Installing a Service Pack from Novell does not update the SERVER.EXE, even though the SP does include a newer one

(Last modified: 29Apr2005)

This document (10094805) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

fact

Novell NetWare 6.5

Novell NetWare 6

Novell NetWare 5.1

symptom

Installing a Service Pack from Novell does not update the SERVER.EXE, even though the SP does include a newer one

The decompression of the service pack does note an error has occurred but does provide any details of what the error was.

Public Symbol Error: RegisterNSSFlushAPIs

change

McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.0.0 is installed and active (might also have the same issue with newer or older versions).

cause

McAfee has added a new "Access Protection" task that prevents the Read, Write, Execution, or Creation of anything with a pattern of **\startup\**\*.exe. Since the NetWare Service Packs store the SERVER.EXE in a STARTUP subdirectory (along with Core .NLMs for NSS and hardware devices) after you expand / unzip it, McAfee will block the Read/Copy of the SERVER.EXE file during the Service Pack installation routine. Screenshots of the new setting from McAfee GUI management tool are provided below:

 

If you click on the Edit button while highlighting "Prevent access to suspicious startup items (.exe)" it will give you the following menu:

fix

Administrators should take one or more of the following actions to ensure that the NetWare Service Packs install properly:

1. Change the radio button for "How to react" to "Warning mode (Report access attempts, but do not block)". This will log a warning, but not block the read/copy of the SERVER.EXE.
2. Disable / uncheck "Prevent access to suspicious startup items (.exe)" under File, Share, and Folder Protection / Files and folders to block.

3. Unload any McAfee Agent NLMs prior to starting the installation of a NetWare Support Pack. They can be reloaded again once the Service Pack installation is complete.
 
If you have already run into this issue, you will need to get the correct SERVER.EXE from the patch you were attempting to install and then manually copy this in to C:\NWSERVER of the server with this error(rename the existing one first). Often if you applied a Service Pack (i.e NW65SP3), the server will not be able to boot correctly until you get the correct SERVER.EXE in place (i.e. the one from NW65SP3). Since SERVER.EXE is often bigger than what will fit on a 3.5" floppy, you may need to use other media than a floppy disk to copy it. This might include burning it to a CD and then booting the server with DOS CD support or booting with a DOS Novell Client and mapping out to another NetWare server where the updated SERVER.EXE is present. If the correct SERVER.EXE is already present on another server you can retrieve from the C:\NWSERVER directory using DOSFAT.NSS or a utility like CPQFM that will let you copy it to a NetWare Partition.

document

Document Title: Installing a Service Pack from Novell does not update the SERVER.EXE, even though the SP does include a newer one
Document ID: 10094805
Solution ID: NOVL99092
Creation Date: 29Sep2004
Modified Date: 29Apr2005
Novell Product Class:Netware

disclaimer

The Origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information. However, the information provided in this document is for your information only. Novell makes no explicit or implied claims to the validity of this information.
Any trademarks referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners. Consult your product manuals for complete trademark information.