Err Msg: MDM.EXE - DLL Initialization Failed Error

ID: Q194396

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Information Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server, version 1.0

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

When you install the Windows NT Option Pack 4.0 on Windows Terminal Server 4.0 and clients try to use the Internet Explorer 4.0 Web browser, it will appear to stop responding. The following message is displayed in a dialog box on the server:

MDM.EXE - DLL Initialization Failed
Initialization of the dynamic link library
c:\wtsrv\system32\kernel32.dll failed. The process is terminating
abnormally.

In addition, you may see occurrences of event ID 10010 from DCOM in the Event Viewer with the following description:

The server {0C0A3666-30C9-11D0-8F20-00805F2CD064} did not register with DCOM within the required timeout.

CAUSE

Mdm.exe is the Machine Debug Manager, which is used by the Windows NT Option Pack and Microsoft Developer Studio to provide application debugging. When Script Debugging is enabled for Internet Explorer 4.0, the debug manager is initialized whenever Internet Explorer 4.0 is started. In a Windows Terminal Server session, however, the debug manager cannot be initialized properly in the Interactive User's context and returns the errors listed above.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, perform one of the following:

Rename the MDM.exe found in the system root\system32 directory.

Remove all registry entries related to "MDM" and Machine Debug Manager.

For each client that will use Internet Explorer 4.0, disable Internet Explorer 4.0 Script Debugging by performing the following steps:
1. Open Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Internet icon.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. Click the check box next to "Disable Script Debugging" to enable it.
5. Click OK.
6. Close Control Panel.

If script debugging is required on a development server, it is possible to change the user context that Mdm.exe runs by editing the registry.

NOTE: The following solution should only be used on a development or test server.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).
1. Start the Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Locate the RunAs value under the following keys in the registry:
```
      HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{0C0A3666-30C9-11D0-8F20-00805F2CD064}
      HKLM\SW\MS\WNT\CV\TS\Install\Software\Classes\AppId\ 
 
```
3. Double-click the value to change it, and enter "administrator" (without the quotation marks).
4. Click OK.
5. Quit Registry Editor.

Additional query words: Terminalsrv


Keywords          : 
Version           : winnt:4.0; :1.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 21, 1999