Symantec Management Console freezes when editing Managed Software Delivery policies in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge
Article ID: 457007
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
When you edit a Managed Software Delivery policy in the SMP Console, the browser tab stops responding. The freeze occurs when you select a Managed Software Delivery policy and then click in the right pane of the policy, or when you switch between tasks inside the policy.
The SMP Console responds again after a few seconds to more than a minute. Because the browser looks like it has crashed, some administrators force-close it. It has not crashed, and it does not create a crash report.
Figure 1. Managed Software Delivery policy editor. The freeze occurs when you click in the right pane or select a different task in the Policy Rules/Actions list.
Symptoms
- The browser stops responding for a few seconds to more than a minute after you click in the right pane of a Managed Software Delivery policy or switch tasks in the Policy Rules/Actions list.
- The browser recovers without intervention. chrome://crashes (or edge://crashes) shows no entry for the time of the freeze.
- The browser version is 153 or later.
Environment
Item | Details |
|---|---|
ITMS versions | Reported or reproduced on ITMS 8.6 RU3, 8.7.x, 8.8, and 8.8.1 |
Browsers | Google Chrome 153 and later (confirmed on 153.0.8010.53 and 154.0.8037.58); Microsoft Edge 153 (reported on 153.0.4234.46, still reproducible on 153.0.4234.48) |
Component | Symantec Management Console, Managed Software Delivery policy editor |
The freeze depends on the browser version only.
Cause
A defect in Chromium-based browser versions 153 and later causes the browser to stop responding while the Managed Software Delivery policy editor loads a task. During the freeze, the browser runs no page script and sends no network requests, so the delay is not caused by the Notification Server or the console code.
The browser vendors have released a partial fix, but Broadcom Engineering testing confirms that the freeze still occurs in Microsoft Edge 153.0.4234.48 and Google Chrome 154.0.8037.58. Until a complete fix is available in a browser release, start the browser with the --disable-renderer-accessibility command-line switch.
Disabling the renderer accessibility feature of the browser prevents the freeze. The browser vendors have not yet released a version that fully resolves the defect.
Resolution
Status:
The browser vendors have released a fix, but the freeze may still occur in current Chrome and Edge releases. Broadcom will update this article after further testing.
Workaround:
Start the browser with the --disable-renderer-accessibility switch. Use one of the following methods.
Method 1: Add the switch to a browser shortcut
- Close all Chrome or Edge windows on the computer where you open the console.
- Right-click the shortcut you use to open the browser, and then click Properties.
- On the Shortcut tab, click in the Target field. After the closing quotation mark, type a space followed by --disable-renderer-accessibility.
For Google Chrome, the Target field reads:
"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --disable-renderer-accessibility
For Microsoft Edge, the Target field reads:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe" --disable-renderer-accessibility - Click OK. If Windows asks for administrator permission to change the shortcut, click Continue.
- Open the browser from this shortcut, and then open the Symantec Management Console.
Method 2: Start the browser from a command prompt
- Close all Chrome or Edge windows.
- Open a command prompt and run the command for your browser. Replace <NotificationServer> with the name of your Notification Server.
"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --disable-renderer-accessibility https://<NotificationServer>/Altiris/Console
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe" --disable-renderer-accessibility https://<NotificationServer>/Altiris/Console
Before you use the switch
- The switch takes effect only when the browser starts. If a Chrome or Edge window is already open, a new window joins the running browser and ignores the switch. Close every window of that browser first.
- The paths shown are the default installation paths. If the browser is installed in a different folder, use that path.
- The switch turns off accessibility support for web page content in that browser session. Screen readers and other assistive technology may not read web pages correctly while it is active. Use it only for the sessions you use to work in the console.
- Remove the switch after you update to a browser version that fixes the freeze.
Verification
- Open chrome://version (or edge://version) and confirm that the Command Line field includes --disable-renderer-accessibility. If it does not, close all browser windows and start the browser again from the updated shortcut.
- In the Symantec Management Console, go to Manage > Policies.
- In the left pane, expand Software and select Managed Software Delivery.
- Select a Managed Software Delivery policy, click in the right pane, and then select a different task in the Policy Rules/Actions list.
- Confirm that the console responds right away and that you can edit and save the policy.
If the policy editor still freezes with the switch loaded, you are seeing a different issue. Contact Broadcom Support.
Additional Information
Feedback
