Workflow Solution – Uninstall, Install, and Repair Procedures (ITMS 8.6.x and later)
search cancel

Workflow Solution – Uninstall, Install, and Repair Procedures (ITMS 8.6.x and later)

book

Article ID: 438517

calendar_today

Updated On:

Products

IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

This article provides procedures to uninstall, reinstall, and repair the Workflow Solution on an ITMS server. It also highlights common pitfalls that can break the Workflow service (SWFSVR) and how to recover from them.

This guidance is based on real support case behavior and validated installer usage.

When to Use This Article

Use these steps if you encounter:

  • Workflow service (SWFSVR) fails to start
  • Workflow pages fail to load in SMP Console
  • Errors after upgrade or pointfix installation
  • Missing or outdated Workflow components
  • Incorrect manual installation of Workflow MSI

Environment

ITMS 8.6.x, 8.7.x, 8.8.x
Workflow Solution

Cause

Maintaining the Workflow Solution requires strict version alignment with the core ITMS platform. Most service failures and console errors are the result of manual MSI installations using the incorrect version (e.g., attempting to use RU1 files on an RU2 system). To ensure a stable environment, it is recommended to perform a clean uninstall and reinstall rather than a simple repair when a version mismatch is suspected.

Common causes:

  • Version Mismatch: The Workflow version does not match the ITMS version.

  • Installation Errors: Incorrect manual installation of the Workflow MSI or mixing Release Update (RU) levels.

  • Corruption: Broken service states following an upgrade or pointfix installation.

Resolution

Table of Contents

Key Principles for Troubleshooting

  • Always match the Workflow version with the current ITMS version.

    Example: ITMS 8.6 RU2 → must use symantec_workflow_8_6_ru2_x64.msi

  • Avoid manual MSI installs unless specifically required for troubleshooting.
    ITMS components are normally managed via Symantec Installation Manager (SIM)

  • When a manual installation is necessary, always use the SKIPAIM=1 parameter.

  • Installing older Workflow MSI on a newer ITMS causes:

    • Service startup failure
    • Missing Workflow UI in console
    • Broken configuration state

Procedure 1: Uninstall Workflow

  1. Navigate to the installation directory where the Workflow MSI is located (usually under <installDrive>\program files\Altiris\Symantec installation manager\installs).

  2. Open a Command Prompt and run the correct version of the MSI using the following parameter:

    msiexec.exe symantec_workflow_8_x_x64.msi SKIPAIM=1

    For example:
    msiexec.exe symantec_workflow_8_6_ru2_x64.msi SKIPAIM=1

  3. In the Workflow Setup dialog, select the Remove option.


  4. Follow the prompts to complete the process and verify the component has been removed.

Procedure 2: Install / Reinstall Workflow

  1. Locate and execute the correct version of the Workflow MSI for your current ITMS RU level.
    In this example, the current version for the SMP Server is 8.6 RU2:

    msiexec.exe /i symantec_workflow_8_6_ru2_x64.msi SKIPAIM=1

  2. Complete the installation wizard.

  3. Validate that the SWFSVR service is present and can start successfully.

    Services.msc → Symantec Workflow Server (SWFSVR)

  4. Verify that Workflow pages are now accessible within the SMP Console.

Procedure 3: Repair Workflow

Note: A standard repair may not resolve issues if a version mismatch has occurred.

  • Recommended Action: If a repair fails, follow the "Uninstall" and "Reinstall" procedures listed above to ensure a clean state.


Alternative Recovery Method

If the MSI installation fails to resolve the issue, you may use the standalone setup utility:

  1. Locate the Symantec.Workflow.Setup.exe file. Usually under <Install Dir>\Program Files\Altiris\Workflow\Web\Agent\Symantec.Workflow.Setup.exe

  2. Right-click the file and select Run as Administrator to initiate a manual repair or reinstall.
    Note: This method may fail if system state is inconsistent

Verification Checklist

After reinstall, confirm:

  • Service SWFSVR starts successfully

  • Workflow logs exist:

    C:\Program Files\Altiris\Workflow\Logs
     
  • IIS Applications exist:
    • SymWebInclude
    • SymWorkflowPages
  • Workflow menu loads in SMP Console

If Workflow Is Not Used

If customer does not actively use Workflow:

Recommended Action

  • Set SWFSVR service to:

    Startup Type = Manual
     

Impact

  • No functional impact to ITMS core features
  • Prevents repeated startup errors

Additional Troubleshooting: Data Collection

If issue persists, you can use powershell to collect the following details:

Collect Installed Products

$paths = @(
"HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*",
"HKLM:\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*"
)

Get-ItemProperty $paths |
Where-Object { $_.DisplayName } |
Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher |
Sort-Object DisplayName |
Format-Table -AutoSize

Collect Installed ITMS / Workflow Components

Get-ItemProperty `
"HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*", `
"HKLM:\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -match "Altiris|Workflow|Symantec" } |
Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion |
Sort-Object DisplayName

Collect Windows Features

Get-WindowsFeature |
Where-Object {$_.InstallState -eq "Installed"}
 

Best Practices (Summary)

  • Always use matching Workflow MSI version
  • Avoid mixing RU versions
  • Prefer uninstall + reinstall over repair
  • Use SKIPAIM=1 for manual installs
  • Validate IIS + service after install
  • Set service to manual if unused

Additional Information

Installing Workflow

Which IIS Roles and Features are needed for a Workflow 8.7 RU1 Installation?

Powered by Wolken Software