Resolve Synergize COM+ Errors: Applications Might Stop Working on Windows Server 2008 when the identity user logs off

Use this article to resolve an issue that might occur when the identity user logs off and the COM+ application can no longer read registry keys in the profile of the identity user because new User Profile Service functionality is forcing the unload of the user profile on Windows 2008 when the user logs off.

  1. Before attempting to resolve this issue (when ready, skip to step 6), confirm all of the following details in the remaining steps.

  2. Confirm you have a COM+ server application set to run as a particular user. After working for some time on Windows Server 2008 the application may stop working and keeps failing. Unless you restart the COM+ application, it won’t come back. In the meantime you may see an error like this in the application event log on the CLIENT machine:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: DCOM
Event Category: None
Event ID: 10006
Date: 10/17/2009
Time: 1:36:39 PM
User: Domain\user
Computer: *****
Description:
DCOM got error "Unspecified error " from the computer ‘servername’ when attempting to activate the server: {EF047BF9-F91A-4D5B-A18F-BED49553703B}

In this case, the event message tells you that the error (E_FAIL or 80004005 or Unspecified error) is returned from the server during activation vs. a method call. The component CLSID is {EF047BF9-F91A-4D5B-A18F-BED49553703B)

  1. Confirm the identity user initially logged on to the server when the application launched. Note this new User Profile Service functionality is built into the OS by default. This is a situation where the functionality of forcing the unload of the user profile may break an application if registry handles are not closed in the process.

  2. Enable COM tracing to see the error ERROR_KEY_DELETED in the ole32 trace log:

    [2] 0BA8.15D0::10/17/2009-13:07:54.390 [OLECOM](:CComRegCatalog::GetClassInfoW) CLSID:ecabafae-7f19-11d2-978e-0000f8757e2a 1018(ERROR_KEY_DELETED)
    [2] 0BA8.15D0::10/17/2009-13:07:54.390 [OLECOM](:CComCatalog::GetClassInfoInternal) CLSID:ecabafae-7f19-11d2-978e-0000f8757e2a Flags:0 IID:00000000-0000-0000-c000-000000000046 0x800703fa(ERROR_KEY_DELETED)

  3. Look for similar events like this in the application event log:

    Log Name: Application
    Source: Microsoft-Windows-User Profiles Service
    Date: 10/26/2009 8:22:13 AM
    Event ID: 1530
    Task Category: None
    Level: Warning
    Keywords: Classic
    User: SYSTEM
    Computer: DAVIDQIU2008
    Description:
    Windows detected your registry file is still in use by other applications or services. The file will be unloaded now. The applications or services that hold your registry file may not function properly afterwards.
    DETAIL -
    1 user registry handles leaked from \Registry\User\S-1-5-21-1049297961-3057247634-349289542-1004_Classes:
    Process 2428 (\Device\HarddiskVolume1\Windows\System32\dllhost.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1049297961-3057247634-349289542-1004_CLASSES

  1. As a workaround it may be necessary to disable this feature which is the default behavior. The policy setting 'Do not forcefully unload the user registry at user logoff' counters the default behavior of Windows 2008. When enabled, Windows 2008 does not forcefully unload the registry and waits until no other processes are using the user registry before it unloads it.

  1. The policy can be found in the group policy editor (gpedit.msc)
    Computer Configuration->Administrative Templates->System-> UserProfiles
    Do not forcefully unload the user registry at user logoff

  2. Change the setting from “Not Configured” to “Enabled” which disables the new User Profile Service feature.

To learn more, see http://blogs.msdn.com/b/distributedservices/archive/2009/11/06/a-com-server-application-may-stop-working-on-windows-server-2008.aspx