How to properly image a computer with NS Client (Altiris Agent) installed

Article ID: 16846

How to properly image a computer with NS Client (Altiris Agent) installed

Applies To
	• Notification Server 6.0

Question
	After imaging a computer with NS Client (Altiris Agent) on it, all the computers now have duplicate GUIDs. How can this be corrected?

Answer

When imaging a computer that has the Altiris Agent already installed and then deploying that image on other computers, all of those computers will have the same Altiris Agent GUID. This creates an inventory reporting problem since only the data of the last computer that has reported with that Altiris Agent GUID is written to the database. Before making an image, do the following: Stop the Altiris Agent service and the client transport service. They need to still be set to autostart. Open the Altiris Agent computer’s Registry Editor. Delete the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Computing Edge key (This will exist if this is was an upgrade from the NS 5.5 client). Delete the data located at the following three locations: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Altiris/Altiris Agent/Machineguid HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Altiris/eXpress/MachineGuid HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Altiris/eXpress/NS Client/MachineGuid HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Altiris/Client Service/LastUpdateComputerInfo (Note: This will exist when the AClient is installed.) In the file system under install path/Altiris/Altiris Agent/Client Policies, delete the .XML file (there should only be one). In the file system under install path/Altiris/Altiris Agent//Software Delivery, delete all GUID folder files in this directory and the AeXSWDPolicy.xml file. Shut down the computer and image it. Create the image before the Altiris Agent posts any event to the Notification Server. When the Altiris Agent requests a client config policy, a new unique Altiris Agent GUID will be created by the Notification Server and sent to the Altiris Agent. A new policy config XML will be sent to the client. The same Altiris Agent GUID is placed in three locations for backward compatibility reasons. Note: For more information, you could also check article 19323, "How to prepare a workstation for imaging that includes the NS Agent."

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