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Q201860: SMSINST: Installer Uninstall Feature Truncates Registry Values

Article: Q201860
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): WINDOWS:1.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsms120bug kbsmsInst
Last Modified: 03-JUN-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server Installer version 1.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

If a Hex or Binary registry value containing more than 127 bytes of data is over
written by an Installer script, Systems Management Server Installer will not be
able to uninstall this value correctly. When the uninstall is executed, it will
restore the original value, but the value will be truncated at 127 bytes.

CAUSE
=====

This is caused by a limitation in the amount of data stored per registry key in
the uninstall file.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
Installer version 1.0.
This has been resolved in Systems Management Server Installer version 2.0.

MORE INFORMATION
================

This can be seen in the Install.log generated by the Installer script. When the
registry key is over written, the log will show the new value as well as the old
value as it will be stored in the uninstall file. If the registry key is too
long, the uninstall or "old" version of the registry key will show as truncated.
The Install.log will show the old and new values similar to the following
excerpt:

RegDB Val:
111111111111111100000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000
000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001
000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000
000010000000000212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950

(...)

RegDB Old:
000000000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000
000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001
000000000000000100000000000000010000000000000001000000000000000100000000000
00001000000000021222324252627

NOTE: In the above example, the RegDB Val is the new value and contains the full
registry value. The RegDB Old shows the value that will be recorded in the
uninstall file, which has been truncated to 127 bytes. If the uninstall is run,
this truncated value will be restored.

Additional query words: prodsms smsinst

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbsms120bug kbsmsInst 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMSI100
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

=============================================================================

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