This week I began seeing this error whenever I tried to start a Microsoft Management Console window via an MSC file:
Snap-in failed to initialize.
Name:Group Policy Object Editor
CLSID:{….}
When I clicked OK, the Console widow opened as normal. When I tried to expand the Local Computer Policy tree, it displayed this error:
Snap-in Creation Failed. The snap-in is not created, it may not be installed properly. Name:Group Policy Object Editor
CLSID:{….}
The same thing happened if I tried to edit a GPO within the Group Policy Management snap-in. I reinstalled the Win2k3 Admin Pack and the GPMC, but that didn’t fix it. I opened the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box in MMC and received the first error again, but this time for a different snap-in: “Software Installation (Computers)”. Then again for “Software Installation (Users)”.
Funner and funner.
I opened a new MMC window and opened the Add/Remove Snap-In dialog box again. No error this time. I added all the same snap-ins from my older MSC file. Still no error. I opened the Local Computer Policy and the GPMC. Still no error. I saved the new MSC file and re-opened it. Still no error. I closed it and re-opened it using RunAs and my administrator account. The errors were back. I realized the shortcut to my old MSC file includes the option to always RunAs another account. I opened my old MSC file without using my administrator account, and it launched with no errors.
So I deleted the locally cached profile for my adminstrator account and tried it again. Same error. I reinstalled WinXP SP2. Nothing. I checked for recent SMS packages. Still nothing.
Then I got a call about a virtualized server at another site that had stopped responding. First step in troubleshooting a problem is almost always to verify that the problem is actually as reported. So I opened a cmd window and tried to ping the downed server.
‘ping’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
Huh!? @$%^#!
C:\>dir c:\windows\system32\ping.exe
Directory of c:\windows\system32
08/04/2004 01:56 AM 17,920 ping.exe
1 File(s) 17,920 bytesC:\>echo %path%
C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\Wind…
tracert, nslookup, arp…same thing. I copied the path value out of the Computer Properties and re-assigned it via command prompt, but it would only remember it until I closed the cmd window. I checked the environment reg key, and everything looked alright. I verified the permissions on the key and forced them down through the tree. Windows still ignored the path statement and returned errors from the GPMC.
I hate these kinds of problems!
Well, you know what they say. If at first you don’t succeed get a bigger hammer…or just reinstall. So I went in search of an XP OS disc. No luck. I had to make a disc from an iso file on the corporate install folder. I put the disc in, rebooted, and selected R for repair.
More than thirty minutes later, I typed in the company’s corporate product key, but it wouldn’t take. I started calling around, looking for another key. I tried six different keys before I found one that would work. Apparently, this iso file was created from an MSDN copy of XP.
But, hey! Look! I can ping again! Woohoo!
A whole freaking day wasted.