Deploy the Agent via Automax

Deploy the ActivTrak agent to your Windows devices using Automox policies. This guide includes intelligent service checking, automatic error logging and cleanup procedures.

Contents

• What this deployment does
• Before you begin
• Deployment instructions
• Troubleshooting
• Exit code reference
• Post-deployment checklist
• Rollback procedure
• Best practices
• Script modifications
• Quick reference card
• Get help

What this deployment does

• Checks if ActivTrak is already installed and running
• Restarts existing stopped ActivTrak services (no reinstallation needed)
• Installs ActivTrak only on devices that don't have it
• Runs completely silently with no user interruption
• Generates detailed logs for troubleshooting
• Automatically cleans up temporary files

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

• Automox admin account with policy creation permissions
• ActivTrak installation package (.zip file)
• PowerShell deployment script (.ps1 file)
• Target device group configured in Automox
• Admin/SYSTEM execution rights on target devices

Important: Remove the parentheses from the zip filename, as Automox doesn't allow files with `()` characters.

Deployment instructions

1. Log in to your Automox console at https://console.automox.com
2. Navigate to Automate > Policies from the top menu
3. Click the + Create Policy button in the top right

Configure basic policy settings

1. In the policy creation screen, select Windows.

2. Configure the following:

Configure Scope

The PowerShell script checks whether ActivTrak needs to be installed or if the service just needs to be restarted.

What the evaluation script does

• Checks if the SVCTCOM service (ActivTrak) exists
• If running: Reports compliant (exit 0), no action taken
• If stopped or missing: Triggers remediation (exit 1)
• Creates logs for troubleshooting

What the remediation script does

• Creates timestamped logs in C:\Windows\Temp\
• Checks service state and either restarts or installs
• Extracts the ActivTrak package
• Runs a silent MSI installation
• Validates exit codes
• Cleans up all temporary files

Upload the installation package

1. In the Scope section, enter:

   Package Name: ActivTrak Agent

   Package Version: [agent version number]

2. Click Upload File to upload your ActivTrak installation .zip file

3. Enter the PowerShell script in the remediation section. Important: Edit Line 32 with your zip filename.

$LogFile = ".\ATInstall_$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd_HHmmss').log"

function Write-Log {
   param($Message)
   $Timestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"
   "$Timestamp - $Message" | Tee-Object -FilePath $LogFile -Append
}

try {
   Write-Log "Starting ActivTrak installation"
   
   # Check if SVCTCOM service exists
   Write-Log "Checking for existing SVCTCOM service..."
   $Service = Get-Service -Name "SVCTCOM" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   
   if ($Service) {
       if ($Service.Status -eq 'Running') {
           Write-Log "ERROR: SVCTCOM service is already running - Installation aborted"
           exit 1
       } else {
           Write-Log "SVCTCOM service exists but is stopped (Status: $($Service.Status))"
           Write-Log "Attempting to restart SVCTCOM service..."
           Start-Service -Name "SVCTCOM"
           Write-Log "SVCTCOM service restarted successfully - Installation aborted"
           exit 0
       }
   } else {
       Write-Log "SVCTCOM service not found - proceeding with installation"
   }
   
   Write-Log "Extracting zip file..."
   Expand-Archive .\YOURAGENTZIPPEDFOLDER_REPLACE.zip -DestinationPath .\temp -Force
   Write-Log "Extraction completed successfully"
   
   # Get the full path to the MSI
   $MSIPath = (Get-ChildItem .\temp -Filter "*.msi").FullName
   Write-Log "MSI found at: $MSIPath"
   
   Write-Log "Installing MSI package..."
   $Arguments = "/i `"$MSIPath`" /qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress /l*v `"$PWD\msi_install.log`""
   $Process = Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList $Arguments -Wait -PassThru -NoNewWindow
   
   if ($Process.ExitCode -eq 0) {
       Write-Log "Installation completed successfully (Exit Code: 0)"
   } else {
       Write-Log "Installation completed with exit code: $($Process.ExitCode)"
   }
   
   Write-Log "Cleaning up temp files..."
   Remove-Item .\temp -Recurse -Force
   Write-Log "Cleanup completed successfully"
   
   Write-Log "ActivTrak installation process finished"
}
catch {
   Write-Log "ERROR: $($_.Exception.Message)"
   Write-Log "ERROR: Installation failed at line $($_.InvocationInfo.ScriptLineNumber)"
   exit 1
}

Configure execution schedule

1. In the Schedule section, configure when the policy should run:

2. Click Next to proceed.

Target devices

Select your device group

1. In the Devices section, select your target Device Group from the dropdown
2. Choose your Windows device group (example: "All Windows Workstations")
3. Or select specific devices if doing a pilot deployment

Pilot deployment recommendation

1. Start with 5-10 test devices
2. Verify successful installation
3. Expand to full deployment after validation

Alternatively, run the policy manually on targeted/test devices and check policy status.

Review and activate

Review all your policy settings

Verify installation

After the policy completes, verify ActivTrak is running on target devices.

Method 1: Via the Automox console

1. Navigate to Devices and then Select a device
2. Click Remote Shell (if available)
3. Run this verification command:

Get-Service -Name "SVCTCOM" | Select-Object Name, Status, StartType

4. Expected output:

Name Status StartType---- ------ ---------SVCTCOM Running Automatic

You can also search for the SVCTCOM service under the device's Services tab in Automox.

Method 2: Check ActivTrak dashboard

1. Log in to ActivTrak
2. Navigate to Settings > Users & Groups > Computer Agents
3. Verify that new devices appear in the agent list
4. Check that the last check-in time is recent (within 15 minutes)

Method 3: Review installation logs

For failed installations, retrieve logs from affected devices:

1. Navigate to the device in Automox
2. Use Remote Shell or RDP to access the device
3. Open the log file: C:\Windows\Temp\ATInstall_*.log
4. Review for error messages

Common log locations:

• Script log: C:\Windows\Temp\ATInstall_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.log
• MSI log: C:\Windows\Temp\msi_install.log

Troubleshooting

Policy shows "Failed" status

Symptoms:

• Device shows failed remediation in Automox
• ActivTrak service not installed

Resolution:

1. Check the Automox policy status activity log for error details
2. Retrieve the installation log from the device: C:\Windows\Temp\ATInstall_*.log
3. Common causes:

• Installation package not found (exit code 1)
• Insufficient permissions (run as SYSTEM)
• MSI exit code 1619 (file path issue)

4. Review the Exit Code Reference below

Package download fails

Symptoms:

• Log shows "Installation package not found"
• Remediation fails immediately

Resolution:

1. Verify the installation package is correctly staged:

• Check C:\Windows\Temp\ for the .zip file
• Confirm filename matches exactly in the script

2. If using network share:

• Verify device can access the share
• Check SYSTEM account has read permissions
• Test with UNC path: Test-Path "\\server\share\file.zip"

Service exists but won't start

Symptoms:

• Log shows "Attempting to restart SVCTCOM service"
• Service remains stopped

Resolution:

1. Check Windows Event Viewer on the affected device:

• Application logs for ActivTrak errors
• System logs for service control manager errors

2. Verify ActivTrak binaries aren't corrupted:

• Navigate to C:\Windows\SysWOW64\aamdata
• Check file integrity

3. Check service dependencies:

sc qc SVCTCOM

Action: May require manual uninstall and clean reinstall.

Devices show "Pending" indefinitely

Symptoms:

• Policy remains in "Pending" status for an extended period
• No activity logs generated

Resolution:

1. Verify device connectivity:

• Check if the device is online in Automox
• Verify last check-in time

2. Check execution schedule:

• Confirm schedule hasn't passed
• Verify device is in the targeted group

3. Force immediate execution if needed:

• Select the device in the policy activity
• Click Run Now to bypass the schedule

Action: Consider increasing device check-in frequency to expedite deployment.

Exit code reference

Post-deployment checklist

After completing deployment, verify the following:

• All target devices show "Compliant" or "Remediated" in Automox
• SVCTCOM service is running on all devices
• Devices appear in the ActivTrak admin console
• Recent activity data is being collected (check after 1 hour)
• No failed devices remain unresolved
• Installation logs reviewed for any warnings
• Temporary files cleaned up from C:\Windows\Temp\

Rollback procedure

If you need to uninstall ActivTrak from deployed devices:

1. Create a new policy: Uninstall ActivTrak Agent
2. Use this remediation code:

$LogFile = "C:\Windows\Temp\ATUninstall_$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd_HHmmss').log"

function Write-Log {
   param($Message)
   $Timestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"
   "$Timestamp - $Message" | Tee-Object -FilePath $LogFile -Append
}

try {
   Write-Log "Starting ActivTrak uninstallation"
   
   # Get installed product GUID
   $Product = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*ActivTrak*" }
   
   if ($Product) {
       Write-Log "Found ActivTrak: $($Product.Name)"
       Write-Log "Uninstalling..."
       $Product.Uninstall()
       Write-Log "Uninstallation completed successfully"
       exit 0
   } else {
       Write-Log "ActivTrak not found - nothing to uninstall"
       exit 0
   }
}
catch {
   Write-Log "ERROR: $($_.Exception.Message)"
   exit 1
}

3. Deploy to affected devices

Best practices

Deployment strategy

• Start small: Pilot with 5-10 devices before full rollout
• Schedule wisely: Deploy during off-hours or maintenance windows
• Stagger deployment: For large environments, deploy in batches of 50-100 devices
• Monitor actively: Watch the first 10% of the deployment for issues

Monitoring and reporting

• Export device compliance report weekly
• Review installation logs for patterns in failures

Security considerations

• Run policies as SYSTEM account (default in Automox)
• Validate package integrity before deployment
• Store installation packages in secure, authenticated locations
• Restrict policy editing to authorized administrators only

Documentation

• Document any customizations made to the script
• Keep a record of deployment dates and affected device groups
• Maintain a change log for policy updates

Script modifications

Modify for different ActivTrak package

If you receive a new ActivTrak package version, update Line 32 in the remediation code:

Replace:

$ZipPath =
"C:\Windows\Temp\ATAcct6047008.6.6.0_1wmEoADuA6gc_11884877450.zip"

With your new package filename:

$ZipPath = "C:\Windows\Temp\[YOUR_NEW_PACKAGE_NAME].zip"

Add email notifications

To receive email notifications on completion, add this to the end of the remediation code:

# Send completion email (requires SMTP configuration)
Send-MailMessage -To "admin@company.com" -From "automox@company.com" - Subject "ActivTrak Deployment: $env:COMPUTERNAME" -Body (Get-Content $LogFile | Out-String) -SmtpServer "smtp.company.com"

Modify log retention

To automatically delete old installation logs after 30 days, add this at the start of the remediation code:

# Add at start of remediation code
Get-ChildItem "C:\Windows\Temp\ATInstall_*.log" | Where-Object {$_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) } | Remove-Item -Force

Quick reference card

Key file locations

Key PowerShell commands

# Check service status
Get-Service -Name "SVCTCOM"
  
# Manually start service
Start-Service -Name "SVCTCOM"

# View recent installation logs
Get-ChildItem "C:\Windows\Temp\ATInstall_*.log" | Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending | Select-Object -First 1 | Get-Content

# Check installed ActivTrak version
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*ActivTrak*" } | Select-Object Name, Version

Get help

Automox support:

• Email: support@automox.com
• Portal: Automox Console
• Provide: Policy configuration, error logs

ActivTrak support:

• Email: support@activtrak.com
• Portal: ActivTrak Help Center
• Provide: Installation logs, MSI exit codes