Logical Disk Manager, help please = ["Solved"]

[LDM]

Hello,

I am hoping that you can help me with a minor issue on my trusty WinXP computer.  I would like to continue using this old computer, and would appreciate a to fix this problem.

When I try to select My Computer > Manage > Disk Management   I receive the following error message:

Logical Disk Manager (LDM) is not registered
LDM supports Windows 2000 or later
Check the operating system version on the computer named ["my computer's name"]

The window frame says "Unable to connect to the Logical Disk Manager Services"

I have checked my services and have found (which appears to be normal for WinXP):
dmserver - started/manual
dmadmin - stopped/manual

I have looked around the internet for ideas, and found a suggestion to run dmreg.inf
So I have tried to "install" my dmreg.inf file that I found in my c:\I386 folder

Although the Disk Management "works" with the above idea, it creates another set of problems.  Whenever I reboot the computer, it now gets in a loop where a wizard reports "Found New Hardware"  to be followed by error message: The wizard is unable to install new hardware logical disk manager.

I have also tried the Tweaking.com app, in hopes that it might somehow register the offending app correctly.  However, it does not seem to help this particular issue.

I have restored various old image backups, so right now, I am back to the pre-install of the dmreg.inf (the state where the Disk Management is not working)

Multiple various scans have otherwise shown a clean WinXP computer.

Thanks for your help or any suggestions.

[Shane]

A lot of times all you need to do is register the dll or ocx files that a program needs. When you register a dll or ocx file it should write itself to the registry.

On my xp system in vmware I took a screen shot of the dm files that are in the system32 folder. Go and register each dll and ocx file. You may get an error on some of them as some dlls dont write themselves to the registry and so you get an error, you can ignore those.

Do you know how to register a dll and ocx file?

Shane

[LDM]

Hi Shane!

Thank you for your help, and suggestions.

I do not know how to register or re-register dll and ocx files, but looked for more information on the internet.  I found instructions regarding use of "regsvr32" command, as well as a "nirsoft" utility ("regDllview") that will list and register the files.

Of the files found in my system32 folder, registering some of the files reported error 127,  "specified procedure could not be found".  I ignored the warnings as per your instructions.

Unfortunately, after the registration procedure, the Disk Manager still reports the same error.

I am comparing your posted list of system32 files.  You highlighted 20 files, and I noticed that I only have 19 on my computer.  I seem to missing "dmview.oca" file. 

What would you suggest I try next?

Thanks again

[Shane]

I think the oca file was made because that was my programming machine lol

OK so next I want you to get me a screen shot of the actual error message if you would and then I will do some research on it and see what I can find.

Shane

[LDM]

Thank you!

Attached, please find requested screen shots of error message.

[Shane]

Great, as soon as you get that error go to the event viewer and check both application and system and see if there is any more info there on the error

Shane

[LDM]

Hi Shane!

Attached, the 2 screen shots of the event viewer, dated Sept 26 (date when I attempted to open the disk manager showing error).
As requested, the "application" and the "system" report.

Thank you.



(modified from above post and images)
After posting the images, I researched the reported error, and found that they were caused by a "ram drive" application. 
I uninstalled this app and it is no longer running.
So now when I run the event viewer, it is now reports all clean. 

However, the Disk Manager error is still present (it appears that it might not be related)?.

Thank you.

[Shane]

Ok, now lets check to see if all the services needed for it are running
Go to services and go to the LDM services (DMserver oh and I checked my system and it should be set to auto startup, not manual)
Right click on the service and go to Properties, check the Dependencies tab and ensure that all the dependent services are also started and working and of course see if the service itself is running.

I attached a screen shot from my xp in vmware.

Also there is a way that might work to fix it. I was helping a user who had MDAC not working on their system, the ado part of it. Normally registering the files does the trick as they write themselves to the registry. Well it didnt work for them, so I went and manully grabber the registry keys for ado and had them apply them and it fixed them up. (I will be adding those reg keys to the windows repair)

It is possible we need to do the same here and I just need to find the right registry keys

After all the error not registered means that windows couldnt find something it was looking for in the registry.

Shane

[LDM]

Thank you Shane!

DMserver service now changed from manual, to auto startup.
Confirm that LDM services are running.
Confirm that Dependencies found are also started and running.
Also tried rebooting computer, unfortunately no change to original error.

Attached screen shots confirming state of services.

[Shane]

Then it isnt a service problem at all, but instead is really looking like it is simply a registry problem.

So I will load up and see what i can find in the registry for it and have you try a few things

Will post back in a bit.

Shane

[Shane]

Ok, 58 different locations. May not be all of them but lets try these first, if it doesnt work i will look for more.

Got all 58 locations on my XP box and exported them all out and combined them into 1 reg file.

You can right click on the reg file and choose edit to see what is in it if you like, you may want to do a registry backup first, but none of the locations in the reg file should hurt anything.

Simply run the reg file and have it apply itself to the registry and then reboot and let me know how it goes.

Shane

[LDM]

Hi Shane,

First, a system restore point was performed.
Then I applied your reg file. 
Then reboot.

I am very happy to report ... Success!  You are a genius!

I will now also change this "Subject Line", as the problem has been "Solved", much thanks to you!
Just curious, is there anyway to know or compare the reg file to see what exactly was changed or missing that caused the original problem?

Thank you again!

[Shane]

Just curious, is there anyway to know or compare the reg file to see what exactly was changed or missing that caused the original problem?

You can look at the reg file to see what it changed, but towards what was missing or different that it fixed would be hard to tell. you would have to restore the registry from before the repair and then go check each location, all 58 of them one by one and compare.

I looked at the inf file and pulled all the registry locations it was suppose to set, and there where 4 more that it didnt. The thing about the inf file is I dont think it overwrites the registry keys if they are there, so thats why i dont think it fixed you up.

So instead I pulled each location manually and looks like that did the trick

Shane

[jraju]

Hi,  Excellent piece of analysing and solving the registry in this post. I did go through this post and fixing registry is a masterly one.