Windows cannot open this program because the license enforcement system has been tampered with or become corrupted

When attempting to install Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) 12.1 RU1 or MP1 I received this error.

“Windows cannot open this program because the license enforcement system has been tampered with or become corrupted”.

This was on a Windows Server 2003 Web Edition with Service Pack 2 intalled.

After noticing that the executable’s of other Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) components has a 7 zip icon associated with them, I decided to download and install the 7 zip software from http://www.7-zip.org/.  Actually, it wasn’t just the icon, but the fact that when I tried running the program on a Windows Server 2008 R2 system it opened a 7-zip archive window that tipped me off.

Once installed, I was able to right-click on the Symantec_Endpoint_Protection_12.1_RU1_SEPM_EN.exe file, choose the 7-zip sub-menu, then extract the contents of the archive to a sub-folder.

Now I’m able to run the setup.exe file for this install, and it seems to be working.  I haven’t actually completed the install yet.  But at least it’s progress, and I’m hopeful that I’ve got passed this little problem.