Upgrading to Windows 10 breaks CEM agents with error: Unable to retrieve NS Agent certificate from store, error: Cannot find object or property (0x80092004)

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading Cloud Enabled Management (CEM) machines running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, they quit connecting to the SMP server over CEM

Unable to retrieve NS Agent certificate from store, error: Cannot find object or property (0x80092004)

Cause

Windows 10 upgrade deleted the Symantec Management Agent services personal certificates that we usually relied on on previous OS versions.

When CEM is enable you will receive certificates that will be installed on client machines in the Symantec Management Agent Service.  This can be seen by loading MMC.exe and selecting:

1. File>Add/Remove Snap-in
2. Select certificates
3. Add>Select Service Account
4. Click Next
5. Select Local Computer
6. Click Next
7. Select Symantec Management Agent.
8. Click Finish. Click Ok

MMC should now be open and you can look at the aexNSClient\Personal folder.  If it is empty, then you will see the error.

 

Environment

ITMS 7.6

Resolution

This issue has been resolved in ITMS 8.0 and later. As well a fix has been added under ITMS 7.6 Post-HF7 (see INFO3459)

As a workaround if you are not able to upgrade to the mentioned versions and the machine is outside the local network, you will need to reinstall the CEM package on the agent.   This will install with new temporary certificates and will allow the agent to start communicating again.