Using CMTrace to find Error Message

Recently had an issue where the SCCM Clients were not sending their hardware inventory to SCCM. Once upon a time it was.

The best way to view the logs is using the SCCM Tool – CMTrace.
More information can be found here:

Microsoft CMTrace

CMTrace is found on the SCCM server under:
<SCCM Server>\SMS_<SITENAME>\Tools\cmtrace.exe

On the client double click on CMTrace and set as default log viewer.

NP – in version 1806 CMTrace is installed on the client and can be found under %WinDir%\CCM\CMTrace.exe.
Open the log file.

Click CTRL + L on CMTrace.

Enter the error code, in this case its 8004100E, and click Lookup.

In this case, the error is to do with the WMI > Invalid Namespace. That helps narrow down the issue.

 

SCCM Updates in an Offline Environment

I currently have an SCCM 1702 install in an offline environment (offline meaning no internet access).
If we look at the current lifecycle as listed below in Figure 1, 1702 isnt supported and wont be getting updates, and that’s not a good thing. So its time to apply the updates to get it SCCM version 1902 at a minimum.

Figure 1 – accurate as of 17^th Aug 2019.

Reference – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/manage/current-branch-versions-supported

In order to get the SCCM files in an offline environment, I need to export the Telemetry data to send to Microsoft and in return provide the physical CAB files to import into my offline environment.

The process to do this is:

Pre-Reqs:

Service Connection Point in SCCM is installed and set to Offline, On-demand connection.

Local Administrator permissions.

Read permissions to the SCCM database.

D:\ServiceConnectionTool folder is created.

Steps:

Open a command prompt as an administrator.

Navigate to the <installmedialocation>\SMSSETUP\Tools\ServiceConnectionTool

Run the following command:

ServiceConnectionTool.exe -prepare -usagedatadest D:\ServiceConnectionTool\UsageData.cab

Copy the Service Connection Tool folder (including the DLLs) to a USB drive and the UsageData.cab.

Go to an internet connected machine, and plug in the USB.

Open a command prompt as an administrator and the following:

Serviceconnectiontool.exe -connect -usagedatasrc D:\ServiceConnectionTool\UpdatePacks

Microsoft will then provide the updates for SCCM onto the USB so make sure you have space on the USB.

Connect the USB to the SCCM machine and open command prompt as an administrator and run the following command:

ServiceConnectionTool.exe -import -updatapacksrc D:\ServiceConnectionTool\UpdatePacks

Open the SCCM Console and go to Administration > Updates and Servicing.
You will now see the updates.

 

 

Another Great Error Message From WSUS

It wasn’t until the recent Patch Tuesday, that I tried to check WSUS  and came up with the following error. Had me baffled. The error wasn’t very descriptive and the event logs provided an error but nothing that got me any closer to resolving the issue.

After some research online, I worked out that one of the patches I had applied recently broke WSUS. KB3159706 was the culprit.

To fix the issue, uninstall KB3159706 (an update for Microsoft Windows). The update enables ESD decryption provision in WSUS in Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Complete article found here.

And what do you know, working again.