SMS: Windows 95/98 Client Hangs During Hardware Inventory (248362)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 SP1
This article was previously published under Q248362

SYMPTOMS

A client that is running Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98 may seem to stop responding (hang) for up to two minutes. This behavior occurs only on some portable computers on which the floppy disk drive is not connected to the computer during hardware inventory.

CAUSE

During Systems Management Server (SMS) hardware inventory, the Win32_Logicaldisk WMI class is enumerated to return logical disk information for removable disk drives, CD-ROM drives, hard disks, and connected network drives. On some types of portable computers, you can remove the floppy disk drive, but the computer's BIOS still registers (or "spoofs") its existence. In Windows 95/Windows 98, the floppy disk drive icon still appears in My Computer when no device is actually attached. Opening the disk drive icon also causes the symptom described in this article to occur until the device times out.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Systems Management Server version 2.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

236325 How to Obtain the Latest Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack


WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, disable the enumeration of the Win32_LogicalDisk class in the Sms_def.mof file for the site. For information about how to do this, see chapter 10 of the Microsoft Systems Management Server Administrator's Guide.

NOTE: If you have applied the hotfix that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article, the Win32_LogicalDisk class has been replaced by SMS_LogicalDisk:

232653 SMSCliToknAcct Locked Out When Hardware Inventory Is Enabled

Follow the same steps as described in chapter 10 of the Administrator's Guide to disabled enumeration of the SMS_LogicalDisk class.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server version 2.0 This problem was first corrected in Systems Management Server version 2.0 Service Pack 2..

MORE INFORMATION

This issue can occur on certain portable computer models that contain removable floppy disk drives. Portable computers that are known to exhibit this behavior include:
  • Hewlett-Packard OmniBook 3000
  • Toshiba 700 Series
Any portable computer that "spoofs" the existence of a removed floppy disk drive is liable to exhibit the same behavior.

NOTE: This hotfix is dependent on the installation of either of the SMS 2.0 hotfixes described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

232653 SMSCliToknAcct Locked Out When Hardware Inventory Is Enabled

246527 Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 1 Client Hotfix

Hotfix Installation

To install the hotfix, use the appropriate method on the Systems Management Server site server.

Using the SMS Hotfix Installer

NOTE: You can use this method only on Intel platform site servers
  1. Copy the hotfix folder structure to a share on your network (for example, the Q248362.exe file is located in a root folder with I386 and Alpha subfolders). Q248362.exe is a Microsoft Windows Installer file that updates specific files on your site server.
  2. Log on to your site server by using an account with administrative privileges.
  3. Run Q248362.exe and follow the directions in the wizard. You can run the file in Quiet mode using the /s switch.

Manual Installation

  1. Stop all SMS services.
  2. Copy the updated Inhinv32.exe file to the SMS\Inboxes\Clicomp.src\Hinv\Platform folder to replace the existing file for that platform.
  3. Copy Compver1098.ini file from the platform folder to the SMS\Inboxes\Clicomp.src\Hinv folder, renaming it to Compver.ini. This replaces the existing Compver.ini file.
  4. Restart all SMS services.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/7/2006
Keywords:kbQFE KBHotfixServer kbBug kbfix kbInventory kbsms200sp2fix kbWBEM KB248362
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