SEP Client service will not start: error 1053 when attempting to start service

Products

• Endpoint Protection
• Endpoint Security Complete
• Endpoint Security

Issue/Introduction

The install appears to proceed successfully, with the client icon appearing in the system tray. When the system reboots, the client icon does not appear, and attempting to start the service throws and error that the service did not start in the given time. Error 1053 appears in the event logs and as a pop up error when the service is attempted to be started.

On rare occasions the client starts successfully.

Environment

14.3 RU3, RU4 (possibly other versions)

Cause

The problem is happening as a result of an interaction between IPSEng32.dll and 3rd party module epclient32.dll (SafeNet application). SafeNet locks our process and we do not start in the allowed startup time.

Resolution

Two possible resolutions:

1. Uninstall SafeNet to allow the SEP Client to start normally.
2. Configure SafeNet to exclude the SEP processes as part of its monitoring.