RdrServicesUpdater.exe error 0xc0000142 when Reader exits
It seems that there are lots of problems lately with Reader and updater, but no clear patterns emerging. We are seeing this for a single Server 2012R2 RDS server, and the process appears to be as follows:
- Open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- Close Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- Closing it triggers an update cycle, spawning msiexec.exe
- msiexec.exe in turn spawns RdrServicesUpdater.exe which for some reason is launched with invalid impersonation and dies with error 0xc0000142
- WerFault.exe is then spawned to handle the crash, still as the impersonated user, and likewise dies of 0xc0000142
Checking with Process Explorer and quser/Session Shadow, it would appear that RdrServicesUpdater.exe is being forcibly impersonated as the user with the oldest-running active session on the server, but inside the session of the person who opened and closed reader. Error 0xc0000142 is strongly associated with programming errors relating to impersonation, and it’s likely that this is all related. Even if I launch Reader elevated, the same sequence occurs.
Strangely, I cannot reproduce this on other RDS servers, either Server 2016 or 2012R2. This one server has developed the fault spontaneously. Uninstallation of Reader, removal of all of its Program Files content and then reinstallation has had no effect. Reader was on the latest version before and and after.
Whatever is happening seems suspiciously related to other complaints of similar problems, and may have the same underlying cause even if the manifestations of the problems differ according to what Reader feels like doing on each server.
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