How to Use ConfigMgr SCCM Tool Client Spy CliSpy exe Endpoint Manager

How to Use ConfigMgr SCCM Tool Client Spy CliSpy exe Endpoint Manager. Client Spy is System Center Configuration Manager Client Troubleshooting Tool.

Client Spy can be used to troubleshoot software distribution, Inventory, and Metering Issues. Have you ever played with CliSpy.exe? If not, start using it.

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How to Use ConfigMgr SCCM Tool Client Spy CliSpy exe Endpoint Manager

In this post, I‘m trying to explore the Client Spy tool in more detail how it can be used more effectively. The documentation provided with this toolkit is excellent (ToolkitHelp). However, I’ve seen many of us never look into those documentations.

Client Spy is part of ConfigMgr2012 Toolkit and can be downloaded from the This LINK

If you want to connect to the remote computer using Client Spy, then select Tools –> Connect.

As mentioned above, this is the SCCM 2012 client-side troubleshooting tool that can help you with the troubleshooting of :

Software Distribution

Inventory

Software Metering

And to Export or Save these Details to a file

Courtesy to “ToolKitHelp” Document available with ConfigMgr2012 Toolkit. (Don’t blame if you’re NOT reading this line and putting comment that this is TOOO BADDD or something like that )

Software Distribution Tabs

There are FOUR Tabs available under the Software Distribution tab, and those are explained below. To troubleshoot software distribution issues like the application is not getting installed, Advertisements are not showing, etc.

Select Tools –> Software Distribution.

a) Software Distribution Execution Requests Tab

This tab displays all existing program (Currently running programs or advertisements) run requests, including system (computer) run requests and user run requests for all users, including the currently logged-on user.

Note that the below example is an “optional request” program, which is the ICON meaning shown in the screenshot.

b) Software Distribution History Tab.

This tab contains information about all previously run programs. This information is stored in the registry. This is the famous advertisement execution history

Registry Details – ……….Microsoft\SMS\Mobile Client\Software Distribution\Execution History\

c) Software Distribution Cache Information Tab

This tab will get you the details of Cache folder location, Maximum Cache Size, etc. There are three main items on this tab: Cache Configuration, Cached Items (list of already cached items in the cache folder), and Downloading Items (Currently downloading items into cache folder).

d) Software Distribution Pending Executions

All the details related to “Mandatory Advertisements With Future Executions,” “Optional Advertisements,” and “Past Mandatory Advertisements With No Future Scheduled Executions are available” under this tab.

Note – Package name information is only available for packages that have advertised policies associated with them on the computer being viewed. Packages that no longer have available policies related to them display the message “Package Name No Longer Available.”

Inventory Tab

The inventory tab will provide you with the details of all the inventory processes ENABLED and carried out for that particular machine or system. You can also get the following information from the ToolKitHelp document.

a. Software Inventory – Contains the date that the last cycle started, the date of the last report, and the minor and major versions of the last report.

b. File Collection – Contains the date that the last cycle started, the date of the last report, and the minor and major versions of the last report.

c. Hardware Inventory – Contains the date that the last cycle started, the date of the last report, and the minor and major versions of the last report.

d. IDMIF Collection – Contains the date that the last cycle started, the date of the last report, and the minor and major versions of the last report. (In my picture below, there is no IDMIF file Collection TAB because I’ve NOT enabled IDMIF Collection)

e. DDR – Contains the date that the last cycle started, the date of the last report, and the minor and major versions of the last report. The DDR information is also displayed in a subtree.

Software Metering Tab

I’ve not enabled Software Metering. That is why there are no details available in the screenshot below. If you’ve enabled software metering in your environment, you might see the following fields.

a. Explorer file name, b. Original file name, c. Rule ID, d. File version and e. Language

How to : Export or Save the Details to a file

If you want to export these details into a TEXT file, then select Tool –> “Save Current Tab to File” (CTRL + T) or “Save All Tabs to File”(CTRL + A) option/s.

The “Inventory Information.txt” file will get created @ ConfigMgr 2012  Toolkit installation directory. In my case, it’s “C:\Program Files\ConfigMgr 2012 Toolkit\ClientTools.”

Author

Anoop is Microsoft MVP! He is a Solution Architect in enterprise client management with more than 20 years of experience (calculation done in 2021) in IT. He is a blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group HTMD Community leader. His main focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM 2012, Current Branch, and Intune. E writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc…