How to prevent Cisco VPN client version 5.0.4.0300 installation from bluescreening Windows 7 x32 Build 7000

Updated with notes from JoshP - 100% working:
I have tried many--many different ways to get the Cisco VPN client install on Windows 7--all resulting in BSOD (ndis.sys). I have found the following procedure has worked 100% of the time on multiple hardware platforms (including VMware):

1. Install Cisco DNEupdate.
2. Reboot
3. Take ownership and delete ndis.sys (in c:\windows\system32\drivers).
4. Take ownership and delete ndis.sys.mui (in c:\windows\system32\drivers\en-us).
5. Install Cisco VPN Client 5.0.04.0300.
6. Reboot
7. Windows 7 will repair itself (should take a few seconds) and automatically reboot.
8. Cisco VPN Client should work without any other tweaks.

Original blog post below:

Method #1 (Need more reports on this one):
1. Install the Citrix DNE update before installing any VPN client.
2. Install VPN Client 5.0.4.0300. (or above if a newer version is available)
3. Connect as usual.

Method #2 (Does not always work):
1. Install VPN Client 5.0.4.0300. (or above if a newer version is available) Do not reboot yet.
2. Install the Citrix DNE update. Do not reboot yet.
3. Take ownership of %windir%\system32\drivers\ndis.sys
4. Delete %windir%\system32\drivers\ndis.sys
5. Reboot. System will try to fix itself. Leave all defaults and allow it to repair.
6. Reboot again and login.
7. Restart the Cisco VPN client service.
8. Connect as usual.

Thanks to the helpful people in this thread here, particularly htwnrver.

Method #3 (If Method #2 seems to fail):
#1. Perform method #2.
#2. If you still get blue screens from ndis.sys, press [F8] at boot and use 'Last Known Good Configuration' as the boot option.
#3. Repair the Cisco VPN Client.
#4. Connect as usual.

It is temperamental to get install, but I have it working 100% now, without manually entering DNS entries, default gateway or routes.

Update: Cisco VPN Client version 5.0.05.028 seems to fix the problem.

Update 2: It looks like v5.0.05.028 still has the blue screen problem.

Posted by Aaron Tiensivu in 7, Microsoft, Windows OS at 21:11 | Comments (11) | Trackbacks (2)

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How to prevent Cisco VPN client blue screening Windows 7 x32 Build 7000
How to prevent Cisco VPN client blue screening Windows 7 x32 Build 7000

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The first method works fine!

Before I started this method, i've uninstalled the driver of my wireless network card. After the reboot Windows install's it back again.

Method #1 (Need more reports on this one):
1. Uninstal wireless network driver
2. Install the Citrix DNE update before installing any VPN client.
3. Install VPN Client 5.0.4.0300. (or above if a newer version is available)
4. Connect as usual.

#1 Bertram on 2009-01-13 02:55 (Reply)

Wow Aaron, I hope Google does you well and gets you up in the search results! Thanks so much for putting together this post, I have wasted hours on this issue and have actually come to a happy medium between two of your solutions. My workaround ended up being as follows:

1. Install DNE Update and reboot
2. Install VPN Client and DON'T reboot
3. Take ownership of ndis.sys and delete it
4. Reboot, let the repair do its stuff and reboot again
5. Log in, load the client and confirm all is well

Talk about a pain the neck, but I'm glad there was something to remind me I'm running a beta! All my other apps have run perfectly so far.

#2 Richard Thornton on 2009-01-13 22:17 (Reply)

For what it's worth, Method #1 worked for me on an update (not clean) install of Windows 7. Thanks very much for posting this information!

#3 Randy Warner on 2009-01-15 04:11 (Reply)

I used method #1 and it worked for me - I also like Randy did an inplace upgrade from Vista to Windows 7.

Thanks Aaron

#4 Chris Crowe (Homepage) on 2009-01-15 17:03 (Reply)

I have tried many--many different ways to get the Cisco VPN client install on Windows 7--all resulting in BSOD (ndis.sys). I have found the following procedure has worked 100% of the time on multiple hardware platforms (including VMware):

1. Install Cisco DNEupdate.
2. Reboot
3. Take ownership and delete ndis.sys (in c:\windows\system32\drivers).
4. Take ownership and delete ndis.sys.mui (in c:\windows\system32\drivers\en-us).
5. Install Cisco VPN Client 5.0.04.0300.
6. Reboot
7. Windows 7 will repair itself (should take a few seconds) and automatically reboot.
8. Cisco VPN Client should work without any other tweaks.

Hope this helps.

#5 joshP on 2009-01-16 00:08 (Reply)

I tried all three methods in the first post and did not have positive results. No matter what I did (other than a reverting to a previous system restore point) would not get me past the BSOD on a corrupted ndis.sys file.

I followed JoshP's procedure and it worked for me as well.

Thanks for posting your procedure!

#5.1 Steve on 2009-01-31 09:03 (Reply)

This is technically incorrect. I was having problems scripting this workaround, and it turns out that an extra step is required after taking ownership (using icacls to assign permissions). Example code:

objWSHShell.Run "takeown.exe /F """ & strWinDir & "system32\drivers\ndis.sys""",,True

objWSHShell.Run "icacls.exe """ & strWinDir & "system32\drivers\ndis.sys"" /grant administrators:F",,True

objWSHShell.Run "cmd /c del /F /Q """ & strWinDir & "system32\drivers\ndis.sys""",,True

objWSHShell.Run "takeown.exe /F """ & strWinDir & "system32\drivers\en-us\ndis.sys.mui""",,True

objWSHShell.Run "icacls.exe """ & strWinDir & "system32\drivers\en-us\ndis.sys.mui"" /grant administrators:F",,True

objWSHShell.Run "cmd /c del /F /Q """ & strWinDir & "system32\drivers\en-us\ndis.sys.mui""",,True

#5.2 Frank Lesniak on 2009-02-02 17:17 (Reply)

Actually, now I'm having a weird issue. I'm testing out an image build task sequence with Windows 7. After sysprep runs, MDT is supposed to apply WinPE, reboot into WinPE, and capture an image.

What *is* happening is that the Cisco VPN client gets installed per the above instructions, the computer reboots, sysprep runs, and then the VM I'm using loses network connectivity. If I go into Device Manager, I see the virtual wired NIC and the Cisco VPN client NICs. However, if I go to network connections, only the Cisco VPN adapter is listed (obviously, it's disabled). The virtual wired NIC is not listed. So what ends up happening is that sysprep completes, the VM loses network connectivity, and then the task sequence errors out with the error:

Non-zero return code executing command "C:\MININT\Tools\X86\TsmBootstrap.exe" /env:SAContinue, rc = -2147467259

There are no additional errors, and no errors logged in any of the sysprep logs.

Anyone else having this problem, or found a solution?

#5.2.1 Frank Lesniak on 2009-02-02 19:05 (Reply)

Does this also work with v5.0.3.0560? I'm trying to get hold of a later version but that's the one I had working on Vista and I wondered if anyone had tried it on 7?

#6 Mark Wilson (Homepage) on 2009-02-04 12:22 (Reply)

Thank you for posting this!!!

I can confirm that the JoshP method worked for me, with the addition of the need to set full control permissions after taking ownership (as noted above by Frank Lesniak).

I used v5.0.3.0560 (haven't got hold of v4.0.4.0300 yet). Not sure if that's going to come back and haunt me later but it managed to install and successfully connect to my corporate VPN server.

#7 Mark Wilson (Homepage) on 2009-02-04 13:36 (Reply)

In JoshP's update, 100% working method, he says to install "Cisco DNE Update", which should read "Citrix DNE Update". Just a note. Also, thanks a bunch for the method, worked flawlessly.

#8 Marcus on 2009-03-12 16:14 (Reply)

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