COM+ functionality may be disabled after you install the security update that is associated with security bulletin MS05-051 on a computer that is running a 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2003 (910383)

Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SYMPTOMS

After you install the security update that is associated with Microsoft security bulletin MS05-051 on a computer that is running a 64-bit edition of Microsoft Windows Server 2003, you may notice the following behavior:

The Microsoft COM+ System Application service cannot restart.
COM+ components and applications do not run or do not run correctly.

Also, error messages that are similar to the following may be logged in the System log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7009
Date: 10/19/2005
Time: 7:42:48 PM
User: N/A
Computer: <computer name>
Description: Timeout (30000 milliseconds) waiting for the COM+ System Application service to connect.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7000
Date: 10/19/2005
Time: 7:42:48 PM
User: N/A
Computer: <computer name>
Description: The COM+ System Application service failed to start due to the following error:
The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when a 32-bit process performs COM+ activity at the same time that a user is making changes to the COM+ catalog. When these actions occur at the same time, a race condition causes the COM+Enabled registry entry to be deleted from the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\COM3 registry subkey.

RESOLUTION

This issue is fixed in the COM+ hotfix rollup package that is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 910730. For more information about the rollup package, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

910730 Availability of Windows Server 2003 Post-Service Pack 1 COM+ 1.5 Hotfix Rollup Package 7

WORKAROUND

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\COM3
On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
Type COM+Enabled.
Right-click COM+Enabled, and then click Modify.
In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, type 1, and then click OK.
On the File menu, click Exit.
Click Start, click Run, type SERVICES.MSC, and then click OK.
Right-click COM+ System Application, and then click Start

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the COM+ catalog, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cossdk/html/1838757c-aa8e-4678-8042-207498fb0bbc.asp