In this article, I will cover different methods to uninstall SCCM client from computers. You can use different methods to remove the Configuration Manager client software on Windows devices.
You may already be familiar with the SCCM client if you’ve started learning Configuration Manager. It is also referred to as a Configuration Manager agent or a Configuration Manager client agent. There are many ways to install the Configuration Manager client agent on your Windows PCs. Here is the best article published on how to install SCCM client agent in Windows 11.
This article describes every method that you can use to uninstall the ConfigMgr client. You can learn which one works best for your organization and opt for that method.
What is Configuration Manager Client?
The Configuration Manager Agent, also known as the SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) agent or client, is a software component installed on devices within an organization’s network to facilitate centralized management and administration using Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) infrastructure.
The Configuration Manager Agent enables administrators to enforce security policies, track hardware and software inventory, deploy software applications and updates, distribute operating system images, and remotely troubleshoot client devices.
Also Read: Easily Modify SCCM Client Policy Polling Interval Time
When do you need to remove the ConfigMgr Agent?
Occasionally, you might want to remove or get rid of the SCCM client if you discover that it wasn’t installed correctly. Or when the SMS agent host service has errors or if the software center is crashing, removing the agent and installing it makes sense.
Whenever you encounter issues with the ConfigMgr agent, you can always repair the SCCM client agent first. Repairing the client agent means uninstalling the SCCM client agent from Windows and re-installing it.
Most Configuration Manager administrators prefer to remove the SCCM client manually from the computers. If you need to remove the client from multiple computers, you can use a PowerShell script, which will be covered in this tutorial.
Note: When you deploy or install the agent, the Software Center is also installed on the computer. Also, when you clean up the agent, the Software Center is also removed from the device. Read how to customize the ConfigMgr software center appearance.
Recommended Article: SCCM Client Upgrade Options | Perform Automatic Client Upgrade
Method 1: Manually Uninstall SCCM Client using CCMSETUP
You can manually uninstall the SCCM client by running a simple command: ccmsetup.exe /uninstall.
- On your Windows computer, run the command prompt as an administrator.
- Change the path to the client agent location to C:\Windows\ccmsetup.
- Run the command ccmsetup.exe /uninstall.
- Restart your computer after you uninstall the client agent.
Method 2: Remove SCCM Client Using CCMCLEAN
The Microsoft tool Ccmclean.exe, which was part of the SMS 2003 toolkit, aids in the removal of the SCCM client. SMS 2003 is now out of date, but the ccmclean tool is still functional.
You may not find the CCmclean tool installer online; however, I have saved a copy of this tool for you. Download the ccmclean tool from the OneDrive link. The ccmclean tool version that you get is 2.50.
The ccmclean tool works by detecting the SMS agent installer and uninstalling the agent on your computer. You have to run this tool manually on a computer to wipe out the SMS agent. You cannot use this tool to uninstall the SCCM client remotely.
Perform the following steps to uninstall the SCCM client using ccmclean.exe:
- Download the ccmclean.exe tool and copy it over to the target computer.
- Run ccmclean.exe as an administrator.
- The tool uninstalls the SCCM agent, and at the end, a message box appears: “Your system has been successfully cleaned.”
The message “Your system has been successfully cleaned” confirms the SCCM client agent has been removed successfully by the ccmclean tool.
The ccmclean also removes all the folders created by the ConfigMgr agent. Before reinstalling the ConfigMgr agent on this computer, restart your computer once. The client agent is entirely removed from the system using ccmclean.
Method 3: Uninstall SCCM Client using Right Click Tools
With Right Click Tools installed for Configuration Manager, you can use the “Uninstall SCCM Client” feature to completely remove the Configuration Manager client from remote computers.
This method requires you to install Right Click Tools console extension for SCCM. After you install the RCT for SCCM, you get the option to uninstall the SCCM client from the Configuration Manager console.
Use the below procedure to uninstall SCCM client from a remote computer using Right Click Tools:
- Launch the Configuration Manager console.
- Navigate to Assets and Compliance\Overview\Devices.
- Right-click a device and select Right Click Tools > Client Tools > Uninstall SCCM Client.
You get a message box asking, “Are you sure you want to uninstall the client on the machine?” Click Yes to confirm the removal of the ConfigMgr client.
Method 4: Uninstall ConfigMgr Agent using PowerShell
In this method, I will show you how to uninstall the SCCM agent on multiple computers using a PowerShell script. First, download the uninstall SCCM Client PowerShell script from GitHub.
To run this script, launch PowerShell as an administrator. Run UninstallSCCMClient.ps1 and this script uninstalls the Configuration Manager client from the computer.
Monitor SCCM Client Uninstall with Log Files
After you remove the ConfigMgr client from the computer, you can monitor the client agent uninstall with the help of log files. There are two ConfigMgr log files that you review to monitor the SCCM client uninstall process.
- Ccmsetup.log: This provides information about client-based operating system actions. It can be used to troubleshoot client installation problems.
- Client.msi_uninstall.log: Records the uninstallation of the SCCM client agent on a Windows computer.
To monitor the SCCM client agent uninstall, go to C:\Windows\ccmsetup\Logs on the computer and open the ccmsetup.log file to monitor the client uninstallation. The line “CcmSetup is exiting with return code 0” in ccmsetup.log confirms that the SCCM client has been removed successfully.
You can use any of the ConfigMgr log file viewers to open the SCCM log files and review the details. The below log snippet is from ccmsetup.log from the C:\Windows\ccmsetup\Logs path on the client computer. This log file records the details of the ConfigMgr client removal.
==========[ ccmsetup started in process 6908 ]========== ccmsetup
Running on platform X64
Detected client installed with version '5.00.9068.1026' ccmsetup
Updated security on object C:\Windows\ccmsetup\cache\. ccmsetup
Launch from folder C:\Windows\ccmsetup\ ccmsetup
CcmSetup version: 5.0.9068.1026 ccmsetup
Folder 'Microsoft\Microsoft\Configuration Manager' not found. Task does not exist.
Folder 'Microsoft\Microsoft\Configuration Manager' not found. Task does not exist.
Updating MDM_ConfigSetting.ClientDeploymentErrorCode with value 0
[CORPM1] Running on 'Microsoft Windows 10 Pro' (10.0.19044). Service Pack (0.0). SuiteMask = 272. Product Type = 18 ccmsetup
Ccmsetup command line: "C:\Windows\ccmsetup\ccmsetup.exe" /uninstall
Task 'Configuration Manager Client Retry Task' does not exist
Uninstalling product '{D95FAB92-2BDF-488A-BE50-22B7C7C724D5}'.
Running installation package
Product: {D95FAB92-2BDF-488A-BE50-22B7C7C724D5}
Log: C:\Windows\ccmsetup\Logs\client.msi_uninstall.log
Properties:
MSI: Action 18:32:59: CcmRemoveSystemTask. Deletes a System Task from WMI.
MSI: Action 18:32:59: CcmRemoveEndpoint. Removes endpoint gathered in the action CcmRemoveEndpointsInit with WMI
MSI: Action 18:33:13: RemoveRegistryValues. Removing system registry values
Uninstall of product '{D95FAB92-2BDF-488A-BE50-22B7C7C724D5}' succeeded.
Uninstall succeeded.
Deleted file C:\Windows\ccmsetup\ccmsetup.cab ccmsetup
Failed to delete file '\\?\C:\Windows\ccmsetup\ccmsetup.exe' (5). Moving it to 'C:\CCM466F.tmp' and queuing for deletion on reboot.
Unable to load profiler: 0x80070002 ccmsetup
Could not retrieve value for MDM_ConfigSetting . Error 0x80041002
CcmSetup is exiting with return code 0 ccmsetup
The below log snippet is of client.msi_uninstall.log from the C:\Windows\ccmsetup\Logs path on the client computer. This log file records the details of the SCCM client agent uninstall.
MSI (s) (50:B0) [17:40:37:417]: Product: Configuration Manager Client -- Removal completed successfully.
MSI (s) (50:B0) [17:40:37:417]: Windows Installer removed the product. Product Name: Configuration Manager Client. Product Version: 5.00.9068.1000. Product Language: 1033. Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation. Removal success or error status: 0.
MSI (s) (50:B0) [17:40:37:417]: Value of RebootAction property is
MSI (s) (50:B0) [17:40:37:417]: Windows Installer requires a system restart. Product Name: Configuration Manager Client. Product Version: 5.00.9068.1000. Product Language: 1033. Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation. Type of System Restart: 2. Reason for Restart: 1.
MSI (s) (50:B0) [17:40:37:417]: Product: Configuration Manager Client. Restart required. The installation or update for the product required a restart for all changes to take effect. The restart was deferred to a later time.
MSI (s) (50:B0) [17:40:37:433]: Deferring clean up of packages/files, if any exist
MSI (s) (50:B0) [17:40:37:433]: MainEngineThread is returning 3010
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: RESTART MANAGER: Session closed.
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: No System Restore sequence number for this installation.
=== Logging stopped: 3/28/2022 17:40:37 ===
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: User policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: Incrementing counter to disable shutdown. Counter after increment: 0
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Rollback\Scripts 3: 2
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: Note: 1: 2265 2: 3: -2147287035
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Rollback\Scripts 3: 2
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: Decrementing counter to disable shutdown. If counter >= 0, shutdown will be denied. Counter after decrement: -1
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:433]: Post-install cleanup: removing installer file 'C:\Windows\Installer\11e95ea.msi'
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:449]: Post-install cleanup: removing installer file 'C:\Windows\Installer\11e95eb.msp'
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:449]: Post-install cleanup: removing installer file 'C:\Windows\Installer\188253b.msp'
MSI (s) (50:64) [17:40:37:449]: Destroying RemoteAPI object.
MSI (s) (50:24) [17:40:37:449]: Custom Action Manager thread ending.
MSI (c) (B0:CC) [17:40:37:449]: Decrementing counter to disable shutdown. If counter >= 0, shutdown will be denied. Counter after decrement: -1
MSI (c) (B0:CC) [17:40:37:449]: MainEngineThread is returning 3010
Final Thoughts
You can remove SCCM client using any of the techniques described in this post. Select the strategy that will work best for your business. ConfigMgr agent installation is required in order to manage computers using SCCM. Therefore, make sure that the SCCM agent is running on all of your devices.
Excellent
Hi Jesse, Can you share me the powershell script which you have created for manually removing ccm client. Thanks!
Pushing the client install from sccm console with “Always install client” and without “uninstall previous” fixed it for me. Now the client works properly and it can be uninstalled using normal means.
Uninstall methods 1 and 2 didn’t work, and manual reinstall failed propably because it found the previous client from registry. I was preparing to go through the deep uninstall steps described by Jesse, but I found an easier way that works straight from console so I’m sharing it.
These were the steps I was given by MSFT for a “deep” uninstall of the Client:
Manual uninstall client:
Run the command : ccmsetup.exe /uninstall
Check below given things, if present then remove manually.
1. SMS Agent Host Service
2. CCMSetup service (if present)
3. \windows\ccm directory
4. \windows\ccmsetup directory
5. \windows\ccmcache directory
6. \windows\smscfg.ini
7. \windows\sms*.mif (if present)
8. HKLM\software\Microsoft\ccm registry keys
9. HKLM\software\Microsoft\CCMSETUP registry keys
10. HKLM\software\Microsoft\SMS registry keys
11. root\cimv2\sms WMI namespace
12. root\ccm WMI namespace
13. In Task Scheduler library, under “Microsoft” delete the “Configuration Manager” folder and any tasks within it.
14. In the Machine Certificate store delete any certs under the SMS\certificates folder
I turned these into a powershell script so our technicians can run it easily if required. It lacks logging or error checking, but it works.
Hi Jesse, Can you share me the powershell script which you have created for manually removing ccm client. Thanks in advance…