Can't uninstall FortiClient in Linux due to EMS and deregistration password

[industrialWork46]

Hello

I'm facing a problem regarding uninstalling FortiClient to install a different version.

I'm on Linux (Kubuntu 19.10). When I try to uninstall FortiClient ( sudo apt-get purge forticlient or sudo apt-get remove forticlient ) I can't because "Unable to uninstall forticlient while connected to EMS". But when I try to disconnect from EMS ( sudo /opt/forticlient/epctrl -u ) it asks me for a "deregistration password". It's the same when I try to disconnect it from the GUI:



However, I don't have this password. I found a link about a "password recovery tool", but it is for Windows, and I don't have any program like that in the /opt/forticlient folder

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/forticlient/7.2.4/ems-administration-guide/543835/using-the-passw...

For what I remember, I installed my version of FortiClient from the company I formerly worked with (to access their VPN), so maybe it was a different version than the free one where I can have full control of the program.

Is there a way to get this password in Linux, or to force EMS deregisteration and/or uninstalling?

Thanks in advance

[Anthony_E]

Hello,

Thank you for using the Community Forum. I will seek to get you an answer or help. We will reply to this thread with an update as soon as possible.

Thanks,

[Anthony_E]

Hello,

We are still looking for someone to help you.

We will come back to you ASAP.

Regards,

[Anthony_E]

Hello @AEK,

I hope you are doing well. May I request your super user ( :) ) expertise, please?

Thank you!

[AEK]

Hi @industrialWork46 

Since you are asking then I guess you don't have access to EMS or you can't contact EMS admin so he disconnects/deregister your FortiClient for you.

In that case I couldn't find an official method to fix your problem on Linux but you can still try the following:

1. Stop FortiClient
2. Double-check with ps -ef and kill any running FortiClient related process
3. Rename /opt/forticlient/.fct_ec_registered. If you can't find the file in the mentioned folder try find it with find / -name .fct_ec_registered
4. Run again sudo apt-get remove forticlient
5. In case it doesn't work then boot your system in single user mode and try the procedure again
6. In case the procedures fails roll-back the above change

Hope it helps.

[Anthony_E]

Thanks a ton Abdelkrim!!

[ebilcari]

It seems that your previous company has enforced via EMS "Require Password to Disconnect from EMS" and preventing "Allow User to Shutdown When Registered to EMS".

Can you try to remove this file "sudo rm /opt/forticlient/.fct_ec_registered" and than try to stop and uninstall FCT?

Disconnect Forticlient from EMS:

/opt/forticlient/epctrl -u

Uninstall FortiClient:
sudo apt-get remove forticlient

[industrialWork46 · Accepted solution]

Hello, everyone, sorry for the late reply, I forgot to reply here when my problem was solved.

In the end, I was able to contact the company I worked with before and they did the steps needed do disable the EMS telemetry. In a given point, they needed to send me a password so I can deregister from the telemetry from my FortiClient GUI.

Regardless, thanks for the help, and I hope it can be useful for more people who had this problem

EDIT: since technically this was the solution for my problem and I have not tested other solutions, I'll put this as the "accepted solution", but for people who had this problem and was not able to contact their previous employer, you should try one of the solutions below.