Cannot Uninstall Automox Agent

If you’re unable to uninstall the Automox Agent due to file corruption, a missing amagent.exe, or the need to clean up previous installations, this can be resolved using a dedicated PowerShell script.

Issue Overview

Common scenarios where this issue arises include:

• Corrupted installation files preventing the standard uninstallation process.
• Missing or deleted amagent.exe.
• General cleanup of older Automox Agent installations.

Prerequisites

Before running the script, ensure the following:

1. You have access to a Windows account with administrative privileges.
2. PowerShell is installed and accessible on your device.
3. You understand how to run PowerShell scripts with elevated permissions.

Steps to Resolve

1. Use the CleanUp-AxAgent script included in this article.
2. Open PowerShell as an Administrator:
   • Right-click the PowerShell application and select Run as Administrator.
3. Run the script following the instructions provided in the file.

Important: This script must be executed with elevated permissions to ensure all files are removed successfully.

function CleanUp-AxAgent
{
<#

.SYNOPSIS
Comprehensive removal of any remnants of the Automox Agent left behind from a broken state.
Use this if reinstallation fails.

.DESCRIPTION

.NOTES
This fix only applies to the local device
Version 1.1
Released: 2024-06-13
Author: Automox Support

.EXAMPLE
CleanUp-AxAgent

.LINK
http://www.automox.com

#>

#region uninstall

# Uninstall with MSI method if found present

# Define Values
$OS64Arch = [Environment]::Is64BitProcess

# Set agent path accordingly to OS Architectire
if ($true -eq $OS64Arch)
{
$installPath = "${env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\Automox"
}
else
{
$installPath = "${env:ProgramFiles}\Automox"
}

$uninstReg = @('HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall', 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall')
$appName = 'Automox Agent'
$logPath = "C:\ProgramData\amagent"

#Get all entries that match our criteria. DisplayName matches $appname
$installed = @(Get-ChildItem $uninstReg -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object { ($_.DisplayName -match $appName) })

if ($installed)
{
Write-Output "Agent still installed`nRemoving...`n"
$process = Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList "/x $( $installed.PSChildName ) /qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress" -Wait -PassThru
Write-Output "Uninstall Completed with Exit Code: $( $process.ExitCode )`n`nProceeding with additional cleanup steps"
}
else
{
Write-Warning "Proceeding with Automox cleanup steps"
}

#endregion

#region cleanup

# Determine if the Automox Agent process is currently running
$agentProcess = Get-Process amagent -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# If Agent is running, force it to stop
if ($null -ne $agentProcess)
{
Try
{
Write-Output "Stopping Automox agent process"
Stop-Process $agentProcess -Force -ErrorAction Stop
}
Catch
{
Write-Error "Unable to stop Automox Agent process.`nFiles may be left behind in C:\ProgramData\amagent\ folder";
}
}

$svcExists = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name='amagent'"
if ($null -ne $svcExists)
{
Write-Output "Removing Automox agent service"
$svcExists | Remove-WmiObject

# Test for successful removal of Automox agent
$svcExists = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name='amagent'"
if ($null -ne $svcExists)
{
Write-Output "Automox agent service was not able to be removed. Try rebooting and re-run script."
}
}

# Determine if the Automox Remote Control process is currently running
$agentProcess = Get-Process remotecontrold -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# If Agent is running, force it to stop
if ($null -ne $agentProcess)
{
Try
{
Write-Output "Stopping remote control process"
Stop-Process $agentProcess -Force -ErrorAction Stop
}
Catch
{
Write-Error "Unable to stop Automox remote control process.`nFiles may be left behind in $installPath folder";
}
}

$svcExists = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name='remotecontrold'"
if ($null -ne $svcExists)
{
Write-Output "Removing Automox remote control service"
$svcExists | Remove-WmiObject

# Test for successful removal of Automox remote control service
$svcExists = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Service -Filter "Name='remotecontrold'"
if ($null -ne $svcExists)
{
Write-Output "Automox agent service was not able to be removed. Try rebooting and re-run script."
}
}


# Make sure no msiexec processes are lingering from our uninstall attempt
# then remove C:\ProgramData\amagent\ directory
Get-Process msiexe[c] | Stop-Process -Force
if (Test-Path $logPath)
{
$logPath | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force
}


if (Test-Path $installPath)
{
# Account for removal of exec#### folders that may give access to path denied errors
Get-ChildItem -Path $installPath -recurse |
Where-Object {$_.PSIsContainer -eq $true -and (Get-ChildItem -Path $_.FullName) -eq $null} | Remove-Item

# Remove Automox folder
$installPath | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

if (Test-Path $installPath)
{
Write-Output "Was not able to remove $installPath"
}
}

# CleanUp registry settings that could potentially be left behind.

New-PSDrive -PSProvider Registry -Name HKCR -Root HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
$rootKey = (Get-ChildItem "HKCR:\Installer\Products\" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object { $_.ProductName -match "Automox Agent" }
$hklmKey = (Get-ChildItem "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -match "Automox Agent" }
$otherKeys = @("HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\Application\amagent", "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\Application\amagent_uninstall")

if ($null -ne $rootKey)
{
$rootKey | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force
}
if ($null -ne $hklmKey)
{
$hklmKey | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force
}

foreach ($key in $otherKeys)
{
if (Test-Path $key)
{
$key | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force
}
}

#endregion
}

CleanUp-AxAgent