Troubleshooting Unmanaged Software Management status

A device displays an Unmanaged Software Management status in Datto RMM when you expect a Software Management policy to manage it. Use this article to identify the cause and return the device to a Compliant or Non-Compliant status.

Problem statement

One or more devices display their Software Status as Unmanaged status in the Summary card even though Software Management is configured. The Unmanaged status indicates that no active Software Management policy currently manages the device. This differs from Non-Compliant, which indicates that a policy is assigned but one or more software requirements are not satisfied.

An Unmanaged status typically occurs for one of the following reasons:

  • No active Software Management policy targets the device.
  • The device is listed as a disabled device within the policy.
  • Policy changes have not been deployed.
  • Agent communication or synchronization issues prevent Software Management from evaluating the device.
  • An Advanced Software Management (ASM) policy targets a macOS device.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, complete the following steps in the order presented:

Step 1: verify the device is targeted by the intended policy

The most common cause of an Unmanaged status is that the Software Management policy does not target the device. This can occur when the device is not a member of the targeted static group, a dynamic filter no longer matches the device, the policy specifies the wrong site or group, or you recently moved the device between sites or groups.

  1. Navigate to Policies > Software Management.
  2. Open the intended Software Management policy.
  3. Review the policy targets.
  4. Verify that the affected device is included in one or more of the policy targets.
  5. If any changes were made, click Save and deploy Now.
  6. Request a device audit on the device added back to the policy. Refer to Request Audit.
  7. Allow the audit to complete. You can tell when the audit has completed when the Last Audit field updates in the device's Summary card.
  8. Check the device's Software Status in the Summary card.

NOTE  Only one Software Management policy can actively manage a device at a time. If multiple Software Management policies are targeting a single device, remove that device as a target from all but one policy.

Step 2: verify the device is not disabled within the policy

A device can have a policy assigned but still display Unmanaged if it is on the policy's Disabled Devices list. This list acts as an exception list and prevents Software Management from evaluating the device.

  1. Navigate to Policies > Software Management.
  2. Open the intended Software Management policy.
  3. Click Disable Devices at the bottom of the policy configuration.
  4. Review the list for the affected device.
  5. If the device is in the Disable Devices list, click Edit and agree to the disclaimer.
  6. Click Include next to the device or devices you want to be included in the policy targets.
  7. Close the Disable Devices modal.
  8. click Save and deploy now.
  9. Request a device audit on the device added back to the policy. Refer to Request Audit.
  10. Allow the audit to complete. You can tell when the audit has completed when the Last Audit field updates in the device's Summary card.
  11. Check the device's Software Status in the Summary card.

Step 3: verify the policy has been deployed

Configuration changes do not take effect until you deploy the policy. These changes include policy modifications, group membership changes, enable and disable actions, and site assignment changes.

  1. Open the affected Software Management policy.
  2. Ensure the policy toggle is set to Enabled. Refer to Enabling or disabling the policy, sites, or devices.
  3. Click Save and deploy now.
  4. Request an audit on an affected device. Refer to Request Audit.
  5. Allow the audit to complete. You can tell when the audit has completed when the Last Audit field updates in the device's Summary card.
  6. Recheck the device's Software Status in the Summary card.

After successful policy assignment, the status changes from Unmanaged to Compliant or Non-Compliant. Either status confirms that Software Management is actively evaluating the device. If the device remains Unmanaged, continue to Step 4.

Step 4: verify agent communication and synchronization

A device can appear healthy while still maintaining stale Software Management data. Communication interruptions or synchronization delays can prevent Software Management status updates.

  1. Open the device summary page.
  2. Verify that the device is online.
  3. Confirm the last audit field indicates an audit in the last 24 hours.
  4. If the device is on a Windows Operating System (OS), run the Agent Health Direct-Check [WIN] component against the device.
  5. Review the output for device activity and policy deployment history.
  6. Check for communication failures or gateway timeout messages.
  7. Confirm that the following configurations allow the *.centrastage.net addresses:
    • Firewall rules
    • Content filtering
    • Proxy configurations
  8. Redeploy the Software Management policy.
  9. Request a device audit on the device added back to the policy. Refer to Request Audit.
  10. Allow the audit to complete. You can tell when the audit has completed when the Last Audit field updates in the device's Summary card.
  11. Check the device's Software Status in the Summary card.

Additional Windows troubleshooting

If the Agent Health Check succeeds but the device remains Unmanaged, complete the following steps:

  1. Restart the Datto RMM Agent service.
  2. Allow the agent to reconnect.
  3. If your support procedures direct you to, allow the agent to recreate the following folder:

    C:\ProgramData\CentraStage\AEMAgent

  4. Request a device audit on the device added back to the policy. Refer to Request Audit.
  5. Allow the audit to complete. You can tell when the audit has completed when the Last Audit field updates in the device's Summary card.
  6. Check the device's Software Status in the Summary card.

When Software Management successfully evaluates the device, the status changes from Unmanaged to Compliant or Non-Compliant. If the status remains Unmanaged, an active Software Management policy is still not evaluating the device, and the issue requires further investigation.

NOTE  Software Management does not manage macOS devices that an Advanced Software Management (ASM) policy targets, which can cause an Unmanaged status. If the affected device runs macOS, verify which policy type targets it.

Collect information for Support

If the device continues to display Unmanaged after you complete all troubleshooting steps, collect the following information before you contact Support:

  • Device hostname
  • Device unique identifier (UID)
  • Site name
  • Device group membership
  • Operating system
  • Software Management policy name
  • Current Software Status
  • Agent Health Check results (if applicable)
  • Recent deployment history
  • Any Software Management deployment errors
  • Any communication or timeout errors

Tips and tricks

Validate troubleshooting changes on a single device before you make broad policy modifications.

For every affected device, use the following verification workflow:

  1. Confirm that the device is online and actively checking in.
  2. Confirm that the correct Software Management policy targets the device.
  3. Confirm that the device is not listed in Disabled Devices.
  4. Confirm that the policy is enabled and deployed.
  5. Confirm that another Software Management policy is not taking precedence.
  6. Request a manual audit.
  7. Review the device's Software card.