Upgrade Error - Client communication problem

[Migration User]

I have been unable to run tasks on a good number of computers in my ghost console. These computers have red exclamation points over their icons in the console as if the ghost client was an older version than the server, but this is not the case. The clients and the server are both version 8.0.0.984.

 

When I try to run any task it tries to upgrade the client, but it fails. It shows the following in the log file afterwards:

Download Product Upgrade - Success

Run Product Upgrade - Failed

 

I'm not sure where to look on the client to get a log of what happened on that side. The problem is strange because almost all of the computers in the console are identical, but only some of them are having this problem.

 

I would really appreciate any help or suggestions on this matter.

Thanks.

 

[Migration User]

Hi, 

 

Could you double click one of the affected clients and see what it says for the client and product versions? 

 

Krish 

 

[Migration User]

Client Version: 8.0.0.984

Product Version: Unknown

Required Version: 8.0.0.984

 

Under Help -> About Symantec Ghost Console... it says Program Version: 8.0.0.984

 

 

[Migration User]

Hi, 

 

Client version is the version of ngctw32.exe in the client, and the product version is the version from install. By the look of it, client is failing to get the install version for some reason. 

 

Could you run regedit and check '\HKLM\software\symantec\Symantec Ghost' key and see what's there under Version? Did you installed any app (or changed any settings) that may prevent some applications reading the registry?

 

Krish 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Migration User]

I checked the registry on two different machines and found some interesting differences. These two machines were initially identical. One of the machines is currently working properly with the ghost console and the other is not.

 

The client that is working has the following entries in HKLM\software\symantec\Symantec Ghost:

(Default)

Company

LastLoggedOnDomain

LastLoggedOnUser

Name

PreventLogonDialogState

ProductCode

RemoteClientInstall

Version

 

The client that is not working has the following entries:

(Default)

BeforeInstall

LastLoggedOnDomain

LastLoggedOnUser

PreventLogonDialogState

 

What does this mean?

 

Thanks so much for your help.

[Migration User]

To answer your question the affected clients do not have a version number listed in the registry.

 

The unaffected clients and the ghost console machine list 80.00.984 as the version number.

 

All machines have 8.0.0.984 as the version of ngctw32.exe.

[Migration User]

Hi, 

 

I'm not sure what the reason is, but the registry entries usually create by MSI installation seems to be gone. This explains why it tries to run the upgrade and then fails (Client does not find the version, so tries to upgrade but MSI cannot find the version and fails).  

 

I'm not sure what the best option is, I will check what the best thing to do. In the mean time, could you add the version registry key with the correct value and see if it makes a difference? 

 

Krish 

 

 

[Migration User]

I added the version registry string and it seems to have fixed the problem. I was able to run a refresh task on the client and it went through successfully.

 

This will be an easy solution because I can write a script that will add that string to every affected machine through group policy.

 

Thanks so much for your help!

[Migration User]

Hi, 

 

Good to hear that it resolved the issue. However, I'm not sure what deleted the registry entries in the first place. It could be some kind of an uninstall/system restore task. 

 

It is probably a good idea to install the clients again in these machines to properly create all the keys since it is still missing some reg keys. 

 

Krish