Environment:
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OS: Windows Server
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Current BigFix Version: 10.0.4.32
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Target BigFix Version: 10.0.16.61
The Issue: When attempting to manually upgrade the Root Server using the standalone installer (BigFix-BES-Server-10.0.16.61.exe), the wizard fails to detect the existing installation. Instead of triggering the "Upgrade" workflow, it prompts for a fresh install (asking for license type and features to install).
Prior to this, the console Fixlet upgrade also failed with an Exit Code of -3. Verbose MSI logs generated during the manual attempt show the following error: "Could not retrieve the installed product version. Will assume no previous version is installed."
The Findings: Upon investigating the registry, we discovered that the native 64-bit path required by the v10 installer is completely missing: HKLM\SOFTWARE\BigFix\Enterprise Server (Does not exist)
However, the existing product version and configuration data are fully intact under the 32-bit WOW6432Node hive: HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\BigFix\Enterprise Server (Correctly shows Version 10.0.4.32 and InstallFolder)
Proposed Next Action: To resolve the installer detection failure, we are planning to manually duplicate the registry structure from the 32-bit hive into the native 64-bit hive. The steps we plan to take are:
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Create the missing path:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\BigFix\Enterprise Server -
Replicate the
Version(10.0.4.32) andInstallFolderstring values from theWOW6432Nodehive into this new 64-bit key. -
Re-run the standalone 10.0.16 Server installer as Administrator so it detects the keys and initiates an in-place upgrade.
Questions for the Community:
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Is manually replicating these 64-bit registry keys a safe and valid workaround to force the Windows Installer to recognize the existing environment?
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Has anyone else encountered this specific registry discrepancy where the 64-bit keys disappear but the 32-bit keys remain intact?