WS2016E Computer Monitoring Errors

joe mills 26

Windows Server 2106 Essentials

Beginning on August 31, 2021 my servers began to report "Computer Monitoring Errors." From what we have been able to determine so far, it appears that the fwlink hardcoded within the Essentials source code: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=785361 is BROKEN and is being redirected within the Microsoft backend to Microsoft Bing: www.bing.com/?ref=go&linkid=0 As a result, the servers are attempting to download the Bing HTML (resulting in gibberish or nil) instead of the expected actual "OnlineServicesConfigFile-US.xml." file. For reference the file is stored on the servers at: ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows Server/Data/Cloud

Is anyone else experiencing this problem? Anyone know where/how to address/discuss this issue with Microsoft? Thanks!!!!

21 answers

Jon Templin 161 Reputation points

2021-09-16T13:10:53.657+00:00

After applying yesterday all the Windows Updates offered for September Patch Tuesday, the "Computer Monitoring Error" disappeared from this morning's Health Report (I run mine at 9:00am daily).

We'll see if it continues. But it seems the most recent patches fixed this.

What got installed:
2021-09 Servicing Stack Update for Windows Server 2016 for x64-based Systems (KB5005698)
2021-09 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2016 for x64-based Systems (KB5005573)
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 - v5.92 (KB890830)
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 - v5.93 (KB890830)
Please sign in to rate this answer.
joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-16T13:30:35.99+00:00

Thank you for reporting this! I have removed the READ ONLY attribute from all my config files across s my 3 servers and it does appear (thus far) that Microsoft has corrected the problem. Thanks!!!!!

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-16T19:57:11.777+00:00

I opened the WSE dashboard, went to Health Monitoring, deleted the old error and clicked refresh and still got the Monitoring error again. Even after the 2 WSE 2016 updates had been installed.

Jon Templin 161 Reputation points

2021-09-16T20:00:48.003+00:00

Sadly, I did the same refresh on the Health Monitoring tab in the Dashboard, and the Monitoring error appeared again.

Well, it went away for awhile anyway <frown>.

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-16T20:11:18.997+00:00

Minutes after I did the manual refresh and still got the error, WSE 2016 did its regularly scheduled monitoring and there was no error. So then I did a manual refresh and got the error again. I am not smart enough to know if this means anything. I just use this as a Home Server.

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-16T20:25:36.477+00:00

Unfortunately the error quickly returned for me also across all 3 servers. I have reapplied my workaround (restored all cfg files in Cloud Folder to 8/29 and fixed them to READ-ONLY) and the errors have cleared and will not return.

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-17T20:45:39.183+00:00

I just received today's scheduled error report and the error was gone. This is the 2nd time that the error did not show up in the scheduled error report.

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-17T20:57:51.357+00:00

I don’t understand exactly why, but yes the error will intermittently clear but unfortunately will come back.

Have you attempted to restore all the .cfg files in the Cloud folder and set them to Read Only?

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-17T21:05:05.35+00:00

No I haven't. I am going to see what happens over the next few days with regularly scheduled error reports before I try your work around.

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-17T21:09:41.7+00:00

Ok. While you are waiting can you check your .cfg files and tell me if the are intact or blank? And their size? Thx

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-17T21:20:58.423+00:00

OnlineServicesConfigFile 75 kb blank
OnlineServicesConfigLanguageResourceFile 6 kb not blank

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-17T21:54:36.737+00:00

Yep, that’s the problem. .cfg file should be about 4K and contain services details. Workaround should work for you. Thanks!

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-18T20:44:43.133+00:00

As you predicted, the schedule error report had the Computer monitoring error again today.

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-18T21:00:23.303+00:00

Ready to implement the workaround? :-)
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.
Gordon Currie 1 Reputation point

2021-09-29T05:03:41.967+00:00

I have this same issue, and have applied the workaround. It stopped the hourly computer monitoring error BUT now I have constant NTFS event ID 140 warnings (write protect error).

It is irritating that they hardcoded a link into the product (really poor coding practice!) AND apparently did not protect the link from being deleted, likely by an intern doing cleanup work.
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Gordon Currie 1 Reputation point

2021-09-29T17:34:37.183+00:00

Prior to 8/31/2021, the link resolved to this:

https://sbsdomains.blob.core.windows.net/azureintegration-2016rtm/OnlineServicesConfigFile-US.xml

Unless someone at Microsoft restores this resource, or a patch is created to remove or change this dependency, with extensive regression testing and validation (not bloody likely!), then thousands of WSE2016 installations will suffer from this.

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-29T21:31:03.007+00:00

What I do not understand is that probably once or twice a week, I get an error report without the problem. That is why I have not implemented the work around.

Gordon Currie 1 Reputation point

2021-09-29T22:10:10.013+00:00

Lucky you! I have no idea why it would not error, other than temporary loss of internet access? I was getting 24 each day.

The fact is that NO WSE2016E installation can possibly download that XML file, and unless Microsoft restores that resource, this will occur until end of extended support in 2027.

(By the way, I am no longer getting the NTFS error, must have been a transient error.)

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-30T01:36:58.813+00:00

Good to hear that the NTFS error resolved itself. I checked all my servers and there hadn’t been any logged after applying the workaround. I am not holding on to any hope that MS will correct the problem. Considering MS has never updated or changed the config file revisions since day 1 (and I doubt they ever will) I am good with keeping the workaround permanently.

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-30T05:38:56.897+00:00

That is what I was wondering about. Why is the file on the cloud in the first place? Has it ever changed?

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-30T12:36:07.07+00:00

I don't know for sure (MS would have to tell us and I doubt they will) but I suspect it was so that MS could make changes in "the future." However, there doesn't appear to have been any changes to the config file imbedded fwlinks since revisions 1.0.0.0

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-30T16:38:01.753+00:00

On 9/29/2021 I got no error. I cannot understand why. Unless their server is down some days and up other days.

joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-09-30T20:11:45.36+00:00

I believe the Health Assessment runs every 30 minutes. (?) I don’t know why it clears sometimes but it does. (Haven’t had the time to investigate and really not interested in understanding why) How often do you run your report? If once a day, it’s possible the snapshot for the report can take place when the error isn’t present. If you are logged into the server you will see the error present more often than not.
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.
Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-09-30T22:01:55.087+00:00

A report gets emailed to me 4 PM eastern time everyday. It was clean again today.... second day in a row.
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-10-02T21:10:35.5+00:00

I got another clean report today. Third day in a row. So maybe Microsoft fixed the problem.

Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-10-03T20:05:34.943+00:00

I got another clean report today.... forth day in a row. I'll only report back if I get another report with the error.
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.
joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-10-03T21:41:42.39+00:00

I have removed the workaround on 3 servers but unfortunately the Computer Monitoring Error returned on all of them. MS has NOT yet resolve the problem.

Can you please monitor your Essentials Dashboard to see if the error presents itself or not? As mentioned before it will come and go throughout the day. If your Config file is empty (and not write protected) you should be seeing the error on the dashboard.
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Arthur Begun 11 Reputation points

2021-10-04T00:19:17.517+00:00

Yes there was a Monitoring Error after the report was emailed to me today.

Ben Morrison 1 Reputation point

2021-10-06T20:37:05.357+00:00

Yes, I've been getting it for a couple of days now. It's showing up on both our WSE2016 (virtualized) and one of our client devices.
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.
joe mills 26 Reputation points

2021-10-06T20:48:54.983+00:00

You should apply the workaround (until if or when MS resolves this) if you don’t want to see the Computer Monitoring Errors on your servers. I don’t believe the error on the client is related.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.

Share via

WS2016E Computer Monitoring Errors

21 answers

Your answer