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Spontaneous reboots with packages from Package Manager

There are problems with every package with Package Manager in the past week that is causing some Windows 7 x64 systems to spontaneous reboot right after the package is installed and before the postexecution section of Package Boot can even run. This started with the Java 7 Update 45 package from Solar Windows last week. Below is a copy of the event log of the most recent occurrence.

This is major problem for us and we are now unable to create, publish, and approve any packages till this problem is resolved. How can I configure packages with Patch Manger to never reboot and only prompted as it has worked for years?

Log Name: Application

Source: MsiInstaller

Date: 10/22/2013 2:48:25 PM

Event ID: 1005

Task Category: None

Level: Information

Keywords: Classic

User: SYSTEM

Computer: krafty.systemsbiology.net

Description:

The Windows Installer initiated a system restart to complete or continue the configuration of 'Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook 3.4.360.960'.

Event Xml:

<Channel>Application</Channel>

<Computer>krafty.systemsbiology.net</Computer>

</System>

<Data>Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook 3.4.360.960</Data>

<Data>

</Data>

</EventData>

</Event>

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LGarvin

Description:
The Windows Installer initiated a system restart to complete or continue the configuration of 'Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook 3.4.360.960'.

Scott.... this isn't a package provided by Solarwinds or Microsoft.

How can I configure packages with Patch Manger to never reboot and only prompted as it has worked for years?

You cannot, and you've never been able to do this. First, this isn't a function of Patch Manager; it's a function of the Windows Update Agent.

Second, the behavior is slightly different based on the operating system involved, but fundamentally, the Windows Update Agent will always attempt to reboot a system when responding to an update installer that returns a "Reboot Required" success code. The only thing you can do in response to this is enable the logged-on user to interact and defer that reboot. In addition, those configuration options generally only apply to scheduled installations, which does not include any installation triggered by a Patch Manager task, which is considered an "on demand" installation. For more information regarding configuring the Windows Update Agent with respect to these behaviors, see this article series in PatchZone:

scottk

Thanks for the reply. Yes the Event Log entry included was for a package not from Solar Winds. It also occurred with the Java 7 update 45 packages from Solar Windows from last week. This Event Log entry was simply the most recent package for this problem to occur.

For the Java packages and the one from yesterday (Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook) the packages within Package Manager were configured with “Normal” for the Impact and “Can request reboot” for the Reboot Behavior.

I will come back to why I believe this is a problem within Patch Manger after explaining the setting I am using with Windows Update Agent. I read your posts that you linked on Configuring the Windows Update Agent – Overview. I have been using Group Policy starting with WSUS 2.0 for a number of years to configure clients Windows Update Agent settings. I have attached screenshots of both the Group Policy settings and also the local registry keys showing the settings for an affect computer.

The only setting that I am aware of that would affect automatic reboot after installing a package is “No Auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations” or “NoAutoRebootWithLoggedONUsers.” This option is set so if a user is logged in at the time of an update or package is installed that requires a reboot, then the computer will not automatically reboot and will only prompt. This has been working as expected since 2006/2007 until last week without any problems.

Why I believe that this automatic reboot is related to Patch Manger is that the computer reboot starts right after completing the install of the exe or msi and before postexecution section of Package Boot starts. I am not aware of anyway of this occurring with any package setting (unless there is a command to reboot within the msi of exe installer to reboot that ignores the norestart switch) or setting for the Windows Update Agent.

The automatically reboots occur during the installation of packages published through WSUS and is so far only occurring to some Windows 7 x64 computers and the packages are installed at the scheduled install time with the Windows Update Agent or by manually launching the local Windows Update and click install.

If you still believe that this isn’t related to Package Manager then please point to where you believe the problem lies.

I am planning testing the new iTunes packages from Solar Winds this afternoon. If a reboot is required the I am certain that these affect computers will automatically reboot while a user is logged right after completing the install of itunessetup.exe.

LGarvin

It also occurred with the Java 7 update 45 packages from Solar Windows from last week.

A WindowsUpdate.log showing this installation/restart event would be helpful.

For the Java packages and the one from yesterday (Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook) the packages within Package Manager were configured with “Normal” for the Impact and “Can request reboot” for the Reboot Behavior.

These values are irrelevant. "Reboot Behavior" in the package definition is an information only field. I discussed this in the recent Package Wizard webcast.

The only setting that I am aware of that would affect automatic reboot after installing a package is “No Auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations” or “NoAutoRebootWithLoggedONUsers.” This option is set so if a user is logged in at the time of an update or package is installed that requires a reboot, then the computer will not automatically reboot and will only prompt. This has been working as expected since 2006/2007 until last week without any problems.

But the critical qualifier here is that this option only applies to scheduled installation events. It does NOT apply to installations launched from a Patch Manager task.

Why I believe that this automatic reboot is related to Patch Manger is that the computer reboot starts right after completing the install of the exe or msi and before postexecution section of Package Boot starts.

Patch Manager has absolutely nothing to do with the behavior that occurs at this point. The only thing that can trigger a reboot initiated by the Windows Update Agent at this point is that the entire package installation process, including that defined by PackageBoot has fully completed (although, perhaps, not completed as desired).

More likely what is happening here is that the <postexecution> section of your PackageBoot file is simply not executing at all because the result codes defined in the <execution> section are incorrect. I've seen this behavior a couple dozen times over the lifespan of PackageBoot, and every time it's been traced back to incorrectly defined result codes from the installer itself, which would allow the <postexecution> section to then execute. You can also enable logging on PackageBoot, and the PackageBoot log will give us additional details.

scottk

I believe this msi is ignoring the /norestart switch. I have seen this a couple time in the past. Using REBOOT=ReallySuppress switch seems to correct the problem with these msi so it doesn’t immediately reboot after completing the install.

LGarvin

I believe this msi is ignoring the /norestart switch.

Correct. We make that note in the Package Wizard.

11-11-2013 11-59-03 AM.png

Using REBOOT=ReallySuppress switch seems to correct the problem with these msi so it doesn’t immediately reboot after completing the install.

Glad you found a solution. (Similar to how we use that same parameter in the Dameware MRC update, and several other packages.)