SMSINST: Installer Uninstall Feature Truncates Registry Values

• Microsoft Systems Management Server Installer version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

If a Hex or Binary registry value containing more than 127 bytes of data is over written by an Installer script, Systems Management Server Installer will not be able to uninstall this value correctly. When the uninstall is executed, it will restore the original value, but the value will be truncated at 127 bytes.

CAUSE

This is caused by a limitation in the amount of data stored per registry key in the uninstall file.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server Installer version 1.0.
This has been resolved in Systems Management Server Installer version 2.0.

MORE INFORMATION

This can be seen in the Install.log generated by the Installer script. When the registry key is over written, the log will show the new value as well as the old value as it will be stored in the uninstall file. If the registry key is too long, the uninstall or "old" version of the registry key will show as truncated. The Install.log will show the old and new values similar to the following excerpt:

RegDB Val:
111111111111111100000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000 000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001 000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000 000010000000000212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950

(...)

RegDB Old:
000000000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000 000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001 000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000 00001000000000021222324252627

NOTE: In the above example, the RegDB Val is the new value and contains the full registry value. The RegDB Old shows the value that will be recorded in the uninstall file, which has been truncated to 127 bytes. If the uninstall is run, this truncated value will be restored.

Additional query words: prodsms smsinst

Keywords : kbSMS120bug kbSMSInst
Version : WINDOWS:1.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug