)
/ (forward slash)
\ (backslash)
| (vertical bar or pipe)
? (question mark)
* (asterisk)