I don’t know if its’ just bad coding, or an attempt at security, but the fact that the ‘uninstall’ option is missing from add remove programs for the FortiClient is a bit annoying.
Remove FortiClient Solution
While attempting to remedy this I came across the following command, which is supposed to remove the client software, which it did NOT do, but it did give me the option to uninstall back again.
[box]
wmic product where "name like 'Forti%%'" call uninstall /nointeractive
[/box]
Now we can uninstall.
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After I had a datastore failure I needed to ‘unmount’ a datastore in my VMware 6.5 environment. But when I attempted to do so I got;
The “Remote Datastore” operation failed for the entity with the following error message.
The resource “Datastore-Name” is in use.
Solution
In use by what? Thanks for the assistance! Usually this happens because you have a VM with a VMDK in their datastore, or more likely, a VM has a CD mapped to an ISO that was in this datastore (which was my problem).
In “Datatstore View” > Select the offending Datastore > VMs > Eliminate them one by one.
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I was doing some RDS work for a client today, and it would seem that at some time in the past their RDS Licensing server had died, it had been replaced, and everything was working OK. But when I was adding roles to the new servers, this kept popping up;
The following server in this deployment are not part of the server pool
1. Server-Name
The servers must be added to the server pool.
I could have ignored the error and finished the job, but things like this remaining ‘unfinished’ really wind me up. So I thought I’d sort it out.
Solution
At first I thought I could just dive into either ADSIEdit or ‘AD Sites And Services’, make a quick change and everything would be fixed. That revealed that the site licence server was set to a server that also didn’t exist! (So I fixed that, still the problem remained).
So if all else fails then use PowerShell right?
[box]Remove-RDServer {Server-FQDN} {ROLE}[/box]
Error: Object Reference not set to an instance of an object
After some research I discovered that the RDS servers are stored in a database, (Windows Internal Database) on the connection broker(s). So you need to download the ‘SQL Management Studio’ software on your connection broker(s). Then ‘Run As’ administrator.
Connect to, “\\.\pipe\MICROSOFT##WID\tsql\query“
Under Databases you will find a database called RDCms >Expand that, and drill down to the tables. Locate rds.server. Press the ‘Query’ button > Right click the rds.server table > List top 1000 rows.
Locate your ‘Dead’ server here you can see mine has an ‘Id’ of 3. Look in the following tables and make sure there are no references to Id 3. (I didn’t have any, my only reference was in the rds.server table.)
rds.RoleRdcb (Connection Broker)
rds.RoleRdls (License Server)
rds.RoleRdsh (Session Host)
rds.RoleRdvh (Virtualisation Host)
rds.RoleRdwa (Web Access Host)
In the bottom of the Query Section enter the following, (as applicable, i.e your column might be ServerId, and your server might be number 123)
[box]use RDCms
delete from rds.server where Id=3[/box]
Press ‘Execute’, Close the SQL Manager, repeat on any remaining ‘Session Brokers’. Have a coffee, then try again, the problem should be resolved.
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Tried to upgrade my VMware Workstation Version 8 today, then my laptop has a BSOD with a NETIO.SYS error, I bought it back up again, and attempted to manually install the newer version. This failed with an obscure .msi error. Even running the installer for the older version would not help.
Solution
Rather than picking it out of the registry, you can run remove it by running the install .exe file with a “/clean” switch.
1. Navigate to the directory that has the setup file in it, and run it from command line or via the Search run box in the start menu, with the /clean switch.
2. Follow the on screen instructions.
3. When complete, reboot your machine, and then you can re-attempt an install/upgrade.
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I was finishing off a domain migration this week and was changing the clients over to McAfee. On one machine I found it had Symantec AntiVirus. When I tried to remove it, it asked for a password.
One of the other machines had Symantec Endpoint Protection installed and this did the same.
As expected, no one knew what this password was, and the default password ‘symantec’ didn’t work.
Solution
The same fix worked for both of them, and its painfully easy. While still being asked for the password, do the following.
1. Launch Task Manager, (Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, Or right click the taskbar, or simply run Taskmgr.exe).
2. Select the processes tab, Locate the MSIEXEC.EXE service. Note: There may be more than one, if so select the one that running under the user account that you a logged on as DO NOT select it is it is running under the SYSTEM account. End the process.
3. Now the password request box will have disappeared, and the uninstall process will complete on its own.
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The ‘Ask Toolbar’ is a swear word in my office this morning, I noticed it in my “Add Remove Programs” today, and it refused to be removed.
All Chrome browser windows should be closed in order to complete the uninstallation. Please close all Chrome bowser windows. Click OK if you are ready to proceed with the uninstallation.
Solution
Well there were no Chrome windows open, (so I thought). I tried to use a software uninstaller and it stopped in the same place.
1. Right click the task-bar an launch ‘Task Manager’.
2. Scroll down and locate any Google Chrome processes, right click and ‘End Task’ for each one.
3. Attempt to remove the Ask Toolbar again.
Afterthoughts
<rant> If your wondering where it came from, it comes bundled with other products (like Adobe Flash). Annoyingly if you didn’t untick the option to install it, it will get installed. I think this is a very shabby approach. I fail to see the difference between this, and a piece of malware! I’m disappointed with Ask, and even more disappointed that a respected vendor like Adobe is pushing this down also. Their defence will be “But you only have to untick it if you don’t want it”, the point is, if I wanted it I’d go and install it!.
And why cant they programatically shut down these processes during uninstall? Or at least provide a button to do it. </rant>
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While trying to uninstall Exchange 2007 you see the following error.
“Uninstall cannot continue: Database ‘Public Folder Database’: The public folder database “server namestorage groupdatabase” contains folder replicas. Before deleting the public folder database remove the folders or remove the replicas to another public folder database.”
WARNINIG: The following procedure assumes you want the Public Folders GONE – make sure any information you require within them is either backed up or moved to another server.
Solution
1. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 > Exchange Management Shell.
2. Issue the following command, (Replace {name of server} with your own server name).
[box]Get-PublicFolder -Server {name of server} “\” -Recurse -ResultSize:Unlimited | Remove-PublicFolder -Server {name of server} -Recurse -ErrorAction:SilentlyContinue[/box]
3. Enter Y for yes if Prompted. (enter your own server name).
4. Issue the following command, (Replace {name of server} with your own server name).
[box]Get-PublicFolder -Server {name of server} “Non_Ipm_Subtree” -Recurse -ResultSize:Unlimited | Remove-PublicFolder -Server {name of server} -Recurse -ErrorAction:SilentlyContinue[/box]
5. Enter Y for Yes if prompted.
6. Re-attempt the uninstall.
or in EXTREME situations (sometimes it refuses to delete no matter what you do) run ADSIedit and remove it from CN=Configuration,CN=Services, CN=Microsoft Exchange, CN={organisation name i.e First Organisation}, CN=Administrative Groups, CN={Administrative Group name}, CN=Servers, CN={servername}, CN=Information Store, CN={Storage Group Name}, CN={Public Folder Database Name} THEN REBOOT
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While trying to uninstall Exchange 2007 you see the following error.
“Error: This computer is configured as a source transport server for 1 connector(s) i the organization, These must be moved or deleted before Setup can continue.”
If you have other Exchange Hub Transport servers then you need to add one of those to the send connector. In my case I’m removing the only Exchange box.
Solution
1. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 > Exchange Management Console.
2. Expand Organization Configuration > Hub Transport > Send Connectors > Right click the connector > Select Remove (or if you are changing to another server select properties > Source Server > Change).
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Seen when attempting to install or remove the Cisco VPN client software.
Error 28000: Before installing the Cisco Systems VPN Clients {version}, you must uninstall the previous version of Cisco Systems VPN Client {version}, using the Add/Remove Program Files option in the Control Panel. Then restart your system.
Solution
1. Firstly Windows Key +R > appwiz.cpl {Enter} > Locate and remove the VPN Client. Though sometimes you will not find it.
2. Locate ‘VPN Client’ Folder in program files > Locate the vpnclient.ini file and open it with Notepad, add the following two lines;
[box]
Remove Previous = 1
DelayRebot = 1
[/box]
Save the file.
3. Run the VPN Client software setup file with a ‘/quiet’ switch on it (as below). it will look like nothing is happening, go and have a coffee, then reboot and try to reinstall.
Manually Remove Cisco VPN Client
This is a little extreme, but if you have no other choice!
4. Windows Key +R > regedit {Enter} > Navigate to;
Delete the ALL the sub-keys (in the example below, there are two).
6. Navigate to;
[box]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Uninstall
[/box]
Delete the ANY keys that match;
{1CE60928-8325-49A8-8B06-633E48DD2B67}
{51FB15F4-AD27-43BC-AD4B-DD0354FB6BBD}
{5624C000-B109-11D4-9DB4-00E0290fCAC5}
7. Navigate to;
[box]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services
[/box]
Delete ANY keys that match;
CVirtA
CVPND
CVPNDRVA
8. Drill all the way back to the top of the registry (i.e. select Computer) > F3 (to launch ‘Find’) > Locate and delete all instances of the following;
Vpngui
Vpnapi
CVPND
CVPNDRA
Ipsecdialer
9. Windows Key +R > services.msc {Enter} > Locate and stop the Cisco systems, Inc VPN Service.
10. Delete the ‘C:Program FilesCisco SystemsVPN Client’ folder.
11. Delete the ‘C:Program FilesCommon FilesDeterministic Networks’ folder.
12. Delete the following files;
From %SystemRoot%system32drivers delete dne2000.sys (if it exists).
From %SystemRoot%inf delete dne2000m.inf and dne2000m.pnf (if they exist).
From %SystemRoot%system32 delete dneinobj.dl (if it exists).
From %SystemRoot%system32drivers delete cvpndrv.sys (if it exists).
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