"Symantec Setup Stub has stopped working" error when running Endpoint Protection client setup.exe exported from Manager

Products

• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) v12.1 client install packages may fail to run when they are exported from SEP Manager (SEPM) version v14_MP1.

The client setup.exe runs for some seconds and disappears, producing pop-up error messages as below.

"Symantec Setup Stub has stopped working"

Windows Application Error event ID 1000: "Faulting application Setup.exe..."

Cause

This happens when the SEP v12.1 client package has been exported from SEPM v14_MP1 with client install settings option set to "Automatically uninstall existing third-party security software". The resulting installer setup fails because the new AppRemover_API.dll is incompatible with SEP v12.1.

Resolution

Workarounds:

• Do not use the "Automatically uninstall existing third-party security software" install setting when exporting v12.1 client packages from v14 SEPM.
   
• Export the v12.1 client package from v14 SEPM but do not make it a single executable.  Replace AppRemover_API.dll in the exported client install set with one from inside AppRemover.zip that shipped with SEPM v12.1. This is found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\Tools\AppRemover or can be extracted from a v12.1 data1.cab file.  This way, the SEP setup.exe will use the compatible version of AppRemover. 
   
• Temporarily replace C:\Program Files (x86)\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\Tools\AppRemover\AppRemover.zip on a v14_MP1 SEPM with one from v12.1 SEPM. Export the v12.1 clients, then restore the original AppRemover.zip.  Keep in mind that if the v12.1 AppRemover.zip is left on the newer SEPM, then any exported SEP v14 client packages will fail to install due to incompatibility of the v14 setup.exe with v12.1 AppRemover_API.dll, so it is extremely important to restore the original AppRemover.zip once the v12.1 client package(s) have been exported.

When replacing the AppRemover_API.dll, be sure to use exact 12.1.x SEPM version as the SEP clients you want to export.