ACE Client started off as a Visual Basic Application in 2001.  However, the application was re-written in 2006 for the .net framework, which then allowed for future compatibility with Windows Vista and beyond.

If you are still using ACE Client v11.x (Or Older Versions before 2006) then you will need to follow this article to uninstall and upgrade to the latest version of ACE Client.  It is also important to understand that the post 2006 versions of ACE Client (Any version 1.3 or later release) works very differently to the older v11.x versions.  So we would suggest testing the below uninstall and install on a small section of computers before mass upgrade.

 

There are two reasons why older ACE Clients won't simply 'upgrade' by installing the latest ACE Client MSI file:

1. The tcp port 9487 is usually in use by the older v11.x ACEclient.exe application (Therefore the new install cannot start its network service, and fails)
2. The Version Numbers of older ACE Client installs is GREATER then the current release!  Pre 2006 installations used the version tag 11.x.x therefore the newer (post .net release of ACE Client and ACEmessage) use v1.x.x therefore most system management tools won't upgrade the system due to version differences.

Therefore the only method to upgrade older ACE Client v11.x installations is to completely uninstall them, and install the new version from scratch.  As most companies do not have access to the original install media, we have created a simple tool which you can run from any desktop in your organization.  This tool can uninstall ACE Client v11.x from computers which are provided in a list like format.

 

Uninstalling ACE Client v11.x using our Uninstall Tool

The latest ACE Client installer (ACEclnt.msi) will not install correctly if you simply execute the installer on a computer with v11.x or older 2006 versions.  You will need to uninstall the older version using the tool below (or following the below manual method).  We supply a tool below which can be run (With Administrator permissions) from a desktop within your organisation.

 

1. Download the ACE Client Uninstall Tool at:  Support and Downloads
2. Extract the ACEUninstall.exe file from the downloaded ZIP.  Run the ACEUninstall.exe file as an Administrator (or equivalant privalages)
3. When it opens, enter your list of computers under the Computer List area which are currently running ACE Client v11.x, like the image below.

 

Note that the computers are listed one per line, this could be the HOSTNAME, DNS NAME or IP Address of the target computer.  When you have listed all of your computers in this list, simply click the Uninstall button.

By Default the Path to Installed Files is set to the default path which ACE Client PROBABLY used, if you installed ACE Client into a different directory then you will need to list that path here (As it would be on the target computer!)  Therefore if you installed ACE Client v11.x into D:\Apps\Clients\ then you would have to list that exact path in the Path to Installed Files area.  Don't forget the ending \  !!!

 

What the Tool Does

The ACE Client Uninstall tool performs the following tasks remotely:

1. PINGS the target Computer to make sure its available for further processing
2. Stops the "ACE Client Messenger" service (Therefore kills the running ACEclient.exe process)
3. Deletes the Service from the registry
4. Deletes the files which make up ACE Client v11.x

It is important to understand that the tool can take a while to run (approx 30 seconds per computer listed).  Therefore the program will be 'unresponsive' during this time.  Please just wait until the computers are listed in the bottom right window with their result.  After using the above tool you will be able to successfully deploy the latest install of ACE Client using your chosen distribution method.
 

 

Manual Uninstall of ACE Client v11.x

To manually uninstall ACE Client v11.x, you need to perform a series of steps as outlined below.  You could create a windows script or batch file to perform them on user login (With the correct running credentials)

1. Launch services.msc and STOP then DISABLE the ACE Client Messenger service
2. Delete the following files from the ACE Client Installation directory (By Default:   C:\Program Files\ACEmessage\) :

• ACEclient.exe
• ACEclient.ini
• notify.wav
• wait.htm