IT44950: MFT agent running as a Windows service fails to start with the error "%1 is not a valid Win32 application"

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• An IBM MQ Managed File Transfer (MFT) agent is configured to run
  as a Windows service. However, attempts to start the agent fail
  with the error:
  
  %1 is not a valid Win32 application
  

Local fix

• Can look to modify the Service Entry via regedit.exe
  
  	- Use the Registry editor to navigate to:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\<ServiceNam
  e>.
  &#09;- Double-click the ImagePath Value Name and ImagePath
  Starts with some like:
  &#09;
        C:\Program Files\IBM\MQ\bin64\mqmftpcservice.exe
  
        Look to surround this with double quotes:
  
        "C:\Program Files\IBM\MQ\bin64\mqmftpcservice.exe"
  
        Ensuring that the rest of the contents remains the same.
  
  &#09;- Press OK.
  &#09;- Save changes.
  &#09;- Exit the Registry Editor.
  
  &#09;Warning: Exercise extreme caution when using the Registry
  Editor. If you edit the registry incorrectly, serious problems
  might occur that could require a complete reinstall of the
  operating system and result in data loss.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  USERS AFFECTED:
  This issue affects users of IBM MQ Managed File Transfer (MFT),
  who have agents running as a Windows service.
  
  
  Platforms affected:
  Windows
  
  ****************************************************************
  PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
  When an IBM MQ Managed File Transfer (MFT) agent is configured
  to run as a Windows service, the service definition is stored in
  the Windows registry. The definition contains a key called
  ImagePath, which specifies the fully qualified path to the
  mqmftpcservice.exe executable that should be run when the
  service starts up, along with various other parameters. Windows
  uses this key when launching the service.
  
  When an agent was registered as a Windows service, using either
  the fteCreateAgent or fteModifyAgent commands, then the path to
  the mqmftpcservice.exe executable in the ImagePath was not
  surrounded in double quotes. This meant that IBM MQ MFT was
  installed into a directory path that contained a space, such as
  the default installation location of:
  
  C:\Program Files\IBM\MQ
  
  then (depending on the Windows configuration), the agent would
  fail to start as a service and the following error message would
  be reported:
  
  %1 is not a valid Win32 application
  

Problem conclusion

• To resolve this issue, the fteCreateAgent and fteModifyAgent
  commands have been updated to surround the fully qualified path
  to the mqmftpcservice.exe executable in the ImagePath entry with
  double quotes when creating or modifying the Windows service
  definition for an agent. This ensures that the ImagePath for the
  definition looks something like this:
  
  ImagePath: "C:\Program Files\IBM\MQ\bin64\mqmftpcservice.exe"
  mqmftAgentAGENT3QM1
  C:\ProgramData\IBM\MQ\mqft\logs\QM1\agents\AGENT3 Info
  -appId=AGENT3@QM1 ......
  
  which allows Windows to correctly locate the executable when
  starting the agent as a Windows service.
  
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  The fix is targeted for delivery in the following PTFs:
  
  Version    Maintenance Level
  v9.3 LTS   9.3.0.20
  v9.4 LTS   9.4.0.0
  
  The latest available maintenance can be obtained from
  'IBM MQ Recommended Fixes'
  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/recommended-fixes-ibm-mq
  
  If the maintenance level is not yet available information on
  its planned availability can be found in 'IBM MQ
  Planned Maintenance Release Dates'
  https://ibm.biz/mqplannedmaintenance
  
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  MQ BASE V9.3

• Fixed component ID

  5724H7291

Applicable component levels