Program does not run in a task sequence on a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 client if the program name contains extended ASCII characters

Consider the following scenario:

• You create a deployment package on a Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) site server.
• You create a program in the package. The name of the program contains extended ASCII characters.
• You create a task sequence, and you add an Install Software step to the task sequence.
• You select the Install multiple applications option, and you configure the Base variable name setting to include the program that contains extended ASCII characters in the Install Software step.
• You deploy the task sequence to a client computer.

In this scenario, the program that contains extended ASCII characters does not run on the client computer.

This issue occurs because an incorrect data type is used to handle the program name that contains extended ASCII characters.

To resolve this issue, run the following hotfix package on the primary site server.

Note You can install this hotfix package (Sccm2007-sp2-2507187-x86-enu.msi) on a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 site server that is running an x86-based or x64-based version of a Windows operating system.

For more information about how to install the hotfix, you can click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: After you install the following hotfix package, newly configured programs that contain extended ASCII characters work correctly. However, existing programs still encounter this issue. Therefore, you have to reconfigure each existing program that is included in the Base variable name setting of the Install Software step. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Properties dialog box for the program.
2. Click to clear the Allow this program to be installed from the Install Software task sequence without being advertised check box on the Advanced tab.
3. Wait for at least 5 minutes.
4. Select the Allow this program to be installed from the Install Software task sequence without being advertised check box on the Advanced tab.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must be running System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Registry information

To use the hotfix in this package, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Note Before you install this hotfix package, you have to close the Configuration Manager administrative console.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace a previously released hotfix.

File information

The English (United States) version of this hotfix installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables. The dates and the times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The dates and the times for these files on your local computer are displayed in your local time together with your current daylight saving time (DST) bias. Additionally, the dates and the times may change when you perform certain operations on the files.

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 file information notes

Note Some other files may be updated because of dependencies. However, the binary code of these files is not changed.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information about a similar issue that occurs in a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 site server, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: