Navigating and Resolving Stuck Statuses – Automox

This is a complete guide to stuck statuses in the Automox console. Refer to this article, and related knowledge base and product documentation links, to help identify and troubleshoot stuck statuses.

Explanation and Overview

You will encounter many device statuses in your Automox console, for example, initializing, installing, uninstalling, needs reboot, rebooting, refreshing, ready, not ready, and pending. If the action is not completed in a timely manner, these statuses can be viewed as entering a "stuck state."

Multiple factors can cause a stuck state, such as a command stuck in the queue or an agent service that needs to be restarted.

This article helps you determine the most common stuck statuses, what the status means, what to do, and where to go for further assistance. Additional information is available later in the article, see Related Topics.

Stuck Status - Refreshing State

Refreshing State: This indicates that a device is in the middle of a scan sequence and is waiting for the agent to report updated information to the console. It could also mean that the device is updating previously scanned software and hardware configurations or that a worklet is being tested.

The "refreshing" status can last a while, and starting a new scan might not change it. It's not typical for a device to be in this state for more than a few minutes at a time.

A device should normally refresh within minutes but no longer than 24 hours.

If a device is stuck in this state, it could mean that the evaluation script is hanging or waiting for input (this can be due to the scan on the device not receiving a response).
This can also occur with a device that isn't connected frequently or could be due to a potentially unhealthy agent.
Check the local agent log to find out if it's getting the commands from the queue. If the commands don't show up in the log, a restart of the agent service should kick it over into proper functionality.

This is the most common stuck status. If the previous steps do not resolve the stuck state, request assistance from support, as described later in this article.

Status indicator for Refreshing:

Pending and Needs Reboot

These are the second most common types of statuses that can enter a "stuck state."

Pending Status: This status can indicate that a command is being run on a device or that a Worklet is being executed on the device.

If you see a pending status on a Worklet that has already been executed (a clock icon next to the worklet), you can fix this by adding an "if else" statement to the evaluation code
More information on that process can be found here: Worklet is unexpectedly showing as pending update

Status indicator for Pending:

Needs Reboot status: The Automox console can indicate a needs reboot status in a few ways, including:

Restart deferrals: You can delay a restart using configured deferral settings. Once the maximum deferral is reached, depending on your OS, the system only shows a "Reboot Now" or "Now" option. If the end user doesn't interact with the message, the system will restart in 15 minutes. The user can also click the "Reboot Now" option to start the restart process.
Deferred reboot on macOS: A worklet can detect if a macOS device needs a reboot and notify the user. If the user doesn't restart their device within the given timeframe, the script will force a restart. If the device is at the login window with no user logged in, it will restart immediately without a notification.
Maintenance window reboots: A worklet can run an evaluation code and check a device for a restart status.
- If a device is still showing a "Needs Reboot" flag after being rebooted from the Automox dashboard, the user can try these steps:
  - Check if WindowsUpdateBox.exe is running
  - Manually shut down the device for at least 30 seconds

This status persisting on a device known to be online indicates a reboot command that has not yet received a response from the agent regarding the command’s status.

Status indicator for Needs Reboot:

What to do with stuck statuses

For Needs Reboot status:

Restart the agent service on the device from an elevated command line or terminal:
- net stop amagent (wait ~10 seconds then)
- net start amagent

Linux:
- sudo service amagent restart

macOS:
- sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.automox.agent

Windows:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Automox\amagent.exe

For Refreshing status:

Refresh the console view after a few minutes and continue if the status has not changed.
Contact the Support team with the device information (Name and Device ID) as the issue is now likely to be on the Automox side for correction.

First, verify if the Agent Service is running on the device.

If the service isn’t running, this might be the cause as the agent hasn’t been able to send back any responses from the commands executed.

Second, restart the Agent Service.

- net stop amagent (wait ~10 seconds then)
  net start amagent
Linux:
- sudo service amagent restart

macOS:
- sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.automox.agent

Windows:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Automox\amagent.exe

How do I know if a device is stuck?

Indicators for when a device is stuck:

The device is taking longer than 24 hours to refresh.
The device is still showing a Needs Reboot flag even after restarting the device or after a reboot from the Automox dashboard.
The device or worklet is still showing a pending update status even after a Worklet has been successfully executed.

Where to go for assistance

If you have taken the previous steps and the stuck problem persists, submit a support ticket for assistance in clearing stuck statuses on devices.

Log a support ticket through the Customer Portal
- Steps for submitting a support ticket are included here
Please include the following details in your ticket:
- Device Name/ID
- Agent log file from the device (Location per OS can be found in this article - Location of Files Required By Automox)

Things to Remember:

Identify which status you are running into by checking Device Status and review the icons listed.
Use this document to investigate further and take action as needed
If a device is in a stuck state and you have taken the above steps to remediate, reach out to our Support team through the Automox Customer Portal and follow the steps provided
Always include your Device Name/ID and the Agent log file from the Device