Installing WSSA after installing SEP

Products

• Cloud Secure Web Gateway - Cloud SWG
• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

You cannot install the WSS Agent (WSSA) after installing the and SEP Web and Cloud Access client (formally SEP/NTR).

 

Cause

WSS Agent and SEP Web and Cloud Access use the same libraries and interfaces.  As such, they cannot be installed at the same time.

If WSSA is installed before installing SEP, then the SEP installer will not install the Web and Cloud Access feature.

However, if SEP is installed first, unless the administrator has removed the Web and Cloud Access feature from SEP, then WSSA will not be able to be installed.

 

When installing WSSA on a machine that has the SEP Web and Cloud Access feature installed, the following error dialog will be displayed: 

 

This can also be verified by checking the value of the following registry key: 

HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\CurrentVersion\public-opstate\FullTraffic

 

If that registry key exists (regardless of its value), that means that the SEP Web and Cloud Access feature has been installed.  

If installed, it MUST be removed prior to installing WSS Agent client (WSSA).

Customer-facing documentation describing this situation and available options can be found at: 

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/symantec-security-software/endpoint-security-and-management/endpoint-protection/all/Using-policies-to-manage-security/configuring-network-traffic-redirection.html

 

Resolution

The following three methods exist for uninstalling the SEP Web and Cloud Access feature: 

 

(1) Remove the Web and Cloud Access feature using setup.exe

NOTE: Removing the feature in this manner requires a reboot

You can remove Web and Cloud Access feature by running: 

"C:\ProgramData\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\CurrentVersion\Data\Cached Installs\setup.exe" /s /v" REMOVE=NTR /qn"

If setup.exe does not exist at that location, you will need to locate the installer originally used to install SEP and use it with the same parameters.

 

(2) Uninstall Web and Cloud Access feature via SEPM

If the customer is using SEPM, they can uninstall Web and Cloud Access by doing the following: 

1. Create a new feature set for new clients which does NOT contain the Web and Cloud Access feature
2. Save it
3. Assign that set to a group with the existing clients

The next time clients check in, that will remove the NTR feature with no uninstall/reinstall required.

For more details: https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/177413

 

(3) Uninstall SEP completely, reinstall without the feature

This is needed when using the cloud console, as there is no way to remove features from the cloud console.  

You can uninstall SEP, and then reinstall it without the feature by running: 

\path\to\sep64.msi ADDLOCAL=feature1,feature2,feature3,...

Where feature1,feature2,feature3,...  are a comma-separated list of features you DO want to install (leave off NTR).  To install the default SEP features (without NTR), for example, you would run:

\path\to\sep64.msi ADDLOCAL=Core,SAVMain,Download,OutlookSnapin,PTPMain,TruScan,DCMain,NTPMain,ITPMain,Firewall,Saep,ADDefense