Pery can't configure itself and add my machine on winodws 10

Help Windows
#1

Let us help you. Please tell us about…

  • Affected device (desktop, laptop, tablet, phone): ??? newly purchased laptop HP cx0049ne
  • Windows Version ??? windows 10 , ver2004, build 19041.329
  • Part of Prey not working (Prey account, mobile app, a specific action or module, reports): ??? contacting servers to register my new machine

Could you please describe the problem?

after finishing the install , the configuration web page opens , I get the "connecting to prey servers hexagon animation then it stops then nothing happens, I went through the troubleshooting walkthrough, typed the manual configuration script “C:\Windows\Prey\current\bin\prey config panel -f” on CMD ( as administrator ) , the same thing happened.
tried the other manual configuration script “C:\Windows\Prey\current\bin\prey config gui” then after login in I get a long error message for an exception about an unrecognized encoding ( screenshot attached ) .
I have Kaspersky internet security 2020 , I tried to shut it down, no change, switched my windows account to "administrator account, tried the same steps, same error

And finally, please attach a screenshot if available (you can drag and drop images)
Untitled
Untitled516×620 147 KB

#2

hello there
any help
it’s been a few months now and still have the same issue and nobody has checked on my issue

#3

Hi @dr_spear:

So sorry for all the waiting…
Open your command prompt as administrator and run this command:
C:\Windows\Prey\Current\bin\prey config account authorize -e EMAIL -p PASSWORD
Replacing EMAIL and PASSWORD with your credentials.

Maybe it’s gonna fail again but we’re gonna be able to see the full error. Paste here the answer.
Also attach here your C:\Windows\Prey\prey.log file.

Regards,
Javo

#4

hello
I did as you said and indeed it failed
this is th escript : Linking device…
EXCEPTION! Encoding not recognized: ‘cp720’ (searched as: ‘cp720’)
Error: Encoding not recognized: ‘cp720’ (searched as: ‘cp720’)
at Object.getCodec (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\iconv-lite\lib\index.js:106:23)
at Object.getDecoder (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\iconv-lite\lib\index.js:127:23)
at Object.decode (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\iconv-lite\lib\index.js:40:25)
at C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\index.js:228:20
at Array.map ()
at stringifyBufferArray (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\index.js:227:18)
at C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\index.js:214:25
at err (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\node_modules\async\dist\async.js:2955:19)
at wrapper (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\node_modules\async\dist\async.js:268:20)
at iteratorCallback (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.5\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\node_modules\async\dist\async.js:495:17)

as for the log file , I get a message here that new users can’t attache files
but I will paste the contents here

#5

I couldn’t paste the whole log because text sie is too large for this thread editor but here is the last logged attempt :
REY 1.9.5 spreads its wings!
Current time: Wed Sep 30 2020 10:47:12 GMT+0300 (Arabian Standard Time)
Running with PID 3996 as ALSIQASPEAR_ over Node.js v10.20.1 on a ia32 windows system (10.0.19041)

 info Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:13 GMT [control-panel] Gathering device data...
 info Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:13 GMT [reports] Gathering specs report.
error Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:13 GMT [reports] Unable to get storage_devices_list: TODO!

critical Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:13 GMT UNCAUGHT EXCEPTION: Encoding not recognized: ‘cp720’ (searched as: ‘cp720’)

#6

and here is the attempt before the last one :
PREY 1.9.5 spreads its wings!
Current time: Wed Sep 30 2020 10:47:05 GMT+0300 (Arabian Standard Time)
Running with PID 23136 as ALSIQASPEAR_ over Node.js v10.20.1 on a ia32 windows system (10.0.19041)

 info Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:06 GMT [control-panel] Gathering device data...
 info Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:06 GMT [reports] Gathering specs report.
error Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:06 GMT [reports] Unable to get storage_devices_list: TODO!

critical Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:06 GMT UNCAUGHT EXCEPTION: Encoding not recognized: ‘cp720’ (searched as: ‘cp720’)
info Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:07 GMT Gracefully shutting down. Will self-destruct in 5 secs.
info Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:07 GMT [hooks] Unregistering hooks.
info Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:47:12 GMT Time’s up, shutdown forced. Have a jolly good day sir.

#7

I have tried to google this "coding not recognized " response and found a link


in it , it seems something in python related to arabic language encoding
my system has both english and arabic and perhaps the core language is arabic although the current interface is in English
I don’t know if this helps

#8

Hi @dr_spear,

Does your email or password has a character that could not be recognize by the software?
There’s another thing we can try… you can go to the prey control panel > Settings > About, and copy the setup api key.

Then run this command:
C:\Windows\Prey\Current\bin\prey config account authorize -a APIKEY
Replacing APIKEY with the one you just copied from the control panel.

Let me know if that helps,
Regards,
Javo

#9

what do you mean by setup API key , I checked the page you refereed to and there was nothing such as setup api key , there is only device ID, and product ID , when either was used in the command it returned "invalid credentials "
my windows 10 says elsewhere that my windows is activated with a digital license linked to my microsoft account so I don’t have a windows key if that’s what you mean

#10

please forgive my ignorance I read your comment from a mobilr phone and didn’t notice you were referring to PREY’s control panel
I did as you advised and ran the command as you instructed me , I got this error message :
Linking device…
EXCEPTION! Encoding not recognized: ‘cp720’ (searched as: ‘cp720’)
Error: Encoding not recognized: ‘cp720’ (searched as: ‘cp720’)
at Object.getCodec (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\iconv-lite\lib\index.js:106:23)
at Object.getDecoder (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\iconv-lite\lib\index.js:127:23)
at Object.decode (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\iconv-lite\lib\index.js:40:25)
at C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\index.js:228:20
at Array.map ()
at stringifyBufferArray (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\index.js:227:18)
at C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\index.js:214:25
at err (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\node_modules\async\dist\async.js:2955:19)
at wrapper (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\node_modules\async\dist\async.js:268:20)
at iteratorCallback (C:\Windows\Prey\versions\1.9.6\node_modules\network\node_modules\wmic\node_modules\async\dist\async.js:495:17)

#11

hello , please check my problem

#12

I am still waiting , please reply

#13

Hi Dr Spear!

Can you please go to your prey.conf file (located in C:\Windows\Prey\prey.conf) and add your API key as per the image below.

Screen Shot 2020-11-19 at 11.51.00
Screen Shot 2020-11-19 at 11.51.00680×519 34.1 KB

Then please wait for a few minutes and check if it’s working.

Let us know how that goes?

#14

thank you for answering , your colleague Javo has advised the same and I have quoted a part of the error message I had received then , I have used the same method again and then ran prey.cmd
this is the response :
PREY 1.9.6 spreads its wings!
Current time: Fri Nov 20 2020 13:22:52 GMT+0300 (Arabian Standard Time)
Running with PID 24064 as dr_sp over Node.js v10.20.1 on a ia32 windows system (10.0.19042)

 info Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:22:53 GMT [control-panel] Gathering device data...
 info Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:22:53 GMT [reports] Gathering specs report.
error Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:22:53 GMT [reports] Unable to get storage_devices_list: TODO!

critical Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:22:53 GMT UNCAUGHT EXCEPTION: Encoding not recognized: ‘cp720’ (searched as: ‘cp720’)
info Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:22:54 GMT Gracefully shutting down. Will self-destruct in 5 secs.
info Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:22:54 GMT [hooks] Unregistering hooks.

#15

sbcs-data.conf (5.0 KB) Hi again!

I have another possible solution.
Can you please find the following file:
C:\Windows\Prey\current\node_modules\iconv-lite\encodings\sbcs-data.js
and replace it with the one attached on this post?
Due to forum restrictions I had to change the file extension from .js to .conf. Please make sure the file is called sbcs-data.js one you replace it.

Let me know how that goes!

#16

I think it works !
now I can see my laptop on prey web page dashboard , I was able to trigger test alarm and see it’s location on map
one more question , am I going to encounter this error with future updates ? do I have to repeat this fix evey time I update prey on my computer ?

#17

Hi @dr_spear,

I’m currently adding the fix for the next release so you shouldn’t have this problem again :slight_smile:

Regards,
Javo