MDT Error Installing Application Access Denied

Question

Hi there,

I am trying to figure out why the applications will not install. At first, I was wondering if the issue was that MDT was running powershell as user instead of admin but after testing, it has to be admin. I have three applications that will install one of which is google chrome. I ran my scripts in a normal powershell with logging and got an access denied log. I dont get the log if I run it in the admin powershell and it installs normally. All this proved to me was that if Chrome works in my mdt deployments, MDT was using admin.

With that in mind, I tested all my other scripts as admin in powershell and had no issues installing any of them. Everything works as it was intended to. However, once I ran my MDT session again, the same 9 applications failed to install stating access denied.

So I added logging to some of the install scripts for teams, zoom, etc and reran my deployment. Once again, the last 9 applications failed BUT they didnt create any logs in the log folder so that tells me MDT didnt even run the .msi files.

So next I enabled logging on MDT hoping that would give me any more information about the failed installs. Sadly, there was no more context there than in the recap that shows after MDT finishes, "Access is denied."

So from my testing, I think the scripts and the applications work just fine when called manually from the same computer I was just trying to deploy. I can navigate to the applications share on my deployment server, run the install scripts as ADMIN and it installs silently as it should. So for some reason, MDT cant access the folders that the 9 failing applications are in and I dont understand why.

Permissions for the Google chrome folder and .msi file are identical to everything else Im trying to install and the folders. Ive even gone so far as to hit "Full Control" on the entire deployment share and it still will not install! Even crazier is that every once in a while, it will install some of the 9 failing programs like zoom and teams but fail the rest with out me changing ANYTHING.

Its random and confusing and I really really dont understand what is going wrong. If anyone can shed some light or has had similar issues, please chime in. I could really use the support..

Answer 1

Hi,

Thanks very much for your feedback and sharing. We're glad that the question is solved now. In Q&A forum, we could not mark our own post as the answer, very sorry.

Here's a short summary for the problem, hope it could help other users to search for useful information more quickly.

Problem/Symptom:
Applications randomly failed with the error "Access Denied" in MDT.

Solution/Workaround:
Antivirus software is the culprit. Move it to last solved the issue and everything works perfectly.

Thanks again for your time! Have a nice day!

Best regards,
Simon

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Answer 2

Hi,

Thanks for posting in Microsoft MECM Q&A forum.

1,We can use PsExec.exe to install the applications under a specified credential to have a try. For more detailed steps, please refer to:
MDT/SCCM 2010 - Running Applications Installations under different credentials

2,If the issue persists, please help check setuperr.log and setupact.log on the client to see if there is any helpful information.

3,And check if you have configured the AutoLogon account in the unattend.xml in OS Info tab?

Best regards,
Simon

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Answer 3

Hi thank you so much for the input!
I have another forum post here: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2352782-mdt-failing-to-install-applications-access-denied-error?page=1
This is fairly detailed with the on going issues that are still left unsolved. I don think the issues has anything to do with the account on the PC or who is running the program because every once in a while it will work with no issues!
I checked those log files but they all look like logs pre logging into the desktop and running the post install\state restore scripts
Our unattend.xml is working and configured but again that is before the logging into windows. It enables the built in administrator account and sets a password and is what windows logs into on first boot to start the app install.

Answer 4

BINGO! Finally figured out the issue!
So what was happening was our antivirus was causing installs after it to fail. The first thing in my app deploy was our antivirus but it tikes time to activate with our server and start doing its thing. This explains why sometimes everything would install or stop installing at seemingly random places (usually after 3 apps, sometimes 5 sometimes 4).As soon as my applications stopped installing was when I saw alot of activity from the antivirus. Moving it to last solved the issue and everything works perfectly.
Here is the thread if you need access to the tools he suggested! Thank you for the help and your time!
https://www.reddit.com/r/MDT/comments/tmp9b1/installing_applications_with_mdt_blues/