About Symantec Endpoint Protection client installation failures and CleanWipe

Products

• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

Installation of the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) client has failed. You want to know if you should immediately run CleanWipe before you try installing it again.

Resolution

Ideally, you should investigate any error messages from the installation logs, and properly deal with the corresponding issue, before trying to install again. See Troubleshooting client installation failures for more information.

Using CleanWipe prior to reinstalling

In some instances, Support may recommend that you run CleanWipe to remove all trace of existing Symantec components, before installing again.

1. Download and run CleanWipe.
2. Using the Symantec Endpoint Protection installation download (or the physical disk), install a new unmanaged client.
3. Drop a sylink.xml onto the unmanaged client to register it with the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) and make it managed.

WARNING: Symantec does not recommend using this specific approach at the first sign of installation trouble. Only use CleanWipe as a last resort when the usual uninstallation methods are unsuccessful.

In instances where the difficulty in installing Symantec Endpoint Protection is related to GPO policy, lack of hard drive space, or other environmental factors, running CleanWipe will not resolve the underlying issue.

In certain circumstances, CleanWipe can be useful in removing old versions of components or drivers (LiveUpdate or firewall drivers, for example) that can conflict with the new versions. In these specific cases, Technical Support may recommend the use of CleanWipe.