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Windows XP and MMC Snap-in Problem

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5 replies

by pazman

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Recently on my Windows XP Pro system I can't access the disk managment snap-in from within the MMC console. Right-click on computer and select manage reports the following error message:

Microsoft Management Console
Snap-in failed to initialize.
Name: Disk Management Extension
CLSID:{8EAD3A12-B2C1-11D0-83AA-00A0C92C9D5D}

This is followed up by another, similar error about the Removable Storage Extension.

I have tried doing a system restore back to the earliest one that I haveto no avail. Also found one KB article (305831) that talked about registering the dmdskmgr.dll, but that failed also with error about not finding the file (although it didn't say WHICH file).

Is there a way to re-install the default MMC snap-in's without doing a re-install of the OS?

5 replies

by saihib

What happens when you go to Start/Run/MMC/Enter/File/Add/Remove Snap-Ins?
The CLSID you mentioned is a Registry entry. You may need to recreate it.

by pazman

The Disk Management snap-in shows up as a choice to be added, but it only has a folder icon (not the correct icon) and trying to add it generates the same error.

by sramesh2k

305831 says c:\winnt.

But for Windows XP, the directory is c:\windows.

So, use this command to register:

Click Start, click Run, and then type cmd to start a command prompt.
At the command prompt, type the following, and then press ENTER:regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\dmdskmgr.dll

by pazman

I noticed that too, but it still didn't help. Doing a re-install of Windows XP did help and resolved all errors. I was impressed with the re-install as well, since it didn't mess up anything like prior versions of Windows would do whenever you dida re-install.

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