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Commercial Vantage FAQ#

Logging & Diagnostics#

How do I enable logging for the System Update process?

Due to requirements from the Lenovo Product Security team, logging is not enabled by default. To enable logging, set the following registry values to "Trace":

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Lenovo\VantageService\FileLogger]
"LenovoVantageShell"="Trace"
"AllLogs"="Trace"

Logs can be found in subfolders for each component under: %ProgramData%\Lenovo\Vantage\Logs\

For the System Update Addin, the logs will be in the LenovoSystemUpdateAddin subfolder.

Networking & Connectivity#

What IP addresses do I need to whitelist for Commercial Vantage?

Short answer: None. Whitelist domain names instead.

Commercial Vantage uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN) with thousands of IP addresses that change over time. Instead of tracking IPs, whitelist these domain names (HTTPS):

download.lenovo.com
filedownload.lenovo.com
filedownload.csw.lenovo.com
supportapi.lenovo.com

This covers all endpoints Commercial Vantage connects to.

System Update – General#

Can I control the System Update process from the command line?

Yes, using the SU Helper utility (requires Commercial Vantage v20.2407.66.0 or later + SU Helper deployed).

Resources: - Introducing SU Helper - SU Helper Reference Guide

Alternative: Use Group Policy to configure timing and filtering. See Configuration Guide → System Update section.

Does Commercial Vantage automatically create a scheduled task for updates?

Yes. A few minutes after installation, a background process creates the scheduled task:

Task location: Task Scheduler → Task Scheduler Library → Lenovo → ImController → Plugins

Two tasks are created:

Task Name Purpose
LenovoSystemUpdatePlugin_WeeklyTask Runs weekly at random day/time to check for updates
LenovoSystemUpdatePlugin_TVSUUpdateTask_Once Runs once after installation to install pending critical updates

Randomized timing: The random day/time helps distribute load across Lenovo's servers (prevents all devices checking simultaneously).

If PC is off/sleeping: Windows will attempt to run the task as soon as possible after it's missed.

Can administrators customize the update schedule?

Yes. Use Group Policy to configure:

Location: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Commercial Vantage → Device → System Update

Options: - Set specific day and time for updates - Enable/disable auto-update entirely - Prevent end-users from changing these settings in the GUI - Include or exclude update categories (firmware, BIOS, drivers, software)

For details: See Configuration Guide → System Update section

Can end-users modify the update schedule in Commercial Vantage?

No. End-users can only click "Check for Updates" manually.

If an end-user manually adjusts the scheduled task in Task Scheduler, Commercial Vantage will overwrite those changes.

As the IT administrator, I have set the policy for Auto Update to run at 11:00 AM; however, on devices the scheduled task is configured with a slightly different time. Why is that?

The time set in the policy will indicate the beginning of a 90-minute window of time. Individual devices will be configured with a random time within that 90-minute window. This is done to prevent all devices in a managed environment from trying to download updates at exactly the same time.

Troubleshooting#

I have Commercial Vantage installed but I'm not receiving any updates. Why?

This commonly happens in managed environments with strict security policies.

Check these first:

  1. Security solution blocking executables:
  2. The System Update Addin runs from: C:\ProgramData\Lenovo\Vantage\

  3. Whitelist this directory and all subdirectories to allow execution

  4. Check logs for errors:

  5. Location: %ProgramData%\Lenovo\Vantage\Logs\

  6. Enable logging if needed (see Logging & Diagnostics)

  7. Verify network connectivity:

  8. Ensure the device can reach Lenovo CDN (see Networking & Connectivity)

  9. Restart the Vantage Service: 

    Restart-Service -Name VantageService

If still failing, see Upgrading Guide → Update Failures & Recovery

Quick Reference#

Question Resource
Command-line System Update control SU Helper Reference
Configure policies and schedules Configuration Guide
Troubleshoot failed updates Upgrading Guide
Whitelist domains Networking section
Enable debug logging Logging section
Enterprise Package download Lenovo Support