Endpoint Central Agent Installation Failed Network Path Not Found Fix
The agent push ends in seconds and the remarks column says the network path was not found. That message has only a few real causes — here they are, in the order worth checking.
✍️ Technical Anshu🪟 Windows Clients⏱️ 10 minute fix
🎥 Watch a clean agent installation from start to finish in the video
To install the agent remotely, the Endpoint Central server first has to reach the client PC over the network and open its admin share. "The network path was not found" means that very first step failed — the server could not open \\COMPUTERNAME\admin$ on the target. It is almost never a problem with the agent package itself. Work through the four causes below; one of them is yours.
Endpoint Central — Scope of Management — Agent Installation Status
ACCOUNTS-PC07Failed — The network path was not found
ACCOUNTS-PC08Failed — The network path was not found
ACCOUNTS-PC09Agent installed successfully
The remarks column in Scope of Management tells you exactly why each push failed
1
Rule Out the Basics — PC On, Name Right, Same Network
Confirm the target computer is switched on and connected — laptops asleep in a drawer fail exactly like this
From the server, run ping COMPUTERNAME. If the name does not resolve, fix DNS or use the Scope of Management entry imported from Active Directory instead of a typed name
Check the computer name in the console is spelled exactly as the PC reports it in hostname
2
Test the Admin Share From the Server
This single test separates network problems from sharing problems:
On the Endpoint Central server, press Windows + R and open \\COMPUTERNAME\admin$
If it opens (after asking for admin credentials), the path exists — your problem is credentials, not the network
If it also says network path not found, the client is not offering file sharing at all — go to Fix 3
3
Enable File and Printer Sharing on the Client
ManageEngine's own knowledge base lists this as a primary cause: the agent push copies files through the share, and many PCs have sharing turned off.
On the client, open the network adapter properties and tick File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks. If the entry is missing, use Install → Service → add it
In Windows Defender Firewall, allow the File and Printer Sharing group for your network profile
Confirm the Server service is running on the client in services.msc — no Server service, no shares
For the whole domain, push these settings once with a Group Policy instead of visiting every desk
4
Check Firewalls and the Different Subnet Trap ⭐
A third-party firewall or endpoint security suite on the client can silently block the incoming connection even when Windows Firewall is open — allow ports 135, 139 and 445 inbound from the server, or pause the product for one test push
If the server and the client are in different subnets, remember that Windows Firewall inbound rules on modern Windows accept many connections from the local subnet only by default. Scope the File and Printer Sharing rules to include the server's subnet
Retry the push from Scope of Management and read the new remark — it should change or succeed
Still stuck on one stubborn PC? Install the agent manually on that machine from the agent package the console offers for download, and let it register itself — you do not have to win the push battle for every single computer.
⚠️ Do not keep retrying blindly. Each failed push writes the same remark. Change one thing, test the admin share from the server, then retry — otherwise you will not know which fix actually worked.
🎥 See a Working Agent Installation
The video shows the server, the scope and a successful agent push, so you can compare each screen with yours.
Ping works but the push still says network path not found. Why?
Ping only proves the PC is alive on ICMP. The push needs SMB file sharing (ports 139 and 445) and the admin$ share. A PC can answer ping happily while sharing is disabled or blocked — test \\COMPUTERNAME\admin$ from the server to see the real answer.
Do these ports stay open on clients forever?
Ports 135, 139 and 445 are needed for the remote push installation. After the agent is installed, day-to-day communication runs from the agent to the server on ports like 8020 and 8383, so the push ports are an installation-time requirement, though file sharing usually stays enabled in office networks anyway.
Can I install the agent without the push method?
Yes. The console provides agent installers for manual installation, and you can also deploy the agent through Group Policy or a login script in a domain. Manual installation on the failing PC is the fastest way to separate a PC-specific problem from a server-side one.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu video on Endpoint Central installation • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments and you will get a reply 🙏