Can't uninstall or update Azure Connected Machine Agent version 1.52.03039.2243

Hello IanB,

It looks like you're facing an issue with the Azure Connected Machine Agent on your Windows Server 2025 VM. The issue you're facing, where it requires a disk for uninstallation or updating, is commonly connected to the installation source not being available.

Here are a few steps you can try to resolve this issue:

1. If you still have access to the original installation files or media (like a CD or a specific folder), try pointing it to that when you get the prompt.
2. Repair the Installation:

• Go to "Control Panel" > "Programs" > "Programs and Features."
• Locate "Azure Connected Machine Agent."
• Right-click and select "Repair." This might allow it to fix any missing files and allow you to uninstall or update afterwards.

3. Install the Right MSI: Make sure you are using the correct version of the MSI file that matches the version currently installed. If you’re trying to install an older version, it may not be compatible.

If the above methods don’t work, you could try uninstalling it using the command line. Open an elevated command prompt (Run as Administrator) and execute:

Identify the Package GUID and Uninstall String: Open PowerShell as an Administrator and run the following command to find the agent's package details, specifically its UninstallString, which often contains the package's unique GUID.

Get-ChildItem "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall" |
Get-ItemProperty |
Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*Connected Machine*" } |
Select-Object DisplayName, UninstallString

This will provide the DisplayName and UninstallString details, which includes the {GUID} or MSI path. If you get a GUID like {A1B2C3D4-...}, that’s your uninstall target.

Locate the Cached MSI File: Check the Windows Installer cache for the original installation file:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Windows\Installer\
2. Sort by Details and look for the MSI file that matches the Azure Connected Machine Agent.
3. You may need to enable Hidden Items in File Explorer to see this folder.

Repair the Installation: If you found the MSI file in the installer cache, running a repair can often restore any missing or corrupted files, making the uninstallation process more reliable.

Replace <matching file>.msi with the actual file name found in above step.

msiexec /fvom "C:\Windows\Installer\<matching file>.msi"

Perform the Clean Uninstall: Use the GUID you found in above step to perform a clean, silent uninstallation.

Replace {GUID} with the actual GUID copied from the UninstallString output (including the braces).

msiexec /x {GUID} /quiet

Or if you have the MSI:

msiexec /x "C:\Windows\Installer\<matching file>.msi"

If you still encounter issues, could you please help us on these below questions:

• Have you tried to reinstall the agent using the latest installer from the Azure portal?
• Is this VM running any kind of security software that may interfere with installations/uninstallations?
• Can you confirm if there’s any specific error message associated with using the MSI file?

Hope this helps!

I had already tried pulling down from the https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/agent-release-notes#version-151---april-2025 due to the Agent saying its version 1.52.03039.2243 and the installed apps section lists it as 1.51.03008.2167 I downloaded 1.51 and the 1.52 MSI both give the same error of them not being valid installation media.

Checking the C:\Windows\Installer\ directory and the only thing with the matching guid is a .SchedServiceConfig which is 0 bytes in size.

On trying to repair the installation that is not an option it only has modify or uninstall and both give the error asking for additional media

 Hello IanB, Thanks for the update, you are seeing issues with the .SchedServiceConfig being the only file associated with the GUID, it might indicate a corrupt installation.

Could you help us with the following query:

• Installation Method: How was the Azure Connected Machine Agent originally installed? Did you use an MSI package, or was it installed via a different method?
• Security Software: Is there any security software (such as antivirus or endpoint protection) running on the VM that might be interfering with installations?
• Error Messages: Can you provide specific error messages you’re seeing when attempting to use the MSI files? Any additional details could help identify the issue better.
• Last Successful State: When was the last time the Azure Connected Machine Agent worked correctly? Did any changes occur beforehand (like system updates or new software installations)?

We have reached out to you in Private messages for additional details, could you please look into it and share us the details?

 Hello IanB, kindly let us know if the provided information that helps you, If you need any further assistance, please feel free to reach out. Thanks,

@Bharath Y P The original install was most likely done by these commands that came from Azure for adding systems to ARC

Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri "https://aka.ms/azcmagent-windows" -TimeoutSec 30 -OutFile "$env:TEMP\install_windows_azcmagent.ps1"; & "$env:TEMP\install_windows_azcmagent.ps1";

There is no additional security software besides that which comes with Windows Server.

For the error I've got a screen shot here of if I try to provide the MSI that was downloaded from the release notes to get the specific versions that should be relevant to what's installed.

The agent is working. It can be disconnected and connected to Azure and creates an Azure resource and we can push updates to it with that ARC resource. But we do have updates setup to also try and update the ARC agent every month and its still on either 1.51 or 1.52 which means its been failing to update since those released several months ago.