[Paper Assassin]

Yeah, that was one of the first things I did. The files are definitely there.

[gerryf]

what happens if you type

start > run
mmc C:\Windows\System32\devmgmt.msc
<enter>
?

[Paper Assassin]

I get the same old error message:

MMC cannot open the file...This may be because the file does not exist...etc.

[Fenor]

(This fix will require you to have your Win XP CD)

Open Explorer and go to the Windows\inf folder.
Locate the srchasst.inf file.
Right click it and select Install.

If it asks for the path for msgr3en.dll, and you don't have your Windows XP CD, type in the following

C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386

Then reboot and then try to access the Device Manager.

NOTE: The Windows\inf folder is a hidden folder. You can adjust your Explorer Folder Options (View tab) to Show hidden files and folders

Fenor

This post has been edited by Fenor: 19 February 2006 - 03:43 AM

[Paper Assassin]

Installed and rebooted, but still no effect.

[gerryf]

if you type s
start > run
mmc
<enter>

does a blank mmc open?

[Paper Assassin]

I think so. Under "Console Root" it says "There are no items to show in this view."

[gerryf]

Ok

start > run
mmc
<enter>

In the empty console,

FILE > ADD/REMOVE SNAP-INS

click ADD

Select DEVICE MANAGER

ADD button, FINISH button, CLOSE button, then OK button

In the console, you should see Device Manager

FILE > SAVE AS, click the DESKTOP button on the left and save it as devmgmt.msc

Now close the mmc

on your desktop, double click devmgmt.msc

Does it open? Device manager?

[Paper Assassin]

Everything is good until I try to save it. An error message pops up:

MMC cannot save the console.

[gerryf]

OK, interesting...since msc files are really only xml files, I'm going to take a shot here and guess something is wrong there instead of with the management console

start > run
RegSvr32 MSXML.DLL
<enter>

repeat with the following
RegSvr32 MSXML2.DLL
RegSvr32 MSXML3.DLL

report any errors

If all three report success , try

start > run
devmgmt.msc
<enter>

again

[Paper Assassin]

I guess you're on the right track. The first two files succeeded. But on the third file I get this:

Loadlibrary (mxsml3.dll) failed - a DLL initialization routine failed.

[gerryf]

some sort of support file is missing, i think

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&DisplayLang=en

download the above, reinstalling the msxml parser

try again

[Paper Assassin]

Finally!! Everything seems to work now. Even device manager (or any of the msc programs for that matter) seem to work fine now. Thanks very much.

[gerryf]

great news!

Yes, well, all msc files are really just xml directions for the Microsoft Management Console--device manager, diskmanagment, services, event viewer....you can open them up in notepad to see what I mean

They are not programs

Once we nailed down that MMC would open, but none of the *.msc files would open, we could get on the right track

Sorry it took so long. This is a very, very rare problem and those are harder to identify. We probably would have gotten it sooner if the machine was in front of us

Between Keith, Fenor and I we were bound to stumble over the answer eventually.

[Barbarosa]

GREAT. Helped me too. Thank you.