Howto Fix : Unable to get the config xml for the specified item

Question:

What is the cause of the a.log error "Unable to get the config xml for the specified item <guid>," and how can it be resolved?

Answer:

This error is generally caused when a NS tree object is orphaned in the database.

The steps to clean up the "unable to get the config xml for the specified item <guid>" message from your logs are as follows:

     1. Run the following script: nscript.exe deleteanitem.cs <GUID>. The deleteanitem.cs file is attached to the end of this article. This script deletes the orphaned object. Always validate the GUID before removing it. This can be done by the following steps:
          a. Open SQL Query Analyzer.
          b. Make sure that you select the correct database, i.e. Altiris.
          c. Type the following:  select * from vitem where guid like '<GUID>'

If it does not show, then go ahead and complete step 1.

Note: The nscript.exe file is found in ...\program files\altiris\notification server\bin.

     2. If the script in step 1 does not remove the NS tree object, then there is likely an association that needs to be removed. This can be done with the following script:
     delete from ItemReference where hint = 'policyappliestocollection' and ParentItemGuid = <GUID>