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AnyConnect Won't Open After Restart

MS509
Level 1
Level 1

Having issues for AnyConnect 4.6.00362 on Windows 10 Pro Version 1803 build 17134.285. It has started within the last week and was working fine before that. It has worked since the latest Windows updates have been installed. What is happening is it will not open so you can login. If I wipe the AnyConnect install and reinstall it will work with no issue until the computer is restarted at which time it will no longer open. Tried adjusting compatibility and user rights with no changes. I can repeat this (uninstall and reinstall) and get it working again but after a restart it's back to not working. Event Viewer shows an application error for it each time you try to open it. This is what I'm getting in event viewer:

 

Faulting application name: vpnui.exe, version: 4.6.362.0, time stamp: 0x5aad7e02
Faulting module name: vpnapi.dll, version: 4.6.362.0, time stamp: 0x5aad7c10
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00013a7d
Faulting process id: 0x2320
Faulting application start time: 0x01d45f4c3df29e37
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client\vpnui.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client\vpnapi.dll
Report Id: fa7716f5-40ca-4381-b7e7-5b8fb3f6028a
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

 

and

 

Faulting application name: vpnui.exe, version: 4.6.362.0, time stamp: 0x5aad7e02
Faulting module name: vpnapi.dll, version: 4.6.362.0, time stamp: 0x5aad7c10
Exception code: 0xc000041d
Fault offset: 0x00013a7d
Faulting process id: 0x2320
Faulting application start time: 0x01d45f4c3df29e37
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client\vpnui.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client\vpnapi.dll
Report Id: b25d484e-2622-4749-8541-2fafb21a26c9
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

 

Any help is appreciated

 

 

7 Replies 7

MS509
Level 1
Level 1

So I've narrowed it down to the preferences xml file at %userprofile%\appdata\local\Cisco for a work around. If you blow this file away after a restart and renter the info when you open AnyConnect it works fine until the next reboot. At which time you are not able to open AnyConnect until you blow this file away. Any thoughts on what's causing this?

On one hand I'm so glad you posted this as I've found a way to get the AnyConnect client to work. On the other hand this isn't at all a solution for the users in the field that need to connect.

This is also happening on Windows 7 SP1, on PCs that haven't been updated since 2016 to PCs with the latest updates.

Cisco AnyConnect 4.6.02074 has this bug.
Cisco AnyConnect 4.6.03049 has this bug.

Does anyone have a solution!?

With your inspiration I was able to diagnose the bug further:

 

When this line appears with any target host in preferences.xml, the AnyConnect client won't open:

<DefaultHostName>hostaddress</DefaultHostName>

 

However, any of the following lines are fine, they will not create the issue: 

<AnyConnectPreferences>
<DefaultUser>username</DefaultUser>
<ClientCertificateThumbprint></ClientCertificateThumbprint>
<DefaultGroup>AnyConnect</DefaultGroup>
<ControllablePreferences>
<AutoConnectOnStart>true</AutoConnectOnStart>
<LocalLanAccess>true</LocalLanAccess>
<BlockUntrustedServers>false</BlockUntrustedServers></ControllablePreferences>
</AnyConnectPreferences>

 

So far my workaround is to delete the DefaultHostName, set the file to read-only, and then have the users punch in the host name. Inconvenient but at least it's working for now.

 

Edit: If you don't set the file to read-only, the AnyConnect program will save over with the DefaultHostName so basically it breaks itself with this bug.

I was able to 'fix' the issue on every laptop that had the issue which is basically most of them, removed DefaultHostName from preferences.xml, set file to read-only, client loads each time but you have to enter the hostname.

Does anyone know how you can pass the hostname to the program without using the preferences.xml until Cisco one day fixes this severe bug?

Glad you are able to get a work around. I had just saved a file to blow out that that file on startup and made a How To with all the info for the users. Yours seems like less for them to reenter. It seems to be randomly occurring on my end (all Windows 10) different versions and patching levels as well while testing it. If you blow away the Windows install and reinstall it usually fixes it, but it's about a 50/50 chance in comes back in my experience. So definitely not a fix or something that should have to be done. I wish there was a actual fix for it instead of the work a rounds. Hopefully a newer version of AnyConnect will be released that addresses this or the root cause can be located.

This work-around succeeded for me on my home system (Win10 1809), connecting to office VPN (Cisco ASA 5516-X). AnyConnect client version is 4.6.3049.0.
I'll see about opening a TAC case. Anyone else have a case number for this issue?

RinatSharifov
Level 1
Level 1

I had this problem too on Windows 10. So uninstall AnyConnect, delete the XML prefs file "AppData\Local\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client\preferences.xml", and reinstall.

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