SU Helper Reference#

Overview#

The SU Helper utility is a companion to Lenovo Commercial Vantage that provides command-line control over the System Update process. This utility can be leveraged directly in a terminal window on a device or by sending a script containing the command line from a systems management solutions such as Configuration Manager or Intune.

Installation#

SUHelper is provided as a separate installer (not included with Commercial Vantage). The installer is located in the Enterprise package:

Location: Lenovo Commercial Vantage Application and Deployment Guide for Large Enterprise → \SystemUpdate subfolder when extracted

Installation Methods#

Option 1: As part of Commercial Vantage Enterprise deployment#

Uncomment the installation line in setup-commercial-vantage.bat by removing @REM from the beginning.

Option 2: Silent standalone installation#

[installer filename] /VERYSILENT

Option 3: Using VantageInstaller.exe (July 2025 Enterprise package and later)#

.\VantageInstaller.exe -Vantage -SuHelper

With this method, you can install Commercial Vantage and SU Helper simultaneously.

Uninstall#

C:\Program Files\Lenovo\SUHelper\unins000.exe /VERYSILENT

Security

SU Helper is installed in a fixed, secure location under Program Files that cannot be altered without Administrator privileges.

Quick Reference – Parameters#

Parameter	Type	Purpose	Value
`-autoupdate`	Required	Trigger update session	(none)
`-include`	Optional	Install only specific packages	Comma-separated package IDs
`-exclude`	Optional	Skip specific packages	Comma-separated package IDs
`-packagetype`	Optional	Filter by update type	0=Others, 1=App, 2=Driver, 3=BIOS, 4=Firmware
`-reboottype`	Optional	Filter by reboot behavior	0=No reboot, 1=Forced reboot, 3=Requires reboot, 4=Shutdown, 5=Delayed reboot (5 min)
`-allowdefer`	Optional	Allow users to defer updates	(none)
`-noreboot`	Optional	Skip performing a reboot when Reboot Type 5 updates are installed	(none)
`-scanonly`	Optional	System Update Addin will only perform check for updates and will not install any updates	(none)
`-help` or `/?`	Optional	Display help	(none)

Parameter Reference#

-autoupdate (Required)

Triggers an Auto Update process by the System Update Addin.

Behavior:

If used alone, any Group Policy filters are applied
If other parameters are specified, command-line filters take priority over Group Policies
Can be combined with other optional parameters for filtering

-include [string] (Optional)

Specifies one or more package IDs to install. Only these packages will be installed (if applicable).

Format: Comma-separated package IDs (e.g., n3uj12w,n3jcd08w)

Finding Package IDs:

Use Update Retriever tool
Use Driver & Software Matrix for IT Admins – search, select updates, click "Copy Package ID(s)"

Limitation: Cannot be combined with -exclude or -packagetype/-reboottype parameters

-exclude [string] (Optional)

Specifies one or more package IDs to skip during installation (even if applicable).

Format: Comma-separated package IDs (e.g., n3jrg03w)

Persistent: Once a package ID is added to the exclude list, subsequent scheduled auto updates will also skip this package.

Override: If a later command specifies the same package ID in -include, it will be removed from the exclude list and installed if applicable.

Limitation: Cannot be combined with -include or -packagetype/-reboottype parameters

-packagetype [string] (Optional)

Filter updates by type. Only updates matching the specified type(s) will be installed.

Package Types:

Number	Type
0	Others
1	Application
2	Driver
3	BIOS
4	Firmware

Format: Comma-separated numbers (e.g., 2,3 = Drivers and BIOS)

Can combine with: -reboottype parameter (AND logic – intersection of both filters)

-reboottype [string] (Optional)

Filter updates by reboot requirement. Only updates requiring the specified reboot type(s) will be installed.

Reboot Types:

Number	Behavior
0	No reboot required
1	Forced reboot by update
3	Requires reboot
4	Forces shutdown by update
5	Delayed forced reboot (5 minutes)

Format: Comma-separated numbers (e.g., 0,3 = No reboot or requires reboot)

Can combine with: -packagetype parameter (AND logic – intersection of both filters)

-allowdefer (Optional)

Allow end-users to defer updates when applicable Group Policy permits deferral.

Default behavior: Updates install without user option to defer.

With this parameter: Group Policy deferral rules are applied (if configured).

-noreboot (Optional)

Indicates that System Update Addin will skip performing a reboot when Reboot Type 5 updates are installed to allow the calling process to control the reboot. This parameter has no affect for other Reboot Types.

Default behavior: System will be rebooted by the System Update Addin within 5 minutes after installing the Reboot Type 5 update(s).

With this parameter: System is not rebooted and the user is responsible for executing the reboot.

-scanonly (Optional)

Indicates that System Update Addin will only perform check for updates and will not install any updates. The results will be recorded in the Lenovo_Updates WMI class under root\Lenovo.

Default behavior: System Update Addin performs normal check for updates and then installs the applicable updates.

With this parameter: System Update Addin only performs check for updates and stores the results in WMI.

-help or /? (Optional)

Display command-line help and parameter reference.

Important Rules#

Parameter Constraints

Cannot combine in same command: - -include and -exclude (mutually exclusive → return code 1) - -include with -packagetype or -reboottype - -exclude with -packagetype or -reboottype

Can combine in same command: - -packagetype and -reboottype (AND logic – both filters applied simultaneously) - Any optional parameter with -allowdefer

Policy Precedence

Command-line parameters take priority over Group Policy filters
If no parameters: Group Policy filters apply (if configured)
If no policies: All applicable updates install

Concurrency

If System Update Addin is already running, the command terminates with return code 2. Wait for the current session to finish before retrying.

Return Codes#

Code	Meaning	Action
0	Success	Update session triggered successfully
1	Error in parameters	Check parameter syntax and combinations
2	System Update Addin is busy	Wait and retry; another update session is running
3	Unexpected error occurred	Check logs; see Troubleshooting

Important

Return codes represent only the result of calling suhelper.exe, not the result of the update session itself. Check the Lenovo_Updates WMI class for actual update results.

Usage Scenarios#

SU Helper is designed to support these key scenarios:

Trigger On-Demand Update: Trigger an Auto Update session without waiting for the normal schedule. Useful when you need immediate deployment of critical updates.
Filtered Update Deployment: Trigger updates for specific types only (e.g., drivers and firmware via Windows Update for Business, but deploy other updates via Commercial Vantage). Example: Deploy Commercial Vantage with Auto Update disabled, then use SU Helper on-demand to install specific packages.
Block Problematic Updates: If a particular update causes compatibility issues in your test environment, use SU Helper to add it to an exclude list on production devices, preventing installation during Auto Update or Manual Update sessions.

Examples by Scenario#

Install specific packages only

Goal: Deploy only two specific driver packages

suhelper.exe -autoupdate -include n3uj12w,n3jcd08w

Block a problematic update

Goal: Prevent a problematic BIOS update from being installed

suhelper.exe -autoupdate -exclude n3jrg03w

Install drivers and firmware without reboot

Goal: Deploy drivers and BIOS that don't require reboot; allow user deferral if policy permits

suhelper.exe -autoupdate -packagetype 2,3 -reboottype 0 -allowdefer

Install drivers or BIOS (any reboot type)

Goal: Deploy all drivers and BIOS updates regardless of reboot requirement

suhelper.exe -autoupdate -packagetype 2,3

Display help

suhelper.exe -help

Troubleshooting#

Return code 1 (Error in parameters):

Check that you're not combining incompatible parameters (e.g., -include with -packagetype)
Verify package IDs are comma-separated with no spaces
Use -help to review syntax

Return code 2 (System Update Addin is busy):

Wait for the current update session to finish
Check Task Scheduler for running update tasks
Retry the command after the session completes

Return code 3 (Unexpected error):

Check event logs in Windows Event Viewer
Verify SU Helper is installed: C:\Program Files\Lenovo\SUHelper\suhelper.exe
Ensure running as Administrator
Verify network connectivity (if fetching updates)

Updates not installing despite valid command:

Verify return code is 0 (success)
Check Lenovo_Updates WMI class for session results
Review Configuration Manager or Intune logs if deployed remotely