Can I remove the KACE Agent with a script or GPO?
I need to remove old agents from about 180 PCs. The old agents are preventing the new agents from being installed. The old agents are not communicating with the KBox. Thanks
Answers (6)
Hi dnorwood, you can use a logon script or startup script for that, via GPO. A simple batch file would do the job best and easy enough I'd say. What version of the agent would you like to remove?
Up to 5.2 / SMMP Agent which uses kinstaller.exe to uninstall itself.
From 5.3 / AMP Agent which uses amptools.exe to uninstall itself.
Commands:
SMMP = C:\Program Files\KACE\KBOX\kinstaller.exe -display_mode=silent -uninstall
AMP = C:\Program Files\Dell\KACE\amptools.exe -uninstall
For AMP you can also use the "uninstall string" from the "Uninstall" registry key:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa372105(v=vs.85).aspx
...since it is an MSI, think it started to be an MSI with 5.3 agent releases. Just find the string upfront via the registry of one machine, the key is unique per version. Use "msiexec.exe /x {xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx} /qn" inside the batch file.
Let us know! Cheers!
Are you unable to do a provision and check off uninstall agents then reprovision with new agents?
Comments:
-
This is how I've always uninstalled problematic agents. Just make sure you have both "Provision this platform" and "Remove K1000 Agent" checkboxes selected (along with the standard ports and credentials info).
John - jverbosk 11 years ago
Hi, I was wondering also, we have GPO successfully installing agents. If I have a problematic agent and I clean it off a host, should GPO reinstall it the next time the computer is rebooted? I tried this with a virtual test machine and it wasn't pushing it out. This would be ideal to get around firewalls and whatnot. Thanks.
Comments:
-
If the agent reinstalls the next time the computer is rebooted depends on the GPO. It is common to use a logon script or a startup script. Inside the script you say to "stop right here as the agent is installed" or "continue and install the agent". You should do this as the GPO will be applied during every reboot or during every gpupdate interval (Iirc by defauly 60min). Speaking of a startup script would require a reboot so it also depends here. If you got all in place with this kind of script/code it should install after the reboot yes.
The other way via GPOs is to use "Software Installation". However, this may be really too much technology to deploy just an MSI. Personally I also preferred John's (mentioned above), use auto provisioning and "auto-deprovisioning" ;) - RaSko 11 years ago-
thank you, I'll try that! - trevzilla 11 years ago
RaSko,
I am in the process of updating the agents to 5.4 from 5.3 via group policy. But 5.4 is not uninstalling the previosu version properly and hence the systems are loosing amp connection. At this point I would have to login to the system, manually remove unfinished uninstall (using MS tool) and then reboot the system for my agent install group policy to apply. I was wondering if i could use the same startup or login script that you specified earlier and then apply the software policy too by specifying the order in which they should be applied. Is that going to work? I have about 300 systems and most of them have lost amp connectivity. Can't login to each and every system to fix the problem. would really appreciate your input.
I'd ran into that some time ago and now we leave old versions on the share until all agents have been updated...