1

I am on version 7.2.00174. None of the newer versions (just checked up to .230) have anything like this listed in the release notes.

I have a computer. It showed up in a report as having software installed that I have verified is not installed (Java). This was about 3 weeks ago. From the Spiceworks server, I verified that ping, ping -a, and nslookup for the computer were all correct. Clicking rescan on the device in Spiceworks is successful, but the software still shows as installed. The IP address on the device that is listed belongs to another device, which I verified in my DHCP lease list (Windows Server).

Why is rescan device not actually updating this information (IP Address and installed software). I don’t suspect the Spiceworks technique (WMI) because this information has updated for other devices I have removed Java from.

I had this happen with another device, and removing and rescanning resolved the issue. However, doing so removes history. My biggest concern is that the entire inventory is now suspect, in that I don’t actually know which devices are accurate. I caught this one, but what about other information that may not be getting updated?

When this happened, I did some research, and made the following changes:

Network Scanning: Collect events - Changed setting to false

Network Scanning: Resolve all addresses to names when scanning - Changed setting to true

Network Scanning: Scanner sends all data instead of deltas - Changed setting to true

Two weeks later, the incorrect information regarding the device has not changed.

Does anyone else have similar problems? Any advice?

2 Spice ups
2

I’ve found that manually assigning an IP that nothing else in inventory has will help with the re-scans. I’ve had plenty of trouble with devices not updating, though I’m not sure I’ve seen it say something that had never been installed was on it.

3

To Clarify, Java was installed, but was removed several weeks ago. It is still showing up in the device’s inventory.

4

Gotcha. Try the unused IP approach instead of nuking it from inventory and see if that helps.

5

While that might help this particular item, I am concerned about devices that I don’t know have problems. There may be other devices out there with the same issue that I haven’t discovered yet. My entire inventory can’t be trusted at this point.

I want to leave this device alone so that when I find a fix, this device will update and I can verify that the fix worked. I don’t mean to dismiss your fix, but I’m looking for a more all-encompassing fix that gives me some peace of mind. An automated inventory system that I have to babysit isn’t automated at all.

6

Oh yeah, don’t get me wrong, it drives me nuts too. Just last week I found that since some of my internal Linux systems have web servers with port 80/443 open, Spiceworks quit updating them and treated them as general devices instead of acknowledging they ran Linux. Blocking those ports to those devices on the firewall of the Spiceworks server fixed it. That sort of thing plus what you’re describing (and how I’ve fixed it) are big issues.

I’ve been using SW a long time, so I hate to sound too harsh, but here’s hoping 7.3 improves a lot of things. Hasn’t really been the same since 6.x.

7

Cryolyte,
Spiceworks gathers this information (which software installed) from the registry on the Windows computer. A lot of programs (read: most of them) do not remove all of their keys from the registry when uninstalled. If the keys are still there, Spiceworks will believe the software (Java, in this case) is still installed. In my experience, this is usually what’s going on.

What version of Windows are you running on the machine in question, and which version of Java were you running on it?

8

Windows 7 64-bit on the client PC. Java version was & update… 60ish. I thought about this issue, as I had experienced it when Spiceworks couldn’t tell after I had uninstalled Office 2010 Professional and installed Standard, but then the other 70 computers I uninstalled Java from would exhibit the same symptom.

9

I see uninstallers not remove applications completely (usually leaving behind some random registry keys) on a daily basis. Also, Java is notorious for not always cleaning up after itself while being removed.

In searching the Interwebz for the location of the Java 6x registry keys in Win7, I came across this neat little tool:

https://singularlabs.com/kb/completely-remove-java-using-singularlabs-javara/

I’ve never tried, so I can’t vouch for it’s effectiveness, but if it does what it says it does, then it might save us some time here. Can you try running this tool (or something like it) and seeing if that cleans up this phantom Java install? Otherwise, we may need to try these steps: https://java.com/en/download/help/manual_regedit.xml

10

I’m comfortable with the registry, so I followed the manual regedit instructions you posted, which yielded no results.

I then ran the JavaRa tool that you linked, as an administrator, and it also yielded no results.

11

Can we, as a test, make a backup of Spiceworks and then delete this device from the Inventory? If it is a problem in the database, this should be the fix. If not, and the device re-enters the Inventory showing Java as being installed, we can definitely say the problem is in the registry.

12

Will do. I was worried about this being a systemic inventory issue, but I just did a comparison report between current DHCP and what’s in Spiceworks and didn’t see anything else off. I’ll remove this and see if it comes back, as you suggested.

13

Nice. Send us an update on here (or in the ticket we have) whenever you get around to it. :stuck_out_tongue:

14

A targeted rescan of the one IP gave me nothing. I will wait for the scheduled scan tomorrow to see if it shows up.

15

Gotcha. I’ll be here, though I’m coming in about an hour late due to a ridiculously early dental appointment :open_mouth:

16

My scan won’t be done until the afternoon anyway. Enjoy.

17

Ok, sorry for the late reply. I ended up going in and creating a manual scan for the computer’s IP address (which I resolved from the spiceworks server, and I was able to remote into the machine using it with Dameware RC).

The scan ended but didn’t show any success or failure, which I thought was odd. I went into my inventory and found the IP Address, which says it’s connected to an Apple TV. DNS, DHCP, nslookup, ping, ping -a, and connectivity all agree that IS at this IP address.

Why is Spiceworks not updating???

18

Could be DNS, firewall, A/V, and/or not the right ports being open.

Can you do an nslookup on the IP address and on the hostname and then post a screenshot here?

19

Besides deleting the device and it, we also ended up turning off nmap scanning.

20

Has that helped at all? Are you seeing more accurate scans after disabling nmap?