Snow Inventory Agent for Windows: Activating 'Snow web application metering' causes pre-existing chrome extension to malfunction

Issue

Walkme extension doesn't work anymore since the activation of webmetering and installations of the webmetering Chrome extension on all the machines. All workstations and Citrix servers are effected.

Questions:

• While other Chrome extensions are deployed with user policy, why is this webmetering chrome extension deployed with machine policy?
• How can we delete webmetering extension completely from the machine?
• When removing the webmetering.rules, the chrome extension will also be removed. Will this be removed permanently or wil this be pushed back, for example by a reboot?
• What exactly changes or added during the installation of the webmetering extension? Are there registry key overwrited for example?
• Does this extension take into account that there are pre existing keys?

Environment

• Inventory 5.2.2
• Snow agent 5.2.3
• SLM 8.2.4

Analysis

Performed troubleshooting steps:

• Deleted webmetering.rules.
• Uninstalled Snowagent (webmetering extension still available in Chrome).
• Disabled webmetering in the Snow Inventory server.
• Removed the registry key of webmetering extension.
• Added an extra registry key through SCCM package"HKLM\software\policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist /v 999 /t REG_SZ /d iffnipbkkgbgeffippbaldmgdpealpdd;https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.maketutorial.com/extension/walkme_extension_update.xml /f". This fixed the issue on the client machines. However the issue still remains on the Citrix servers.

Resolution

Answers to the questions asked above:
Q: What changes (in the environment) when Snow web application metering has been enabled? (which regkeys are being added / are other keys left alone not overwrited in the registry?
A: We add a key (using the first available number, starting at 1) to this registry, in HKLM: Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist to force Chrome to install our extension. We also write a key to HKLM\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts pointing to our native host.

Q: How it is avoided that other existing chrome extensions are blocked during activation?
A: The documentation here<https://www.chromium.org/administrators/policy-list-3#ExtensionInstallForcelist> does not state anything about using ExtensionInstallForcelist would prevent other extensions to function. As such we take no special precautions. Our testing has shown no issues with other extensions being uninstalled/stopped working.

Q: How can we roll back this webmetering activation, so that the state before the enroll can be recovered?
A: Simply disable cloud metering, that will cause the rules file to be deleted on the agent side after the next synch with the server, which in turn will uninstall the extension.

Q: While other Chrome extensions are deployed with user policy, why is this webmetering chrome extension deployed with machine policy?
A: Using HKLM enables us to install for all users at once.

Q: When removing the webmetering.rules, the chrome extension will also be removed. Will this be removed permanently or wil this be pushed back, for example by a reboot?
A: If the Inventory Server provides a new file with cloud rules, then the agent will once again install the extension. (In the upcoming release you’ll be able to enable/disable extensions on a per-browser basis.)

 

Workaround

Stop the Inventory Agent Service, remove thewebmetering.rules file exists in the agent root folder, the agent will then remove the registry entry and the extension will not be installed when chrome runs the next time, restart Inventory agent service, restart Chrome.
If you need the metering Extension, you can install it manually from this location.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/snow-web-application-mete/blojlgglhfcmpigjbkllcgjmhincdjhb