claudetools/clients/cascades-tucson/session-logs/2026-06/2026-06-18-howard-lupesanchez-desktop-trcieja-perf-diag.md

User

• User: Howard Enos (howard)
• Machine: Howard-Home
• Role: tech

Session Summary

Diagnosed slow performance on Lupe Sanchez's workstation DESKTOP-TRCIEJA (Cascades of Tucson), reported as the machine being slow when opening Excel files on the desktop. Located the agent via rmm-search (GuruRMM agent c9bf1a2d-bfdc-401e-9cc8-f9e90bb19587, online, Windows 11 Pro build 22000) and ran a full performance diagnostic over the GuruRMM agent in SYSTEM context.

The diagnostic identified two converging root causes. First, the hardware is end-of-life: a Gateway ZX6971 all-in-one with an Intel Core i3-2120 (Sandy Bridge, 2011, 2C/4T) and 8 GB RAM with only ~2.1 GB free (27%), running Windows 11 on an unsupported CPU. The SSD itself (DREVO X1 SSD, 224 GB, 44% free) is healthy. Second, and the direct cause of slow Excel opens, the machine is running two real-time antivirus engines simultaneously: ACG's Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools (keep) plus the previous MSP's leftover Datto stack, which bundles a real-time scanner. Both engines scan every file on access, and on a weak 2-core CPU under memory pressure that produces the exact "slow to open Excel" symptom. OneDrive was ruled out — the desktop is local (C:\Users\LupeSanchez\Desktop, 50 files / 278 MB, no cloud placeholders), not redirected via Known Folder Move.

Recon of uninstall entries showed the "Datto AV" reported by SecurityCenter2 is actually the leftover Datto EDR/RMM stack: Datto RMM (CentraStage), Datto EDR Agent (Infocyte), and the bundled Endpoint Protection SDK (DattoAV) under C:\Program Files\infocyte\agent\dattoav\. The Cascades wiki already flags this same leftover Datto (CentraStage + Infocyte) stack for fleet-wide cleanup. Bitdefender (v8.26.6.644, services running) is properly installed.

I proposed removing the leftover Datto stack in order (RMM -> EDR -> AV SDK, so Datto RMM cannot re-push the AV) and disabling the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker Excel add-in. Before acting on a security/management-agent removal I asked Howard to confirm scope. Howard declined all changes — the decision is to replace the machine instead. No changes were made to the endpoint; this was diagnostic-only.

Key Decisions

• No remediation performed — machine to be replaced. Given the 2011-era i3-2120 / 8 GB hardware is EOL and unsupported for Win11, Howard opted to order a replacement rather than spend time uninstalling the Datto stack on a box being retired.
• Split the diagnostic into small section scripts. A combined ~7 KB multi-line PowerShell body failed agent-side (exit -1, "Failed to execute command"); breaking it into <2 KB section scripts (diag_a/b/c) each ran cleanly. Logged as friction in errorlog.md.
• Ruled out OneDrive/Known Folder Move early — desktop is local with no cloud placeholders, so the slowness is not on-demand-file hydration.
• Identified dual real-time AV as the direct cause of slow Excel opens, distinct from the hardware weakness.

Problems Encountered

• Heredoc quoting failure building the combined diagnostic inline in Bash ("unexpected EOF") due to embedded single quotes — switched to writing the script to a file and feeding it via jq --rawfile.
• Agent rejected the large combined script (exit -1, "Failed to execute command") despite only ~7 KB and valid syntax; a minimal sanity command ran fine, confirming the agent chokes on a large multi-line -Command body. Resolved by splitting into three small section scripts. Logged via log-skill-error.sh ... --friction.

Configuration Changes

• Endpoint (DESKTOP-TRCIEJA): none. Diagnostic-only; no software removed or settings changed.
• Repo: created and then deleted temporary diagnostic scripts in the working tree (diag_perf.ps1, diag_a.ps1, diag_b.ps1, diag_c.ps1, diag_recon.ps1) — none committed.
• errorlog.md: appended one --friction entry (rmm large-command-body failure).

Credentials & Secrets

None discovered or created this session. RMM auth via existing vault path infrastructure/gururmm-server.sops.yaml (unchanged).

Infrastructure & Servers

• DESKTOP-TRCIEJA — Lupe Sanchez workstation, Cascades of Tucson, site CascadesTucson.
  • GuruRMM agent ID: c9bf1a2d-bfdc-401e-9cc8-f9e90bb19587 (resolve live by hostname; UUIDs change on re-enroll). Agent version 0.6.66.
  • Hardware: Gateway ZX6971 AIO, serial DOGDGAA0012200249A6300, Intel i3-2120 2C/4T, 7.9 GB RAM, DREVO X1 SSD 224 GB (Healthy, SMART PredictFailure=False), C: 97.2 GB free of 222.8 GB.
  • OS: Windows 11 Pro build 22000 (i3-2120 not Win11-supported).
  • Active console user: lupesanchez (profile C:\Users\LupeSanchez).
• Leftover Datto stack (previous MSP, flagged for cleanup):
  • Datto RMM (CentraStage) — service CagService, uninstall C:\Program Files (x86)\CentraStage\uninst.exe (NSIS, /S).
  • Datto EDR Agent (Infocyte) v3.17.1.5409 — uninstall "C:\Program Files\infocyte\agent\agent.exe" --uninstall.
  • Endpoint Protection SDK / DattoAV v1.0.2510.6851 — quiet uninstall "C:\Program Files\infocyte\agent\dattoav\Endpoint Protection SDK\endpointprotection.exe" uninstallSdk.
• Bitdefender (ACG, keep): Endpoint Security Tools v8.26.6.644; services EPSecurityService / EPProtectedService / EPRedline running. Defender in passive state (correct).
• Excel/Office: Microsoft 365 Apps for business 16.0.20026.20168; EXCEL.EXE at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Root\Office16\.
• Network note: System log shows recurring Event 2505 — duplicate computer name on the network ("another computer on the network has the same name").

Commands & Outputs

• bash .claude/scripts/rmm-search.sh desktop-trcieja -> 1 match, Cascades of Tucson, online.
• Diagnostic dispatched cmd c31c6552-1abd-41eb-b269-159cab42360d (combined script) -> failed exit -1 "Failed to execute command".
• Sanity cmd acb9eba4... -> PONG from DESKTOP-TRCIEJA as nt authority\system; quser -> lupesanchez console 1 Active, logon 6/18/2026 9:27 AM.
• Section scripts ran clean. Top processes by memory: EXCEL 540 MB, Memory Compression 427 MB, EPSecurityService (Bitdefender) 408 MB / 589 CPU-s, OUTLOOK 349 MB, endpointprotection (DattoAV) 333 MB / 611 CPU-s, AEMAgent (Datto RMM) 132 MB.
• AV via SecurityCenter2: Datto AV (multiple states), Windows Defender (0x60100 passive), Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools.
• Get-MpComputerStatus: Defender RTP False, SigAge 65535 (Defender stood down — expected with Bitdefender present).
• Excel add-ins (user LupeSanchez): Adobe PDFMaker LoadBehavior=3 (loaded), MicrosoftDataStreamerforExcel, PowerPivotExcelClientAddIn.
• Disk/stability events (7d): Event 98 x13, Event 153 x4, Event 11 x2 — occasional SATA I/O retries (SMART healthy).
• log-skill-error.sh "rmm" "...large multi-line powershell body fails exit -1; split into <2KB section scripts" --friction -> logged.
• Two [RMM] bot alerts posted to #dev-alerts (dispatch + result summary).

Pending / Incomplete Tasks

• Order replacement workstation for Lupe Sanchez (Howard's action). EOL i3-2120 / 8 GB.
• On the new machine: provision GuruRMM + Bitdefender only; do not carry over the Datto stack (CentraStage + Infocyte/DattoAV).
• Fleet-wide at Cascades: the leftover Datto (CentraStage + Infocyte) cleanup remains open per the wiki — DESKTOP-TRCIEJA is another instance of it.
• Optional follow-ups (now moot if replacing): resolve duplicate computer name on the network (Event 2505); the Acrobat PDFMaker add-in remains enabled.
• No wiki/ticket entry created this session (offered, not requested).

Reference Information

• GuruRMM agent: c9bf1a2d-bfdc-401e-9cc8-f9e90bb19587 (DESKTOP-TRCIEJA).
• RMM API: http://172.16.3.30:3001; vault infrastructure/gururmm-server.sops.yaml.
• Diagnostic command IDs: c31c6552-... (failed combined), acb9eba4-... (sanity), bae771da-ce6e-4b14-be38-b66c07fd96bf (recon).
• Wiki: wiki/clients/cascades-tucson.md (line ~415: leftover Datto RMM/EDR cleanup item).