How to remove the FCS

 

Issue

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Cannot remove some components of the Forefront Client Security with following prompt Window for the missing MSI file.

Reason

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Some client installed the FCS and FCS’s updates, however some source files were missing from c:\windows\installer folder. This caused it to check the original installation source to find the missing MSI file. However, the original source folder may be a random named folder and was already deleted from the machine.

Solution

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1. Find out the same version installation source.

a. Search MSI file name under HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

b. Check the DisplayVersion and UninstallString, per these information and http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/fcs-client-guids.aspx , to identify the component was brought by which FCS client update.

FCS RTM - Build 1.5.1937.0 {436028cd-6476-4224-9274-8f0320f30fd1}
AMQFE3 - KB938054 Build 1.5.1941.0 {d3e31640-dc20-4722-a1cf-604ff6c540b0}
AMQFE4 - KB952265 Build 1.5.1955.0 {ABF14E4A-F48F-454D-BAA4-85F80E6C7F2C}
AMQFE5 - KB956280 Build 1.5.1958.0 {67E4DA28-0D51-433E-97E6-3FE0E5FB1194}
AMQFE6 - KB971026 Build 1.5.1972.0 {50391F9C-82FF-458F-A77B-DEF724E6140D}
AMQFE7 - KB976668 Build 1.5.1973.0 {2DF2E496-D3B7-4A6F-A341-6DE48FDFEF0A}
AMQFE8 - KB979536 Build 1.5.1981.0 {DDCD95B5-7230-462F-9889-7EBBEE74123C}
AMQFE9 - KB2394433 Build 1.5.1993.0 {A22989EE-AE7A-42F8-A0C0-9C99CFB644FB}
AMQFE10 - KB2508823 Build 1.5.1996.0 {2AB5A838-9DAC-45F5-8EC2-019DDDC4B4F6}

Sample 1

Below client requires mp_ambits.msi. The displayVersion is 1.5.1993.0 and UninstallString is MsiExec.exe /I {A22989EE-AE7A-42F8-A0C0-9C99CFB644FB}. So we can download the KB2394433 to get the mp_ambits.msi.

Sample 2

The missing MSI file is FCSSSA.MSI. It is for Forefront Client Security State Assessment and the DisplayVersion is 1.0.1736.0. This component is introduced by the FCS client installation file which is the update for the Forefront Client Security.

For the Sample 1, the update can be downloaded from the http://catalog.update.microsoft.com.

For the Sample 2, the update shall be gained through the WSUS as FCS client is not published into the catalog site (you may refer to below picture on the WSUS).

2. Extract it to get the missing MSI files.

Run the .exe with /x parameter to extract the file.

Notes the update shall include both x86 and x64 version.

3. Use the extracted MSI files to remove the FCS completely. When uninstall the FCS, it prompt to locate to the MSI file, browser to the extracted MSI file and click OK.