EPO AGENT AND XP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1

[cardiffdutch]

I have a Win2K Server acting as my ePO Server and have clients running Win9x-WinXP. I have successfully incorporated the agent in the login scripts for the Win9X machines but I have no joy on the XP machines. I cant even install the agent locally on the XP machines without changing the compatabilty mode for the framepkg.exe. I have created a customized agent with thye correct credentials but the problem seems to be revolving around the compatability mode.

I have tried to contact Network Associates but surprise surprise they still havent got back to me!!!!

Please help

 

[ReallyTallCupboards]

we've found the command line FramePkg.exe /INSTALL=AGENT /SILENT
works a treat with logon scripts

 

[cardiffdutch]

I have already tried that and it doesnt install the agent at all. That same command is fine with the Win9x machines but the agent just doesnt install on the Xp machines.

Any other ideas mate????

 

[ReallyTallCupboards]

it's certainly a bizarre one - that command line was used on our XP clients with mostly no probs. But we did get some that simply refused to install - for those we used EPO push the agent to them.

I take it you're installing the agents from fresh - ie not upgrading a previous version of the agent??

 

[cardiffdutch]

I am unable to push the agent to the machines as I cant locate the clients. This is because we have Novell servers and all I can see is the Microsoft servers. All of our clients reside on these Novell servers, so the only way I can get the agent to them is either manually or through login scripts.

I am trying to install from fesh and not upgrading.

Thanks for youe help RTC, it is appreciated!

 

[ReallyTallCupboards]

hold on - if the agent install works on your Win9x machines, that means you haven't got credentials built into the agent installer.

An custom agent install with built-in credentials will not work on a Win9x machine - it took me ages to work this out.

As a test for this, try logging into one of your XP boxes as a user local admin rights & running your agent install again.

Alternatively, if you have a standard local administrator password on your XP boxes, create another custom agent installer based on the user .\administrator - this is how EPO interprets the local administrator account on a WinNT/2000/XP box.

 

[cardiffdutch]

Sorry for the confusion mate - Yeah i didnt create a customized agent for the 9x machines. All this farting around is getting me rather confused.

The XP box that I am testing this on is mine, so I have full Admin rights over the machine.

I can get the agent to run on all XP machines, but only when I:-

Right Click FRAMEPKG.EXE
Select properties
Click Compatability
Then select Run this program in compatability mode for, and then I select Win98/WinME.

Then agent then talks to my ePO server but does not pull any of the AV software.

We have over 300 XP machines and the remainder 500 Win9x machines will be upgraded in the near future, so going to every machine and performing this task is what I really want to avoid. Even so this wouldnt work as it doesnt pull the AV software anyway!

Sorry to be a pain in the arse RTC, but I am going mad here.

Cheers

 

[ReallyTallCupboards]

no probs.

did you try creating the new agent installer package based on .\administrator?

What type of repositories are you using? UNCs, FTP, HTTP? For UNC, if your clients cannot talk to the repository, then verify which accounts they are using to authenticate against the repository - seeing as you're running a fair bit of Novell that could be causing clients to not see Win servers/domain...

 

[cardiffdutch]

I tried the .\administrator customization and still the same.

I am convinced that this is something to do with the vast amount of Novell Servers that we have here. We had a rep from Network Associates come visit us and we told her exactly what Hardware we have and she said that it wouldnt be a problem at all. I have since had an email from Network Associates saying:-

"This is just a quick email to say that i am currently discussing this case with microsoft, and will come back to you when we have some feedback ­ MS have a repoduceable and as yet unexplainable behaviour on win XP in a workgroup which they are still researching

thanks for your patience"

We are getting to the point that we will demand someone come to visit us and get this working!!!!

Im not sure if I mentioned that the XP machines were in a Workgroup. Will that make a difference to anything that you have suggested?

 

[ReallyTallCupboards]

you've got me there - to make you feel much better (not), we're running a single domain with 7000 users across multiple sites, all Microsoft. Therefore I can't really say about workgrouped XP boxes. I am intreged about the compatibility mode issue tho - I wonder if something is happening to the file if it touches a Novell fileserver at any stage - here's a shot in the dark: if you're running Novell 3.2 or less, then is namespace working ok

If your EPO server is in an NT domain (god help you if its not), try taking Novell out of the equation by adding one of the workgrouped XP PCs to that domain, create a new agent installer, put it onto a floppy & install onto your test XP domain-ed workstation.
But remember to back up the poor user's profile before adding this ws to the domain!!!

 

[cardiffdutch]

RTC

I have done it!!!!! I copied a new agent from the Server, instead of creating a customized agent and have tested it on 6 XP machines and it ran fine. I tried this method ages ago and it didnt run at all. I dont if the agent was corrupt on the Server or something, but all seems to be ok for the time being.

Many thanks for all your help RTC, it is greatly appreciated.

Matt

 

[ReallyTallCupboards]

CD, good to hear you cracked it in the end!
RTC