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Q320276: SMS: SMS_EXECUTIVE Service Crashes If You Use %n in Command Line

Article: Q320276
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsms120 kbsms120bug
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 2.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

If you use a combination of the percent character (%) followed by the letter "n"
(for example, %n) in a program's command line, the SMS_EXECUTIVE service quits
unexpectedly on the site server when the service is processing SMS client status
messages.

To view a program's command line, use the SMS Administrator console to locate the
program under Site Database\Packages\<Package name>\Programs. Double-click
the program, and then view the text in the Command line box on the General tab.

CAUSE
=====

When Offer Status Summarizer (SMS_OFFER_STATUS_SUMMARIZER) processes the 10003
status message from Smsapm32.exe, it logs various properties from the status
message to Offersum.log. One of these properties is the command line that
Smsapm32.exe runs. The logging routine that is used by
SMS_OFFER_STATUS_SUMMARIZER does not always correctly handle a string containing
the percent character. This behavior may cause Offersum.dll to either generate
an access violation exception or it may corrupt the memory so that the
SMS_EXECUTIVE service later quits unexpectedly in one of its components.

NOTE: Currently, this issue is only known to occur if the "%n" combination exists
in the command line.

WORKAROUND
==========

To work around the problem, do not use the "%n" combination in the program's
command line. If you must use "%n" in the command line, call the original
command line from inside a batch file or an SMS Installer script to prevent this
problem from occurring.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 2.0.


Additional query words: prodsms smsexec AV crash

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsms120 kbsms120bug 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200
Version           : :2.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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