Install of components in COM+ fails if the user is not an administrator (230388)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft COM+ 1.0, when used with:
    • the operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000
  • Microsoft COM+ 1.5, when used with:
    • the operating system: Microsoft Windows Server 2003
    • the operating system: Microsoft Windows XP
This article was previously published under Q230388

SYMPTOMS

When you install a component in a COM+ application, the following error message may occur:

Microsoft COM+, version 1.0 on Microsoft Windows 2000:
The Component DLL's self registration routine failed. The DllRegisterServer function failed or the routine did not register the component.
Microsoft COM+, version 1.5 on Microsoft Windows XP:
You do not have permission to perform the requested action. If security is enabled on the System Application of the target computer make sure you are included in the appropriate roles.

CAUSE

This error message can occur if the person who is installing the component is not in the "Administrators group" in the computer.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, create a COM component exposing the methods to perform administrative tasks by using the COMAdmin objects COMAdminCatalog, COMAdminCatalogCollection, and COMAdminCatalogObject.

This COM component can then be hosted into a COM+ application that runs as an account with administrative privileges.

This application serves as an administrative proxy, which can be used (through scripting) by nonadministrative users to perform COM+ administrative tasks. However, Microsoft recommends that you do not enable a nonadministrator to do administrative tasks without special consideration.

For more information on automating COM+ administration, please see the "Automating COM+ Administration" topic in the Microsoft Platform SDK documentation.

MORE INFORMATION

Component installation in COM+ fails if the user who is installing the component is not in the Administrators group in the computer, even though that user has been added to Administrators role for "System Application" in Component Services explorer.

During component installation, COM+ writes some information in catalog files and this requires that the user has Administrator privileges.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/24/2004
Keywords:kbprb kbSysAdmin KB230388
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