KB937882 - After you install SMS 2003 SP3, the Wmiprvse.exe process may generate high CPU usage on client computers during hardware-inventory operations

A Knowledgebase article is now available which documents the recent issue discovered after installing SMS 2003 SP3. This article is available via the following link https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=937882  and has an article number which is different that that previously document here.

A hotfix for the issue is currently being worked upon, please follow the information in the workaround section to overcome the issue in the short term. Please see https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=937882 for the most up-to-date information on the article.

SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario:

•You install Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3).

•The SMS 2003 SP3 Asset Advisor performs hardware-inventory operations.

In this scenario, the Wmiprvse.exe process on client computers in the organization may generate high CPU usage. Sometimes, the CPU usage may spike to 100 percent.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the following conditions are true:

•A file that is listed in one of the startup locations on the client computer contains multiple non-English languages. For example, a program file that includes mixed languages is listed in the following startup location on the client computer:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

•The current user locale on the client computer does not match any of the languages that are used in the file from the startup location (the file that is described in the previous bullet).

•The SMS_AutoStartSoftware class is enabled in the Sms_def.mof file.
Note For more information about how to determine whether this class is enabled, see the "Workaround" section.

The SMS_AutoStartSoftware class does not handle these conditions correctly. In this scenario, the SMS_AutoStartSoftware class enters a loop. Therefore, the inventory operation generates high CPU usage on the client computer.
Note The SMS_AutoStartSoftware class is included with SMS 2003 SP3.
The following three classes may also cause this problem when they process a file that includes multiple non-English languages and when the current user locale does not match any of the languages in the file:

•SMS_BrowserHelperObject

•SMS_InstalledSoftware

•SMS_SoftwareShortcut

RESOLUTION

No resolution is currently available for this problem. We are working on an SMS 2003 SP3 hotfix to resolve this problem.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, modify the Sms_def.mof file to disable the following classes:

•SMS_AutoStartSoftware

•SMS_BrowserHelperObject

•SMS_InstalledSoftware

•SMS_SoftwareShortcut

Note These classes are included with SMS 2003 SP3.
To disable these classes, follow these steps:

1.On the SMS 2003 SP3 site server, start Windows Explorer, and then open the following folder:

SMS\inboxes\clifiles.src\hinv

2.Open the Sms_def.mof file by using any text editor, such as Notepad.

3.Search for the appropriate class. For example, search for SMS_AutoStartSoftware. Information that resembles the following is displayed:

 [ dynamic, provider("AAInstProv"),

 SMS_Report     (TRUE),

 SMS_Group_Name ("AutoStart Software"),

 SMS_Namespace  (TRUE),

 SMS_Class_ID   ("MICROSOFT|AUTOSTART_SOFTWARE|1.0") ]

class SMS_AutoStartSoftware : SMS_Class_Template 

4.Change the "SMS_Report (TRUE)" entry to "SMS_Report (FALSE)."

5.After you change the SMS_Report entries to FALSE for each affected class, save the changes to the file, and then exit the text editor.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

Log-file information

When this problem occurs, the following log-file information is generated during the hardware-inventory collection operation:

 <date and time> 1520 (0x05F0) Collection: Namespace = \\.\root\cimv2\sms; 
Query = SELECT __CLASS, __PATH, __RELPATH, BinFileVersion, BinProductVersion, 
Description, FileName, FilePropertiesHash, FilePropertiesHashEx, FileVersion, 
Location, Product, ProductVersion, Publisher, StartupType, StartupValue FROM 
SMS_AutoStartSoftware; Timeout = 600 secs. InventoryAgent
<date and time> 1520 (0x05F0) Unknown error encountered processing an instance 
of class SMS_AutoStartSoftware: 800706BE InventoryAgent

Successfully Completed Inventory for SMS_InstalledSoftware    AssetAdvisor    <date and time>   2636 (0x0A4C)
Start Inventory for SMS_AutoStartSoftware  AssetAdvisor    <date and time>   2716 (0x0A9C)
Trying to collect data from CAA_Autostartsoftware class    AssetAdvisor    <date and time>   2716 (0x0A9C)
Collecting AutostartSoftwares from HKEY_CURRENT_USER   AssetAdvisor    <date and time>   2716 (0x0A9C)
Collecting AutostartSoftwares from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE  AssetAdvisor    <date and time>   2716 (0x0A9C)
Start Inventory for SMS_SystemConsoleUser  AssetAdvisor    <date and time>   2820 (0x0B04)

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 (https://support.microsoft.com/kb/824684/) Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

APPLIES TO

•Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Service Pack 3, when used with:

Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003