DigiCert - Azure DevOps YAML task SSMClientToolsSetup@1 Fails with "The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed" Error

Question

Azure pipeline fails on the SSMClientToolsSetup@1 task:

Starting: SSMClientToolsSetup
==============================================================================
Task         : Installer for DigiCert One Software Trust Manager Client tools
Description  : Installs Client Tools to use with DigiCert One Software Trust Manager
Version      : 1.7.0
Author       : DigiCert
Help         : 
==============================================================================
using path  C:\azagent\A1\_work\_temp
Tool to be downloaded and used {} and url is {} smtools-windows-x64.msi signingmanager/api-ui/v1/releases/noauth/smtools-windows-x64.msi/download
file after write  96681984
C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe /i C:\azagent\A1\_work\_temp\smtools-windows-x64.msi /quiet INSTALLDIR=C:\azagent\A1\_work\_temp\smtools-windows-x64
The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance.

error when executing setup task of STM Error: The process 'C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe' failed with exit code 1601 at ExecState._setResult (C:\azagent\A1_work_tasks\SSMClientToolsSetup_63dc66e6-daa5-4c1c-97f2-4312143a6d6c\1.7.0\node_modules\azure-pipelines-task-lib\toolrunner.js:942:25) at ExecState.CheckComplete (C:\azagent\A1_work_tasks\SSMClientToolsSetup_63dc66e6-daa5-4c1c-97f2-4312143a6d6c\1.7.0\node_modules\azure-pipelines-task-lib\toolrunner.js:925:18) at ChildProcess. (C:\azagent\A1_work_tasks\SSMClientToolsSetup_63dc66e6-daa5-4c1c-97f2-4312143a6d6c\1.7.0\node_modules\azure-pipelines-task-lib\toolrunner.js:838:19) at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:198:13) at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:982:16) at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:259:5)

##[error]The process 'C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe' failed with exit code 1601
Finishing: SSMClientToolsSetup

Things I have tried already but none of them helped:

1. Made retryCountOnTaskFailure: 10 on the task
2. Manually installed smtools-windows-x64 file
3. Verified Windows Installer service is up and running but did notice it stops after some time.
4. Restarted server
5. Manually ran msiexec.exe command on CmdLine but that works

Answer 1

You seem has configured your self-hosted Windows agent to use the default Windows built-in account 'NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE' on the agent service to login the machine. The account 'NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE' might not have the permissions to download and install the .msi package on the machine.

I notice that you can download and install the .msi package when you manually login the machine with the admin account.

To resolve the issue in the pipeline, you can also try to configure the agent service to login the machine with the admin account.

1. Manually login the machine with the admin account.

2. Search for Services and open it. Find the running agent service.

3. Then you can change the logon account as admin account.

   

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Answer 2

The task is from the Azure DevOps extension Code signing with Software Trust Manager. I tried the task on the Microsoft hosted agent, and it works without error.

Also, I tried to download the smtools-windows-x64.msi from https://one.digicert.com/signingmanager/api-ui/v1/releases/noauth/smtools-windows-x64.msi/download and install it on my VM manually, it works without error.

As you said you manually installed smtools-windows-x64 file and verified Windows Installer service is up and running, but you did notice it stops after some time. It seems there is something wrong with the environment of your self-hosted agent.

You can try to use the Microsoft hosted agent and see if it works in your side. Or use another VM as self-hosted agent to try again.