Explorer.exe error on COMCTL32.DLL with ZfD4 Agent 4

[Bandjelek]

Gidday experts,

We have upgraded ZENworks from 3.2SP1 to 4.0.1 on the servers with no problems, but the client part has not been so smooth...

When ZfD4.0.1 Management Agent (version 4.00.1029) is installed, many users are getting EXPLORER.EXE error on COMCTL32.DLL. It could happen randomly during the day, or could be triggered by saving a document in the desktop, etc.

There is a TID about this exact same problem(

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10088422.htm

), but no solution is available yet.

At first we thought the Client version might make the difference, so also experimented with Client 4.83SP1 and 4.90SP1a.
With 4.83SP1, it seems to happen more often on both Win2k and XP machines.
With 4.90SP1a, XP machines seem to be more stable but some Win2k are still getting the error. But some XP machines do get the same error.

Has anyone experienced this? Any suggestion will be much appreciated...

Thanks - Andre

 

[marvhuffaker]

Andre, when you say the ZFD Management Agent, are you talking about the standalone management agent? How are you installing this, etc? It's probably not necessary but I need to understand what exactly you're talking about.

Marv

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[Bandjelek]

Hi Marv,

I was installing it using the msi:
msiexec.exe C:\Zenworks\zfdagent.msi /qb STARTUP_APPWINDOW=0 STARTUP_APPEXPLORER=1

Downloaded the msi from :

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/2966875.htm

Thanks - Andre

 

[marvhuffaker]

Yeah, you can probably just uninstall that. Your configuration is wrong. Those standalone agents are for when you do not have a Novell Client on your workstation, and you are using a middle tier server.

When you are using the Novell client, the management agents are included by selecting them from the list during the Custom Novell Client installation. It's not necessary to do a separate install of the agents like you're doing. If you do have the standalone agents installed, you will probably notice that you have two of the agents listed in the Networking components in the control panel.

There must be some confusion in the docs on this, because one of my clients was doing the same thing on all of their workstations and it was causing goofy problems too.

Marvin

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[Bandjelek]

Hi Marv,

Thanks for info!
So you're saying that if we still use Novell Client, there's no need of installing the ZfD4 Agent (the MSI file)?

I have always thought that when you have Zenworks 4, ZfD4 Agent still to be installed even if we use the Client and no middle-tier server! Makes me wonder why I did not see anything in the docs about this!

Btw, my machine currently has 4.90SP1a client and ZfD4 Agent standalone installed. But I noticed no double ups in the networking components list. And I've never had the explorer.exe error either...

Thanks for pointing me to the right direction Marv, much appreciated!

Cheers,
Andre

 

[marvhuffaker]

That's pretty much what I am saying. Although I couldn't find anything in their docs that had a clear cut definitive answer. I'm just telling you from what I've done and how I usually do things.

The Standalone agents are for when you don't have the Novell client and components installed. I've never worked on a network that needed the standalone's. If you look at the components and descriptions of the different items during the agent installs, they are identical to the components and descriptions of the options built into the Novell Client (that you see during the custom client install).

Marv

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[Bandjelek]

Hi Marv,

The standalone ZfD4 Agent seems to install newer set of files that Client 4.90SP1a does.

I did a Custom install of 4.90SP1a Client, selecting all components, on a workstation that originally had 4.83SP1 Client and files from ZfD3.2SP1. This is what I got :
C:\WINNT\system32\NALNTSRV.EXE 2003.10.14.0
C:\WINNT\system32\NalExpEx.dll 2002.10.18.0
C:\WINNT\system32\NalExp32.dll 2002.10.18.0
C:\WINNT\system32\NalDesk.exe 2002.10.18.0
C:\WINNT\system32\ZENAPP32.DLL 2003.10.14.0

From installing standalone ZfD4 Agent (4.00.1029) :
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\nalntsrv.exe 4.0.1.17
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\ZENAPPWS.DLL 4.0.1.16
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\NalExpEx.dll 4.0.1.6
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\NalExp32.dll 4.0.1.8
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\NalDesk.exe 4.0.1.17
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\nalwin32.exe 4.0.1.16
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\NLS\english\NalExpRs.dll 4.0.1.20
C:\Program Files\ZENworks\ZENLITE.DLL 4.0.1.20

This is one reason why I thought ZfD4 Agent still needed even when we have the Client installed.

Thanks - Andre

 

[marvhuffaker]

Check this link, see if it clarifies anything for you.

http://www.novell.com/connectionmagazine/2003/10/tech_talk_2.html

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[jfp23]

Actually you do need the ZfD 4 management agent as the zenworks components that are part of the novell client are for ZfD 3.2. Below is an excerpt from and the link to the zenworks installation guide which explains this.

The workstation functionality afforded by ZENworks for Desktops 4 components is available only
if you install the ZfD Management Agent. This is true even if you currently have the Novell Client
installed on that workstation. The ZfD Management Agent installation removes the ZfD features
that were previously installed by the Novell Client and replaces them with selected ZfD
workstation features.

http://www.novell.com/documentation/lg/zdpr/pdfdoc/zdprinst/zdprinst.pdf

 

[marvhuffaker]

My bad. I've never found a situation where the Client pieces didn't do what I want. But I've been looking closer at the docs and it does say that the standalone agents are necessary for the v4 functionality. I just wish the documentation was a little clearer.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[Bandjelek]

Novell has put a beta patch (Post ZfD4SP1b/4.0.1 Interim Release) to address this issue :

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/2968604.htm

Will try and see how it goes!
Thanks for your posts, much appreciated!

Cheers - Andre

 

[drunkndragon]

I was curious what luck you had with the beta patch (Post ZfD4SP1b/4.0.1 Interim Release)? I am have the same issue at work, I have tried other things....being less than excited about applying a BETA patch. How did your situation work out??

 

[mcn1964x]

Actually, ZFD4 Agent is an absolute requirement if your Backend is at Zen 4.0.X. The Zen components wrapped up with both 4.83 and 4.90 SP1a are Zen 3.2 versions and have several incompatabilities and non available features.

We found this out the hard way listening to Novell's Backline Engineering. You can get away with installing the 3.2 components, and then upgrading them fairly quickly.

The nice thing about 4.90 SP1a and the PKA just posted, is that the order in which you install them does not matter anymore. Unlike the 4.83 Client.

The best thing to do is keep your products within one minor revision of what's available on Novell's Site.

Take it from us.............We have gone through most of the upgrade nightmares with Zenworks....This being since version 1.0

Christopher M. Nicholson, MCSE4, MCP2K, N+, A+.
Husky Energy Inc.
Desktop Build and Image Management
Information Technology Management Dept.
Office: (403)298-7047
Mobile403)542-1555
christopher.nicholson@huskyenergy.com

 

[breedluv]

Please note that the interim patch and info

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/2968604.htm

is no longer available at Novell.

The problem I am having is that after installing the Zen agent 4.01 on my win2000 machines, control panel is no longer available to me. Hangs forever with a notification that explorer.exe is not responding in task manager. Obviously a big problem. I have renamed drishti.dll to drishtiold.dll anywhere it appears on the workstation. All MS patches are installed. Did not load remote managements optimization driver. Using 4.9sp1 client.

Any ideas? Kids are out of school now, but coming back soon!

Russell Breedlove
Swain Co. Schools
Bryson City, NC

 

[Bandjelek]

The interim patch (ZEN Agent version 4.00.1093.40329) + Client 4.90SP1a seem to fix my explorer.exe/COMCTL32.DLL problem.

That version of the Agent is included in the "Post ZfD4SP1b/4.0.1 Interim Release - TID2969103" at

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/2969103.htm

You can find the latest info on explorer.exe/COMCTL32.DLL error here :

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?/10088422.htm

Hope this helps

Cheers,
Andre

 

[breedluv]

Andre-

That seems to be the trick. Control panel is back!

Russell