Command line options for the Symantec Endpoint Protection Support Tool

Products

• Endpoint Protection
• Network Access Control

Issue/Introduction

The legacy Support Tool allows for the use of command line switches to alter its behavior upon execution. This document describes the command line options.

For the switches used with the current tool, please see What command-line parameters are available for Symantec Help (SymHelp)?

 

Resolution

Launch behavior
The following command determines the tool's behavior upon launching.

 

Switch	Purpose	Syntax example
-noup	Prevents the Support Tool from attempting to update itself when it launches.	Sep_Supporttool.exe -noup

Preinstallation checks
The following commands will run the preinstallation checks for either version 11 or version 12.

 

Switch	Purpose	Syntax example
-client	Runs the Support Tool's pre-installation checks for the Client. Requires the -version switch.	Sep_Supporttool.exe -client -version12
-console	Runs the Support Tool's pre-installation checks for the console. Requires the -version switch.	Sep_supporttool.exe -console -version11
-version	Required with the -console and -client switches. Either 11 or 12). Used in conjunction with the -console and -client switches.	Sep_Supporttool.exe -versionx -console

GUI checks
These commands start the Support Tool with the respective options in the GUI pre-selected. If you do not use the -s switch, the Support Tool launches in interactive mode. To run the Support Tool silently, you must use either the -s switch or one of the preinstallation checks.

 

Switch	Purpose	Example
-s	Runs the Support Tool in silent mode. Used with the GUI checks below.	sep_supporttool.exe -s -def Runs the definition and content signature checks silently.
-def	Starts the Support Tool with Definitions and Content Signatures pre-selected.	sep_supporttool.exe -def
-debug	Runs the Support Tool in Debug mode, which creates a log file in C:\.	sep_supporttool.exe -debug
-lp	Runs the Load Point Analysis checks.	sep_supporttool.exe -lp
-out	Tells the Support Tool where to save output.	sep_supporttool.exe -out c:\myfolder Runs the Support Tool in interactive mode, with the resulting reports saved in C:\myfolder\.
-spe	Starts the Support Tool  with the Power Eraser Option selected	sep_supporttool.exe -spe
-speonly	Starts the Support Tool  silently with the Power Eraser Option selected	sep_supporttool.exe -speonly
-sepxml	Creates an XML version of the Power Eraser results	sep_supporttool.exe -spexml

Saving the report file:
These commands specify the data to include within the final saved report file. They include the -s switch by default.

 

Switch	Purpose	Syntax example
-fg	Collects the full data set. Includes registry values, log files, and other system information	Sep_Supporttool.exe -fg
-qg	Creates the report file without collecting additional log or registry information. IE: Required checks, Preinstallation checks	Sep_supporttool.exe -qg

Notes:

• The command line switches can be combined in any order.
• The switches -qg and -fg use the -s (silent execution) switch by default.
• The -definition, -debug, -lp, -out, -client, -console switches require the use of -s in order to run silently, otherwise the GUI will be displayed with the specified options pre-selected.
• Combining a GUI check and either -qg or -fg will include -s by default. The Support Tool will run silently, executing both the data collection check, and the GUI switches that were used.