All the files that the root of drive C contains may be deleted when you run Scanwrapper.exe on a Systems Management Server 2003 client

SYMPTOMS

When you execute Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 security update scanning tool (Scanwrapper.exe) on a client, all files that the root of drive C includes may be deleted.

When you attempt to restart the SMS 2003 client, you get following error message throughout the system startup process:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: NTLDR.
As well, the following error may be logged in the Scanwrapper.log file if you circulated Scanwrapper.exe by using SMS 2003:

ERROR: Failed to create folder C:\WINNT\system32\VPCache\<Put Package ID here>\. GetLastError() = 123.

CAUSE

This happens when Scan.ini file have following symbols around or in security update package ID entry in the ID field:
• Angle brackets (<>)
• Backward slash (\)
• Forward slash (/)
• Colon (
• Question mark (?)
• Quotation mark (")
• Vertical bar (|)

This also happens if you add the default Scan.ini file to the SMS 2003 security update package yourself. The default Scan.ini file have following text in the ID field:

ID=<Put Package ID here>

RESOLUTION

Service pack information
To solve this problem, take the most recent service pack for SMS 2003.

WORK AROUND

Windows Recovery Console can be used or backup of the files can be restored to solve this problem if this problem happens after you restart the SMS 2003 client.

If Scanwrapper.exe executed on SMS 2003 client but you did not restart the SMS 2003 client, you can duplicate potentially deleted startup files from other PC. The source PC must have the same hardware and the same operating system edition as the destination PC.