Troubleshoot: Windows Agent Installation

A device can't be managed in JumpCloud until the agent has been successfully installed. If you encounter issues installing or uninstalling the agent, use the following suggestions to resolve them.

Installation Issues

The following issues can occur when installing the JumpCloud Agent on Windows devices.

Installation Stalls After Connect Key is Entered

The Windows Agent installation can stall after entering the connect key. After you type or paste in the connect key and click Next, the agent installation process stops responding.

If the agent installation wizard becomes unresponsive, complete the following steps:

1. Force the installation to stop using Task Manager:
   1. Press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time.
   2. Select Task Manager.
   3. Click on the agent installation application.
   4. Click End task.
2. Reboot the device.
3. Log in to the Admin Portal and go to DEVICE MANAGEMENT > Devices. If the device is listed with a red checkmark, is inactive, is blank or shows no information, delete the device.

After following these steps, you can try to install the agent again using the installation application. If you continue to have issues, try to install the agent using the command line. See Install or Reinstall the Agent with PowerShell.

Installer Freezes During Uninstall or Reinstall

Symptoms

When uninstalling and reinstalling the JumpCloud Agent on a Windows device, the installer freezes during the setup or installation steps with a “Please wait while Windows configures JumpCloud Agent v[version]“ message.

You may also see an error pop up within Windows asking for the location of the missing installation package or MSI with the message “The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable. Click OK to try again, or enter an alternate path to a folder containing the installation package ‘jcagent-msi-signed.msi’ in the box below.” This error may appear even though the MSI is within the C:\Windows\Temp directory indicated.

Cause

If the JumpCloud Agent is having issues installing or reinstalling and freezes or asks for an alternative path for the installation, this may be because:

• the device has been offline for some time;
• certificates have expired; or
• the Agent could not update to the latest version.

Resolution

To resolve either of these issues, jump to the following section to use a script to uninstall the Windows agent.

Windows Installer Service Could Not Be Accessed

Symptoms

While installing the JumpCloud agent, installation fails and you receive an error about the Windows Installer Service.

Error:

Resolution

This error indicates an issue with the Windows Installer Service on the device. This service is responsible for managing the installation, modification, and removal of software in Windows. The following section covers the most common causes and resolutions for this error.

Windows Installer Service is Disabled

The installer service itself might be disabled or not running properly. To check and fix it:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog and enter: services.msc
2. In the Services window, find Windows Installer in the list.
3. Right-click on it and select Properties.
   1. Ensure that the Startup type is set to Manual or Automatic.
   2. If the service is stopped, click Start to start it.
4. Click OK to save the changes.

Corrupted Windows Installer Service

If the service is running, but you still see this error, it might be corrupted. You can try repairing the Windows Installer:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter the following command: msiexec /unregister msiexec /regserver
3. This should re-register the Windows Installer service.

Registry Issues

This error can also be caused by issues in the Windows Registry. You can try repairing the registry using built-in tools like the System File Checker (sfc) tool.

To run the System File Checker tool:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter the following command: sfc /scannow
3. Wait for the process to finish and follow any prompts.

Missing or Corrupted System Files

Missing or corrupted system files can prevent the Windows Installer from working correctly. Running the System File Checker (sfc) tool or DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management) tool can help:

To run DISM:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter the following command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Wait for the process to finish and follow any prompts.

Reinstall or Update Windows Installer

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, you may need to reinstall or update the Windows Installer Service. Normally, it comes pre-installed with Windows, but a Windows Update or OS reinstall can fix it.

Uninstalling the Agent Using a Script

Download and run the following script in an elevated PowerShell prompt on your Windows device to automate removal of the necessary registry keys, files, and Windows service to allow the JumpCloud Agent to be reinstalled: UninstallWindowsAgent.ps1.

The following data is removed by this script:

• Registry Keys:
  • HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products<JumpCloud Agent GUID>
  • HKCR:\Installer\Products<JumpCloud Agent GUID>
  • HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall<JC MSI Installation ID>
  • HKLM:\Software\JumpCloud
  • HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products<JumpCloud Agent GUID>
• Files and Folders:
  • C:\Program Files\JumpCloud
    • The folder ‘cpoidc’ is not removed.
    • The file ‘JumpCloudCredentialProvider-X.XXX.X.dll’ is not removed.
• Services:
  • The JumpCloud Agent service and the associated executable are removed.

Uninstalling the Agent Manually

If you cannot run the the PowerShell script in the previous section, you can manually uninstall the Windows agent using the following steps.

Removing the Windows Service

1. Check if JumpCloud service is present in Windows Services:
   1. If the service is present, ensure that it is stopped.
2. Next, open an elevated command prompt and enter in the following command:

Removing Agent Files and Folders

1. Open Windows File Explorer.
2. Check for the following files and folders and delete them if they're present:
   • C:\Windows\Temp\jcagent-msi-signed.msi
   • C:\Program Files\JumpCloud
   • C:\Program Files\JumpCloud-agent-app

Cleaning the Windows Registry

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor (regedit.msc).
2. Check for the following keys and delete them if they're present:
   1. HKLM\Software\JumpCloud
   2. Perform a search for JumpCloud in the following hives to locate the GUID and remove the keys:
      • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall<JC MSI Installation ID>
        • Example: GUID {96542816-DAD1-4D02-8363-CA4121E5CAE7}
      • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products<JumpCloud Agent GUID>
        • Example: GUID {96542816-DAD1-4D02-8363-CA4121E5CAE7}
      • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products<JumpCloud Agent GUID>
        • Example: GUID A8887EBF76EE21745B3CD6B1514AD519
      • HKCR\Installer\Products<JumpCloud Agent GUID>
        • Example: GUID A8887EBF76EE21745B3CD6B1514AD519