Issue
When installing the Teramind Agent on Windows, you may encounter an error message stating:
"RundDLLThere was a problem starting <file>
<file> is not a valid Win32 application."
Where <file> is the path and file name. For example, C:\windows\Installer\MSI8421.tmp. In most cases, this happens with the Stealth Agent's MSI installer:
Possible Causes
This typically indicates that the installer cannot access the necessary system components or that the download was corrupted. Follow these steps to resolve the issue.
Solutions
Address Antivirus/EDR/Firewall Interference
Modern security software may block the RunDLL32.exe process from executing the Teramind modules during setup. Temporarily disable your antivirus software or add the Essential Exclusions and the Temporary Exclusions to the software’s exclusion/whitelist. Check out the Antivirus & EDR Configuration Guide for more information. Additionally, if your antivirus or EDR has a "Behavioral Shield" or "Sandbox" feature (such as Avast, AVG, or Comodo), it is often necessary to disable it temporarily during the installation in addition to adding these path exclusions.
Verify User Permissions and Installer Source
The Agent requires full administrative privileges to register system modules. You must ensure you are logged into the target computer with an account that has administrator rights before running the installer. Also, try running the installer by right-clicking it and selecting Run as administrator.
Check for Corrupted Installation Files
A RunDLL error often occurs if the .msi file is corrupted or incomplete. Try downloading a fresh copy from the System > Download Agent screen.
Update System Dependencies
The RunDLL error can also be triggered if the Windows operating system is missing required libraries, specifically the Microsoft .NET Framework. Teramind requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or higher to be installed on the machine. If the framework is missing or outdated, download it from the official Microsoft website, restart the computer, and attempt the Teramind Agent installation again.
Use Command Line for Detailed Logging
If the standard installation continues to show RunDLL errors, run the installer via the command line with logging enabled to identify the specific missing module. For example:
msiexec /i <path_to_agent.msi> /l*v "C:\TM_Install.log"
Review the generated log file for "Return Value 3" or specific file path errors, which will indicate exactly which part of the system is preventing the RunDLL process from completing.