Keep getting error code -3 when trying to deploy software

[boundsw]

Hi all.

 

Relatively new to SCCM, but have been playing for a while and managing to get things working. I have got a whole bunch of applications to deploy to xp and w7 machine collections with success, but now im stuck on one and I need some help !! That’s where you all come in, hopefully.

Ok, so this is the basics of what I have.

 

Application to deploy is ‘Cisco Ironport desktop encryption plugin’

 

I have created answer files for this install on win xp/7 machines.

 

I have run the install, referring to the answer file manually on xp and 7 machines, and the install works. Great.

 

Answer file and .exe file are placed in the package source location on the SCCM server

 

I have two test collections, one for XP, and one for 7 machines

 

I have created one package “Ironport Encryption Plugin” with two programs “Install Cisco Ironport W7 x64” and “Install Cisco Ironport XP x86”

 

I have created 2 advertisements that are assigned to the two collections.

 

The win XP install deploys and works

The W7 install always fails, and I cannot work out why !

 

Windows XP command that works:

CiscoEmailSecurity-7-2-0-039.exe /s /v /qn /f1\\******\support$\SCCMDeploy\Cisco Ironport Plugin\winxpunattend.iss

 

Windows 7 command that DOES NOT work

CiscoEmailSecurity-7-2-0-039.exe /s /v /qn /f1\\******\support$\SCCMDeploy\Cisco Ironport Plugin\w7x64unattend.iss

 

(***** is the DFSRoot comapny name, so I have removed that here)

 

The error in the system status is :

 

The program for advertisement "00120023" failed ("00100040" - "Install Cisco Ironport W7 x64"). A failure exit code of -3 was returned.

User context: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM

 

Possible cause: Systems Management Server (SMS) determines status for each program it executes. If SMS cannot find or correlate any installation status Management Information Format (MIF) files for the program, it uses the program's exit code to determine status. An exit code of -3 is considered a failure.

Solution: For more information on the exit code, refer to the documentation for the program you are distributing.

[Peter van der Woude]

This is not a SCCM error, this is an error from the installer. So take a look at the installation log files of the application for more information.

[Peter33]

It's an Install Shield error and means that the answer file has not been found. Did you quote the path of your answer file? You got a space in there.

And why do you call the whole path at all? Is the file not in your package?

Is suggest to put the whole command into cmd file and to run the cmd.

 

pushd %~dp0

CiscoEmailSecurity-7-2-0-039.exe /s /v /qn /f1"w7x64unattend.iss"

popd

exit /b %errorlevel%

 

 

Edit: Just to make sure. Did you create the answer file on a 64Bit machine?

[boundsw]

Thanks for the replies !!

 

Great - so this is an install shield error, I have been trawling the application error codes and the SCCM error codes trying to find out what this problem was, and i was looking in the wrong place the entire time ! damn it.

 

So I thought about using quotes, but was not convinced as the XP install worked in this format without quotes - so why wouldnt this one? - but ill try this.

 

Why do i quote the entire path ? why do I actually . Your right, the answerfile should be downlloaded to the local machine with the .exe, so i can just referance this local copy ! let me try that option too.

 

Yes I created the answerfile on the correct machine OS's and architecture. If I place the .exe on the root of c:\ and run a cmd prompt with the installer specifying the answerfile (like this c:\CiscoEmailSecurity-7-2-0-039.exe /s /v /qn /f1\\******\support$\SCCMDeploy\Cisco Ironport Plugin\w7x64unattend.iss) it works, so i know the answerfile is ok.

 

Ill try the above options and come back !

 

THANKS

[Mikey C]

I agree with Peter33 - Its not wise to reference the iss file from a network share - include it in the software package and reference it locally, with the obviously benefits of hash check and BITS transfer etc. (even though its a small file, its still good practice).

 

Also related, and in response to what you have mentioned above, just because you have hosted the source for the SCCM package on a particular share (\\******\support$\SCCMDeploy\Cisco Ironport Plugin as you put it), does not mean that because the clients can download the package contents, that they can access that share using local system creds as part of an advertsied SD package. Remmeber, the clients will download the package content from \\server\smspgkx$ where server is your DP and X is the drive letter that the DP hosts the software on. Therefore, the share permissions on the \support$ and the \smspkgx$ could be different and in this case the error could be related to clients not being able to access the iss file using the unc path you have used.

 

Finally, note that the variable %~dp0 will only work in a batch file - but you should commit it to memory as its very useful IMO. "Percent, squiggle, Dee Pee Zero" is how i have remembered it for the last decade or so!

 

Hope this all helps.

[boundsw]

Thanks for the info from all.

 

As stated Im pretty new to this, I have a book and a server - im learning on the fly (and hoping I dont distroy anything), so any advice on best practice any how things work is welcome !!

 

So I have tried refering to the answerfile locally, but this still throws an error, but I have just noticed something else - the command line appears to get modified.

 

This is what I have in the command line "CiscoEmailSecurity-7-2-0-039.exe /s /v /qn /f1w7x64unattend.iss"

 

Error:

 

Program started for advertisement "00120023" ("00100040" - "Install Cisco Ironport W7 x64").

Command line: "\\SERVER.DOMAIN.CORPS\PACKAGES\SMSPKG\00100040\CiscoEmailSecurity-7-2-0-039.exe" /s /v /qn /f1w7x64unattend.iss

Working directory: \\SERVER.DOMAIN.CORPS\PACKAGES\SMSPKG\00100040\

User context: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM

 

followed by

 

The program for advertisement "00120023" failed ("00100040" - "Install Cisco Ironport W7 x64"). A failure exit code of -3 was returned.

User context: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM

Possible cause: Systems Management Server (SMS) determines status for each program it executes. If SMS cannot find or correlate any installation status Management Information Format (MIF) files for the program, it uses the program's exit code to determine status. An exit code of -3 is considered a failure.

Solution: For more information on the exit code, refer to the documentation for the program you are distributing.

 

There are added quotes and added UNC path to the error !! how am i doing this !

[Rocket Man]

Just a thought is UAC disabled on the win7 Client prior to installation of this software?

Have you tried different methods of install i:e (1) run from DP (2) download locally before installation??

 

pushd %~dp0

CiscoEmailSecurity-7-2-0-039.exe /s /v /qn /f1"w7x64unattend.iss"

popd

exit /b %errorlevel%

 

Have you tiried this in a bat file or Cmd file and specified the program parameter to be name-of-file.bat or name-of-file.cmd?

 

You could also try changing the name of the setup file to be just setup.exe......it can cause problems if the string is too long to install some software...by doing this it is quite a bit shorter.

You could also try this in the form of a bat file or Cmd file:

 

Start /Wait "%~dp0setup.exe /s /v /qn /w7x64unattend.iss"

 

As long as all files are in the one directory you may not need the /f1 switch as seen in above.

[boundsw]

Hi all,

 

Ok, so I have now tried to embed the command in a .cmd file as peter33 suggested.

 

The command in the package is "w7x64setup.cmd"

 

Error :

 

Program started for advertisement "00120023" ("00100040" - "Install Cisco Ironport W7 x64").

Command line: "\\SERVER.DOMAIN.CORPS\PACKAGES\SMSPKG\00100040\w7x64setup.cmd"

Working directory: \\SERVER.DOMAIN.CORPS\PACKAGES\SMSPKG\00100040\

User context: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM

 

and

 

The program for advertisement "00120023" failed ("00100040" - "Install Cisco Ironport W7 x64"). A failure exit code of -3 was returned.

User context: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM

Possible cause: Systems Management Server (SMS) determines status for each program it executes. If SMS cannot find or correlate any installation status Management Information Format (MIF) files for the program, it uses the program's exit code to determine status. An exit code of -3 is considered a failure.

Solution: For more information on the exit code, refer to the documentation for the program you are distributing.

[boundsw]

MIGHT HAVE FOUND IT !

 

Checking my advert, I have "Run program from distribution point" - im going to change this !

[boundsw]

Rocket man - yes UAC is off

 

Also, as above, im going to change the install to "run from local" from "run from DP" - as I just stated above.

 

This must be ho wmy command line is getting moddified !

[Peter33]

Hi bound,

 

sorry, i got the wrong error code from my memory. Just double checked it again.

-3 maens "Required data not found in the Setup.iss file"

I had such a case some month back, where the setup wanted to install a prerequisite, that had been already installed on the machine where the answer file was created. The setup came up with a dialog that was not captured and threw rhis error. The solution was to install the prereq program before the setup as single package.