Patch Management Solution

My first test using Patch Management to push to an entire lab did not go so well.  I pushed Java 7.7 to a lab of 25 computers.  10 of those comptuers, something went wrong.  Java 7.7 shows up in Add/Remove Programs.  However, Java does not work and if I go to Oracle's site to test the Java version, the page says no Java is installed.  On the 15 good computers, the Java folder is 123MB.  On my 10 problems, it is 93MB.  Looking at the installlog.csv file on the problem computers, it says successfull and return code 0.  

How do I troubleshoot 1) what went wrong and 2) how to push Java without sitting down at each machine and fixing this?  Thanks.

This sounds like your problem:

"Clients no longer have Java Software installed following Patch Management's Software Update Cycle."

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH194178

Thanks Andy.  I am still new to Altiris and learning and this worries me.  I feel like I will need to research each patch to see if there are any problems before pushing it. Thanks again.

If you're using Patch for updating things like Chrome, Java, Flash and Adobe products that are likely to be in use you might need to think about only installing when no user is logged in. The problem is that those manufacturers just don't think about enterprise deployments in the way Microsoft now do. So you can roll out IE8 over IE7 with no problem - it just takes effect on the next reboot. But try and do the same thing with Java and no joy.

One thing I suggest to organistaions where Wake on LAN is too much trouble (i.e. most of them) is to educate users that xxx night is Software install night. This has the added effect of emphasising that their PC should be left off every other night.

Hey Symantec! I have the same problem. Let me know when you fix it.

Is that tech article still available somewhere?  I'm not having luck finding a working link.

TECH194178

Hopefully they've pulled it because they're fixed it. From memory the problem was that the policy would uninstall the old Java version but then not install the new one because the browser was open and would then just give up.

I must try and keep up my new idea of posting a precis of KB articles with the link, Symantec do this far too often.