SOTI MobiControl Management Service Crashes on Startup After Java Update

SOTI MobiControl version 2026.0.0 or older.

When starting the SOTI MobiControl Management Service, the application crashes.

Who Will Be Impacted:

SOTI MobiControl environments 2026.0 and older will be impacted.

Symptoms

• SOTI MobiControl fails to start.
• The respective event's log reveals that SOTI MobiControl (MC) is referencing an outdated Java path.
  
   

Cause

• When SOTI MobiControl is first installed on a server, it sets an environment variable named MC_JAVA_HOME to point to the Java installation directory.
• Later, when Java is locally updated to a newer minor version within the same major version, the system overrides the global JAVA_HOME variable to point to the updated version, and the older Java directory is typically removed as part of the update process.
• Hence, this issue occurs because when the Management Service attempts to find the java.exe file after the update, MC_JAVA_HOME points to a path that no longer exists, and causes the service to crash.

Issue Resolution

1. Open the Start Menu on the server that is hosting the SOTI MobiControl Management Service and search for “View Advanced System Settings."

2. Navigate to the “Advanced” tab and select “Environment Variables”.

3. Under “System variables”, search for “MC_JAVA_HOME”.

4. As an immediate workaround, update the MC_JAVA_HOME environment variable or configuration to point to the current Java installation path after any Java update.

5. Ensure that MC_JAVA_HOME matches the JAVA_HOME path.

6. Select “OK”, then restart the SOTI MobiControl Management Service.

Note: From SOTI MobiControl Release 2026.0.1 onwards: A permanent fix will be implemented to ensure SOTI MobiControl dynamically detects the correct Java path.