Symantec Management Agent Service fails to start - Failed to initialize agent storage: File not found

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

The Symantec Management Agent seems to install and all the files are there but the service will not start.

Errors found in the Agent logs that show the SMA service and AeXAgentActivate failing to start:

[1] 10/23/2013 9:21:02 AM (AeXNSAgent.exe) Agent
Failed to initialize agent storage: File not found

Environment

ITMS 8.x

Cause

One of the following:

Scenario 1)  Agent not fully installed

Scenario 2) Permissions have been changed on the 'MachineKeys' or 'S-1-5-18' folders under 'C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA'

 

Resolution

Scenario 1) Reinstall the agent on the system having this issue

Scenario 2) By default Everyone should have special permissions on the 'MachineKeys' folder and System Account should have read/write on the S-1-5-18 folder.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb909654(v=vs.90).aspx