Windows IT Pro is the authoritative and independent resource for windows nt, windows 2000, windows 2003, windows xp. Features a collection of resources and magazines for windows IT professionals.
  
  
  Advanced Search 


April 2006

Don’t Wait Around for the Windows Components Wizard

RSS
Subscribe to Windows IT Pro | See More Tips Articles Here | Reprints | Or get the Monthly Online Pass—only $5.95 a month!

Not too long ago, when I selected the Add/Remove Windows Components option in the Control Panel Add or Remove Programs applet on my Windows Server 2003 machine, the Windows Components Wizard took a long time to appear or hung completely. When this problem occurred, the Event Viewer system log stated that Microsoft IIS had configuration problems with the metabase.xml file.

I haven't determined what causes the corruption of metabase.xml, but I have figured out how to make the Windows Components Wizard appear immediately when I select the Add/Remove Windows Components option. If you have to wait around for your Windows Components Wizard to appear, follow these steps:

  1. Stop the IIS Admin Service. (By default, it won't start when the metabase.xml file is corrupted.)
  2. Go to the C:\windows\systems32\inetsrv directory, rename the mbschema.xml and metabase.xml files to mbschema.old and metabase.old, respectively.
  3. Go to the C:\windows\system32\inetsrv\history directory and find the latest timestamp for two files: MBSchema_0000000xxx_000000000 0.xml and Metabase_0000000xxx _0000000000.xml files, where xxx is the version number. The version numbers for the two files must be the same.
  4. Copy the MBSchema_0000000 xxx_0000000000.xml and Metabase _0000000xxx_0000000000.xml files into the C:\windows\system32\inetsrv directory. Rename them mbschema.xml and metabase.xml, respectively.
  5. Restart the IIS Admin Service.
  6. Reboot the server.

The Windows Components Wizard will now appear immediately when you select Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, Add/Remove Windows Components.

—James Lim
james_k_k_lim@apl.com

End of Article



Reader Comments

You must log on before posting a comment.

If you don't have a username & password, please register now.




Top Viewed ArticlesView all articles
CES 2009: Ballmer Announces Windows 7, Windows Live, Live Search Milestones

During his first-ever Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009 keynote address last night in Las Vegas, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the pending public availability of a feature-complete Windows 7, the final version of Windows Live Essentials, and ...

Command Prompt Tricks

One reader shares his tip for setting up the command prompt to reflect a remote path. ...

Where is Microsoft NetMeeting in Windows XP?

...


Windows OSs Whitepapers Why SaaS is the Right Solution for Log Management

Related Events Virtualization Forum: Optimizing Storage, Networks, Desktops, and Security

Cloud Computing Forum: Integrating Software, Server and Storage as a Service into Your Enterprise IT Delivery Model

Virtualization Forum: Optimizing Storage, Networks, Desktops, and Security

Check out our list of Free Email Newsletters!

Windows OSs eBooks Understanding and Leveraging Code Signing Technologies

A Guide to Windows Certification and Public Keys

Keeping Your Business Safe from Attack: Monitoring and Managing Your Network Security

Related IIS and Web Administration Resources Become a VIP member of the Windows IT Pro community!
Get it all with the VIP CD and VIP access. A $500+ value for only $279!

Subscribe to Windows IT Pro!
Solve your toughest technical problems with our experts and access 10,000 + articles online. 30% off

Monthly Online Pass - Only $5.95!
Get instant access to 10,000+ articles from Windows IT Pro Magazine!

TechNet Virtual Labs
Evaluate and test Microsoft's newest products.


Windows IT Pro Home Register FAQ for Windows WinInfo News
Europe Edition About Us Contact Us/Customer Service Media Kit Affiliates / Licensing  
SQL Server Magazine Office & SharePoint Pro Windows Dev Pro IT Job Hound ITTV
IT Library Technology Resource Directory Connected Home Windows Excavator Windows SuperSite 
 
 Windows IT Pro is a Division of Penton Media Inc.
 Copyright © 2009 Penton Media, Inc., All rights reserved. Terms and Use | Privacy Statement | Reprints and Licensing