14 DAY TRIAL // An update is now available from Microsoft designed to make Forefront Client Security play nice with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The Forefront Client Security anti-malware client update: December 2009 (KB 976668) is currently up for grabs from Microsoft Support, via Microsoft Update and from Windows Server Update Services. According to the software giant, the hotfix is designed to resolve failed client setup for Forefront Client Security, in the context in which Forefront Client Security is deployed on a server where Windows Server 2008 R2 Core is installed.
At the same time, the client setup error noted above is also related to machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, but only if Windows Application Compatibility has been disabled. IT administrators will come across this error message: “DIFXAPP: ERROR - The operating system you are running on is not supported. Only Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows codenamed Longhorn are supported,” in the FCSAM.log file.
“This problem occurs because the earlier versions of the anti-malware client used the Driver Install Frameworks (DIFx) for Applications libraries that were not originally designed for use on Windows 7 or for use on Windows Server 2008 R2. Forefront Client Security installations on these operating systems succeed because of an operating system application compatibility setting. This application compatibility setting is not present on a server that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 Core and is not applied if it is disabled on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2,” Microsoft informed.
Of course, as far as the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 non-Core platforms go, a simple workaround can easily resolve the issue. IT admins need to enable Windows Application Compatibility, and the error will no longer represent a problem. However, deploying the Forefront Client Security anti-malware client update: December 2009 brings with it additional benefits, such as fixes for multiple problems.
Here are the issues resolved by the Forefront Client update released in December, according to Microsoft:
“- Occasionally scheduled scans are not initiated on certain Forefront Client Security clients that are running Windows 2000 Server.
- Generically or heuristically found malware that is detected by a scheduled scan is suspended. However, action may not be automatically taken upon the malware.
- After you install the anti-malware update 971026, some managed Forefront Client Security clients on Windows XP and on Windows Server 2003 take longer to log on. This delay occurs after a restart if one or more file or folder path exclusions that are network-based are set.”