Windows 2000 and XP failures caused by the Sentinel System Driver

Description

This document addresses issues with Sentinel System Driver and Windows XP and 2000.

Cause

These are often caused by Service Pack or HotFix updates to the Operating System.

Solution or Workaround

Warning:    
The instructions below include making changes to essential parts of your operating system. It is recommended that you backup your operating system and files, including the registry, before proceeding. Consult with a qualified computer systems professional, if necessary.

Esri cannot guarantee results from incorrect modifications while following these instructions; therefore, use caution and proceed at your own risk.

1. Reboot the system into SAFE MODE by restarting the computer and as the system restarts and prior to the actual Windows startup screen, press the F8 key.
2. Uninstall the Sentinel System Driver.

1. Once booted into Safe Mode, select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
2. Find the 'Sentinel System Driver' on the list and remove it.
3. If the 'Sentinel System Driver' is not on the list, proceed to the next step.
4. Uninstall the Sentinel System Driver manually. Skip this step if the driver has been removed as described above.
5. Download the Sentinel System Driver uninstall program; it may be necessary to boot into the normal mode of Windows to download this file.
6. Unzip this file to a temporary folder.
7. Browse to the folder, double-click on the 'Setupx86.exe'.
8. Select Functions > Remove Sentinel Driver.
9. Reboot the system.

3. Manually delete the Sentinel.sys file.

1. To find this file, open Internet Explorer.
2. In the address field, type in C:\WINNT\System32\drivers
3. Press the Enter key.
4. In the list of files, locate 'Sentinel.sys'.
5. Right-click this file, and select 'delete'.
6. Select 'Yes' when asked 'Are you sure'.

4. Download the Sentinel System Driver v5.41. See the Related Information section.
5. Unzip the downloaded file to a temporary folder.
6. Double-click 'setup.exe' to install.

Note:
For ArcGIS 9.0 users, the License Manager for ArcGIS 9.0 is distributed with the driver for version 5.41. If you are still experiencing problems, the above process can be repeated with the latest version of the Sentinel System Driver, which is available from the link in the Related Information section below.