On my system, the remote procedure call (RPC) also has the 'log on as local system account' greyed out, however the local system account radio button is checked; I guess that is what is required and that it is greyed out to prevent you from changing it. If the radio button is checked, then proceed to the next step.
Do check the other one, Remote procedure call (RPC) locator as well (for that one the local system account is not greyed out, make sure its radio button is checked).
I would also check that the services mentioned in the FAQ (Event Log, Windows Management Instrumentation and remote procedure call (RPC)) are set to start automatically. Look in the services list in the column called startup type (you may need to stretch the window to the right to see that column). If not, right click on the service, click properties, general tab you can change it there. After reboot, go back into services and check that they have started.
Remote procedure call (RPC) locator can be manual startup; it will then start when required.
If you have not already done so, you might also read the reference given in the FAQ:
I typed a very long and detailed response, but when I tried to post it I got a big colorful page full of lines and lines of data and the page was headed "An Exception Occurred."
The long and the short of it is I have done all you suggested, done what is suggested in the FAQ for this message board ("Can't Collect Information" FAQ) and done what is suggested in the referenced article.
All of the "Services" mentioned have the "Log On" tab option set as "Local System Account" and the "General" tab option "Startup Type" as "Automatic."
Still, when I go to Start/Help and Support/Computer Information and then choose any of the options listed ("Detailed Computer Information" etc.) I get the message "Critical Error."
I bought my DELL Dimension 4550 in December 2002. It has a 1.8 MHZ Pentium 4 chip; 1 GIG of RAM; Windows XP Pro with Service Pack 1.
The only programs I can think of that might interfere with the collection of information on my computer are the Spam and Virus protection programs I have, which are: Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security with Personal Firewall, Ad-Aware 6, SpyBot and Hijack This.
I also have TuneUp Utilities 2003. When I use that program to collect information on my computer it does it just fine. But it seems I should be able to use Windows XP to do this as well.
Any ideas?
semana
P.S. When I posted this message I saw that the longer message I had written earlier was also posted, despite the big error message I got. I must be doing something wrong. At any rate, between these two postings of mine you'll get the idea what the problem is. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry about the paucity of information in my initial posting.
When I go to Start/Help and Support/Computer Information/ and then choose any of the options ("Detailed Computer Information," "System Configuration of Your Dell Computer" etc.) I get the message in red "Critical Error."
In reading FAQ #1 and #2 for this Message Board (Software Message Boards/Windows XP) I saw two procedures related to this issue and tried them both, to no avail. (see Attachment # 1 below)
I have also checked to be sure the Radio Button is filled in and that the services you mention (Event Log, Windows Management Instrumentation and remote procedure call (RPC)) are set to start automatically.
"The error message occurs if the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service is not started. This can occur if the service is disabled, if a dependent service is not started, or if a problem is preventing the WMI service from starting. The System Information utility will be able to collect information after the WMI service is started. "
I have checked the Windows Management Instrumentation service properties. For "Log On" the "Local System Account" radio button is filled in. For "General", "Startup Type" is "Automatic." When I click on the "Dependencies" tab I get the message "Critical Error: WMI."
In the document referenced above, the "Resolution" for the "Cause" is shown as:
"To resolve this issue, make sure that the following services start correctly:
Event Log
Windows Management Instrumentation
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)"
Other than checking the "Log On" and "General" tabs in "Properties" for each of these services to be sure "Local System Account" and "Automatic" are the chosen options - I don't know what else to do.
Any ideas?
Attachment # 1
Q:When trying to use System Information, I get the following error: ( Can't Collect Information... ) A:The following information should help in resolving this problem.
Procedure 1: Click Start, click Control Panel. On the left hand side of control Panel, click Switch to Classic View. Double click Administrative Tools, and double click Services.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Event Log. Right click Event Log, click on Properties. Click the Log On tab, click Local System account, and then click OK.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Windows Management Instrumentation. Right click Windows Management Instrumentation, click on Properties. Click the Log On tab, click Local System account, and then click OK.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Remote Procedure Call (RPC). Right click Remote Procedure Call (RPC), click on Properties. Click the Log On tab, click Local System account, and then click OK. *Warning* There will be two listings for the (RPC) file, and both listings must be modified using the above steps.
Once you are done, close all open Windows and restart the system. When you get back into Windows, try getting system information again.
Procedure 2: If you use a password for your user account, you may also want to check the password status box.. This should only be uses if you have multiple user accounts on your system, and each account requires a password.
Log on with the account that is having the problem. Click Start, click Control Panel. On the left hand side of control Panel, click Switch to Classic View. Double click Administrative Tools, and double click Services.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Event Log. Right click Event Log, click on Properties. Click the Log On tab, put a check in the box for "This Account." Type in the password that you use to log on to your user account. Re-type the password to confirm it, and then click Apply and Ok. Reboot the system and see if the problem still occurs. *You must repeat this step for Windows Management Instrumentation, and both Remove Procedure Call Files.
I am not sure which files are involved in calling up the system information in that part of help and support. The MS article refers to msinfo32.exe, XP's inbuilt system information tool. It is not clear whether whatever is broken is part of the help and support links, or msinfo32.exe or the WMI service.
Could you please try: click start, run, type msinfo32.exe , click OK. This should open a window called System Information, with in the left pane a tree of types of information (system, Hardware resources, etc. In the right pane the corresponding information should appear (it might say 'refreshing information' for a while first).
You should also be able to get to that in Help and Support, in the orange Dell overlay, click on Tools (in Additional resources), then click on my computer information, then on view advanced system information (on my screen it has a blue arrow), then on view detailed system information (msinfo32.exe).
Also double check that the relevant services show as started (they should be, as you've set them to automatic, but if they failed to load then that would be the cause). WMI requires Event log and RPC to be started, for it to be able to function, which is why all three are important. Actually RPC is crucial for a lot of services, so that one is probably OK, since other things work OK. Similarly if WMI were not loaded, I would expect other symptoms to appear.
If you are familiar with event viewer, please look through that to get details of any errors logged.
Please post back if msinfo32 does not work either.
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-29-2004 05:41 PM
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-29-2004 05:43 PM
When I expand any of these and click on them I again get "Can't Collect Information" with the note "Cannot access the Windows Management Information software. Windows Management files may be moved or missing."
In the Event Viewer here are recent error log messages:
3/30/04
Event Type: Error Event Source: WinMgmt Event Category: None Event ID: 28 Date: 3/30/2004 Time: 3:24:46 AM User: N/A Computer: FRED1 Description: WinMgmt could not initialize the core parts. This could be due to a badly installed version of WinMgmt, WinMgmt repository upgrade failure, insufficient disk space or insufficient memory.
Event Type: Error Event Source: WinMgmt Event Category: None Event ID: 28 Date: 3/29/2004 Time: 4:58:42 AM User: N/A Computer: FRED1 Description: WinMgmt could not initialize the core parts. This could be due to a badly installed version of WinMgmt, WinMgmt repository upgrade failure, insufficient disk space or insufficient memory.
Event Type: Error Event Source: WinMgmt Event Category: None Event ID: 28 Date: 3/28/2004 Time: 9:00:07 AM User: N/A Computer: FRED1 Description: WinMgmt could not initialize the core parts. This could be due to a badly installed version of WinMgmt, WinMgmt repository upgrade failure, insufficient disk space or insufficient memory.
I hope that will solve your problem. Don't include the "" where it says type"CMD" etc.
Where it says %windir&\system32\wbem\repository it means C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WBEM\Repository (assuming that your system is on the C drive). That's the folder in which Winmgmt stores its data; this probably got corrupted. What the procedure is doing, essentially, is to stop Winmgmt, clear its data, restart winmgmt and re register it (to ensure the registry entries are correct). The repository folder will be recreated on restart and the data should be built up next time you use system information.
The Word 2003 error on 3/29/04 is probably unrelated. Maybe you had a Word crash on that day.
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-30-2004 01:19 PM
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-30-2004 01:23 PM
By the way. I've been having other problems with my computer and am also running out of space. I asked a friend who's more computer savvy than I about installing a new or additional hard drive and he suggested the steps below to attempt to fix all of my problems. Does this look like a good idea and might it fix the "Can't Collect Information" problem as well?
For best performance, I recommend you:
1) Burn the files you want to save to CDs
2) Install the A08 BIOS
3) Replace your 60GB hard drive with the 120GB hard drive
4) Format your new hard drive with your WinXP CD using NTFS
5) Do a clean install of WinXP Pro with SP-1 and all critical updates
6) Install the Intel Application Accelerator
7) Install the latest version of DirectX
8) Install the most current driver for your video card
9) Install any drivers needed for the rest of your hardware
10) Reinstall all the applications and updates you had on your old hard drive that you still want
11) Restore the files you saved to CDs
The above steps are equivalent to getting a new computer, and will total about 24 to 32 hours of work. It's time consuming, but the results will be like getting a new computer because a clean install of WinXP Pro will get rid of all the garbage and repair any corrupted files.
In following the instructions, I did Start/Run/CmD and got a black screen with a C prompt, the documents and settings for my name. I did not see the %windir&\system32\wbem\repository anywhere so I could delete it.
I did a search and did find a folder called "Repository" at the address in your posting (C:WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WBEM\Repository. Am I supposed to navigate to that folder and delete it?
Without deleting anything I went through the rest of the instructions and did a re-start but got the same "Critical Error" message.
I'm really lost at this level of activity. Is it possible to have a complete step-by-step recipe from start to finish?
That is certainly a possibility, and it should repair everything. You might lose some Dell OEM installed software. If your PC can accomodate a second hard drive, another possibility is to install a second drive and repair your current installation on the existing drive. Many people here would also recommend a clean install if you have several problems. Myself, I am a little old fashioned and tend to think of that as a last resort, preferring to maintain my PC in good working order and clean out unwanted software etc. on a regular basis and solve each problem as it occurs, rather than letting them accumulate. But obviously it's your call.
To the list you give I would add explicitly, before you connect to the internet to download critical updates etc.: reinstall AV software and make sure a firewall is on (either the XP one or another that you might have or prefer). Also update the virus definitions as soon as possible (you may need to contact the AV provider to get your current subscription information back into the registry, as that will have been lost during clean install).
Anyway, just to clarify the instructions from the EventID.Net link I gave, since you said they confused you..
As you say, when you click start, run, type CMD, click OK, the black Command prompt window opens. That is where you type in the commands.
So, having opened that window, at the blinking -
type net stop winmgmt , press enter
One or more lines will appear below what you typed, telling you that winmgmt is stopping and then that it has stopped. when you see that winmgmt has stopped, leave the command prompt open (or you can minimize it to the taskbar)[you can close it but this saves your having to go back to start, run, etc.]
Open Windows Explorer or My computer and navigate to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WBEM\Repository
Right click on the repository folder and click delete.
Go back to the command prompt window and
type net start winmgmt , press enter
Some lines will appear informing of progress, until it tells you that it has started. When it is ready, the blinking - will appear
[Optional: Type Winmgmt/?, press enter. A window will open giving you the information about what the various following commands do; click OK to close that window when you have finished reading the info; obviously this step is optional, if you don't want to read the details just omit it]
In the command prompt window:
type winmgmt/clearadap , press enter
type winmgmt/kill , press enter
type winmgmt/unregserver , press enter
type winmgmt/regserver , press enter
type winmgmt/resyncperf , press enter
I'm not sure, as I've not had to go through this myself, but between each of those steps, some information lines might appear. Anyway you will know when the PC is ready to accept the next command when the blinking - appears.
When done, close the command window by clicking the x top right corner.
Restart the PC and test to see if you have solved the problem.
.
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-30-2004 10:04 PM
I did what you said, very carefully. When I did the "Delete" the "Repository" step it said one item could not be deleted because it was being used. I disabled my firewall and anti-virus and anything else I saw open and it went away.
I proceded through the other steps, did a re-start and then Start/Help and Support/Detailed Computer Information.
I got the same "Critical Error" message I've been getting all along.
Sorry it did not work. I did not find any other suggested fixes. No idea what else would be wanting a file from there, as I understand it, it is WMI that uses it.
Probably best to go to plan B, clean install as you mentioned in an earlier post.
JRosenfeld
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March 28th, 2004 20:00
Denny Denham
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March 28th, 2004 22:00
He is referring to the answer to Q:When trying to use System Information, I get the following error:
( Can't Collect Information... ) located here.
JRosenfeld
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March 28th, 2004 23:00
Thank you, Denny.
Semana,
On my system, the remote procedure call (RPC) also has the 'log on as local system account' greyed out, however the local system account radio button is checked; I guess that is what is required and that it is greyed out to prevent you from changing it. If the radio button is checked, then proceed to the next step.
Do check the other one, Remote procedure call (RPC) locator as well (for that one the local system account is not greyed out, make sure its radio button is checked).
I would also check that the services mentioned in the FAQ (Event Log, Windows Management Instrumentation and remote procedure call (RPC)) are set to start automatically. Look in the services list in the column called startup type (you may need to stretch the window to the right to see that column). If not, right click on the service, click properties, general tab you can change it there. After reboot, go back into services and check that they have started.
Remote procedure call (RPC) locator can be manual startup; it will then start when required.
If you have not already done so, you might also read the reference given in the FAQ:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q323209
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-29-2004 01:56 AM
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-29-2004 02:00 AM
SEMANA
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March 29th, 2004 10:00
Thanks.
I typed a very long and detailed response, but when I tried to post it I got a big colorful page full of lines and lines of data and the page was headed "An Exception Occurred."
The long and the short of it is I have done all you suggested, done what is suggested in the FAQ for this message board ("Can't Collect Information" FAQ) and done what is suggested in the referenced article.
All of the "Services" mentioned have the "Log On" tab option set as "Local System Account" and the "General" tab option "Startup Type" as "Automatic."
Still, when I go to Start/Help and Support/Computer Information and then choose any of the options listed ("Detailed Computer Information" etc.) I get the message "Critical Error."
I bought my DELL Dimension 4550 in December 2002. It has a 1.8 MHZ Pentium 4 chip; 1 GIG of RAM; Windows XP Pro with Service Pack 1.
The only programs I can think of that might interfere with the collection of information on my computer are the Spam and Virus protection programs I have, which are: Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security with Personal Firewall, Ad-Aware 6, SpyBot and Hijack This.
I also have TuneUp Utilities 2003. When I use that program to collect information on my computer it does it just fine. But it seems I should be able to use Windows XP to do this as well.
Any ideas?
semana
P.S. When I posted this message I saw that the longer message I had written earlier was also posted, despite the big error message I got. I must be doing something wrong. At any rate, between these two postings of mine you'll get the idea what the problem is. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Message Edited by SEMANA on 03-29-2004 06:01 AM
SEMANA
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March 29th, 2004 10:00
Sorry about the paucity of information in my initial posting.
When I go to Start/Help and Support/Computer Information/ and then choose any of the options ("Detailed Computer Information," "System Configuration of Your Dell Computer" etc.) I get the message in red "Critical Error."
In reading FAQ #1 and #2 for this Message Board (Software Message Boards/Windows XP) I saw two procedures related to this issue and tried them both, to no avail. (see Attachment # 1 below)
I have also checked to be sure the Radio Button is filled in and that the services you mention (Event Log, Windows Management Instrumentation and remote procedure call (RPC)) are set to start automatically.
In the FAQ reference included in your reply (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q323209) it gives as the "cause" for this message:
"The error message occurs if the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service is not started. This can occur if the service is disabled, if a dependent service is not started, or if a problem is preventing the WMI service from starting. The System Information utility will be able to collect information after the WMI service is started. "
I have checked the Windows Management Instrumentation service properties. For "Log On" the "Local System Account" radio button is filled in. For "General", "Startup Type" is "Automatic." When I click on the "Dependencies" tab I get the message "Critical Error: WMI."
In the document referenced above, the "Resolution" for the "Cause" is shown as:
Other than checking the "Log On" and "General" tabs in "Properties" for each of these services to be sure "Local System Account" and "Automatic" are the chosen options - I don't know what else to do.
Any ideas?
Attachment # 1
Q:When trying to use System Information, I get the following error:
( Can't Collect Information... )
A:The following information should help in resolving this problem.
Procedure 1:
Click Start, click Control Panel.
On the left hand side of control Panel, click Switch to Classic View.
Double click Administrative Tools, and double click Services.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Event Log.
Right click Event Log, click on Properties.
Click the Log On tab, click Local System account, and then click OK.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Windows Management Instrumentation.
Right click Windows Management Instrumentation, click on Properties.
Click the Log On tab, click Local System account, and then click OK.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Remote Procedure Call (RPC).
Right click Remote Procedure Call (RPC), click on Properties.
Click the Log On tab, click Local System account, and then click OK.
*Warning*
There will be two listings for the (RPC) file, and both listings must
be modified using the above steps.
Once you are done, close all open Windows and restart the system.
When you get back into Windows, try getting system information again.
Procedure 2:
If you use a password for your user account, you may also want to
check the password status box.. This should only be uses if you have
multiple user accounts on your system, and each account requires a
password.
Log on with the account that is having the problem.
Click Start, click Control Panel.
On the left hand side of control Panel, click Switch to Classic View.
Double click Administrative Tools, and double click Services.
-In the right pane, find the entry for Event Log.
Right click Event Log, click on Properties.
Click the Log On tab, put a check in the box for "This Account."
Type in the password that you use to log on to your user account.
Re-type the password to confirm it, and then click Apply and Ok.
Reboot the system and see if the problem still occurs.
*You must repeat this step for Windows Management Instrumentation,
and both Remove Procedure Call Files.
Related Microsoft Articles:
1. Msinfo32.exe Generates a "Can't Collect Information" Error Message
2. "Event ID: 7000" or "Event ID: 7013" Error Message When You Attempt to Start a Service.
JRosenfeld
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March 29th, 2004 15:00
I am not sure which files are involved in calling up the system information in that part of help and support. The MS article refers to msinfo32.exe, XP's inbuilt system information tool. It is not clear whether whatever is broken is part of the help and support links, or msinfo32.exe or the WMI service.
Could you please try: click start, run, type msinfo32.exe , click OK. This should open a window called System Information, with in the left pane a tree of types of information (system, Hardware resources, etc. In the right pane the corresponding information should appear (it might say 'refreshing information' for a while first).
You should also be able to get to that in Help and Support, in the orange Dell overlay, click on Tools (in Additional resources), then click on my computer information, then on view advanced system information (on my screen it has a blue arrow), then on view detailed system information (msinfo32.exe).
Also double check that the relevant services show as started (they should be, as you've set them to automatic, but if they failed to load then that would be the cause). WMI requires Event log and RPC to be started, for it to be able to function, which is why all three are important. Actually RPC is crucial for a lot of services, so that one is probably OK, since other things work OK. Similarly if WMI were not loaded, I would expect other symptoms to appear.
If you are familiar with event viewer, please look through that to get details of any errors logged.
Please post back if msinfo32 does not work either.
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-29-2004 05:41 PM
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-29-2004 05:43 PM
SEMANA
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March 30th, 2004 09:00
Thanks. I followed your instructions and got the System Information window.
Under System Summary I have 7 items listed:
1) Hardware Resources 2) Components 3) Software Environment 4) Internet Settings 5) Office 10 Applications 6) Applications 7) Office 2003 Applications
When I expand any of these and click on them I again get "Can't Collect Information" with the note "Cannot access the Windows Management Information software. Windows Management files may be moved or missing."
In the Event Viewer here are recent error log messages:
3/30/04
Event Type: Error
Event Source: WinMgmt
Event Category: None
Event ID: 28
Date: 3/30/2004
Time: 3:24:46 AM
User: N/A
Computer: FRED1
Description:
WinMgmt could not initialize the core parts. This could be due to a badly installed version of WinMgmt, WinMgmt repository upgrade failure, insufficient disk space or insufficient memory.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
3/29/04
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Microsoft Office 11
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: 3/29/2004
Time: 6:36:30 AM
User: N/A
Computer: FRED1
Description:
Faulting application winword.exe, version 11.0.6113.0, stamp 40077019, faulting module winword.exe, version 11.0.6113.0, stamp 40077019, debug? 0, fault address 0x000452e8.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 00 70 00 70 00 6c 00 A.p.p.l.
0008: 69 00 63 00 61 00 74 00 i.c.a.t.
0010: 69 00 6f 00 6e 00 20 00 i.o.n. .
0018: 46 00 61 00 69 00 6c 00 F.a.i.l.
0020: 75 00 72 00 65 00 20 00 u.r.e. .
0028: 20 00 77 00 69 00 6e 00 .w.i.n.
0030: 77 00 6f 00 72 00 64 00 w.o.r.d.
0038: 2e 00 65 00 78 00 65 00 ..e.x.e.
0040: 20 00 31 00 31 00 2e 00 .1.1...
0048: 30 00 2e 00 36 00 31 00 0...6.1.
0050: 31 00 33 00 2e 00 30 00 1.3...0.
0058: 20 00 34 00 30 00 30 00 .4.0.0.
0060: 37 00 37 00 30 00 31 00 7.7.0.1.
0068: 39 00 20 00 69 00 6e 00 9. .i.n.
0070: 20 00 77 00 69 00 6e 00 .w.i.n.
0078: 77 00 6f 00 72 00 64 00 w.o.r.d.
0080: 2e 00 65 00 78 00 65 00 ..e.x.e.
0088: 20 00 31 00 31 00 2e 00 .1.1...
0090: 30 00 2e 00 36 00 31 00 0...6.1.
0098: 31 00 33 00 2e 00 30 00 1.3...0.
00a0: 20 00 34 00 30 00 30 00 .4.0.0.
00a8: 37 00 37 00 30 00 31 00 7.7.0.1.
00b0: 39 00 20 00 66 00 44 00 9. .f.D.
00b8: 65 00 62 00 75 00 67 00 e.b.u.g.
00c0: 20 00 30 00 20 00 61 00 .0. .a.
00c8: 74 00 20 00 6f 00 66 00 t. .o.f.
00d0: 66 00 73 00 65 00 74 00 f.s.e.t.
00d8: 20 00 30 00 30 00 30 00 .0.0.0.
00e0: 34 00 35 00 32 00 65 00 4.5.2.e.
00e8: 38 00 0d 00 0a 00 8.....
3/29/04
Event Type: Error
Event Source: WinMgmt
Event Category: None
Event ID: 28
Date: 3/29/2004
Time: 4:58:42 AM
User: N/A
Computer: FRED1
Description:
WinMgmt could not initialize the core parts. This could be due to a badly installed version of WinMgmt, WinMgmt repository upgrade failure, insufficient disk space or insufficient memory.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
3/28/04
Event Type: Error
Event Source: WinMgmt
Event Category: None
Event ID: 28
Date: 3/28/2004
Time: 9:00:07 AM
User: N/A
Computer: FRED1
Description:
WinMgmt could not initialize the core parts. This could be due to a badly installed version of WinMgmt, WinMgmt repository upgrade failure, insufficient disk space or insufficient memory.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
JRosenfeld
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March 30th, 2004 11:00
Great info, thanks. For the Winmgmt error, I found this proposed solution at EventID.Net
http://www.eventid.net/display.asp?eventid=28&source=Winmgmt
I hope that will solve your problem. Don't include the "" where it says type"CMD" etc.
Where it says %windir&\system32\wbem\repository it means C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WBEM\Repository (assuming that your system is on the C drive). That's the folder in which Winmgmt stores its data; this probably got corrupted. What the procedure is doing, essentially, is to stop Winmgmt, clear its data, restart winmgmt and re register it (to ensure the registry entries are correct). The repository folder will be recreated on restart and the data should be built up next time you use system information.
The Word 2003 error on 3/29/04 is probably unrelated. Maybe you had a Word crash on that day.
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-30-2004 01:19 PM
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-30-2004 01:23 PM
SEMANA
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March 30th, 2004 13:00
By the way. I've been having other problems with my computer and am also running out of space. I asked a friend who's more computer savvy than I about installing a new or additional hard drive and he suggested the steps below to attempt to fix all of my problems. Does this look like a good idea and might it fix the "Can't Collect Information" problem as well?
SEMANA
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197 Posts
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March 30th, 2004 13:00
Thanks.
I'm a little confused.
In following the instructions, I did Start/Run/CmD and got a black screen with a C prompt, the documents and settings for my name. I did not see the %windir&\system32\wbem\repository anywhere so I could delete it.
I did a search and did find a folder called "Repository" at the address in your posting (C:WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WBEM\Repository. Am I supposed to navigate to that folder and delete it?
Without deleting anything I went through the rest of the instructions and did a re-start but got the same "Critical Error" message.
I'm really lost at this level of activity. Is it possible to have a complete step-by-step recipe from start to finish?
JRosenfeld
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March 30th, 2004 20:00
That is certainly a possibility, and it should repair everything. You might lose some Dell OEM installed software. If your PC can accomodate a second hard drive, another possibility is to install a second drive and repair your current installation on the existing drive. Many people here would also recommend a clean install if you have several problems. Myself, I am a little old fashioned and tend to think of that as a last resort, preferring to maintain my PC in good working order and clean out unwanted software etc. on a regular basis and solve each problem as it occurs, rather than letting them accumulate. But obviously it's your call.
To the list you give I would add explicitly, before you connect to the internet to download critical updates etc.: reinstall AV software and make sure a firewall is on (either the XP one or another that you might have or prefer). Also update the virus definitions as soon as possible (you may need to contact the AV provider to get your current subscription information back into the registry, as that will have been lost during clean install).
Anyway, just to clarify the instructions from the EventID.Net link I gave, since you said they confused you..
As you say, when you click start, run, type CMD, click OK, the black Command prompt window opens. That is where you type in the commands.
So, having opened that window, at the blinking -
type net stop winmgmt , press enter
One or more lines will appear below what you typed, telling you that winmgmt is stopping and then that it has stopped. when you see that winmgmt has stopped, leave the command prompt open (or you can minimize it to the taskbar)[you can close it but this saves your having to go back to start, run, etc.]
Open Windows Explorer or My computer and navigate to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WBEM\Repository
Right click on the repository folder and click delete.
Go back to the command prompt window and
type net start winmgmt , press enter
Some lines will appear informing of progress, until it tells you that it has started. When it is ready, the blinking - will appear
[Optional: Type Winmgmt/?, press enter. A window will open giving you the information about what the various following commands do; click OK to close that window when you have finished reading the info; obviously this step is optional, if you don't want to read the details just omit it]
In the command prompt window:
type winmgmt/clearadap , press enter
type winmgmt/kill , press enter
type winmgmt/unregserver , press enter
type winmgmt/regserver , press enter
type winmgmt/resyncperf , press enter
I'm not sure, as I've not had to go through this myself, but between each of those steps, some information lines might appear. Anyway you will know when the PC is ready to accept the next command when the blinking - appears.
When done, close the command window by clicking the x top right corner.
Restart the PC and test to see if you have solved the problem.
.
Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 03-30-2004 10:04 PM
SEMANA
2 Intern
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197 Posts
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March 31st, 2004 14:00
I really appreciate all your efforts to help.
I did what you said, very carefully. When I did the "Delete" the "Repository" step it said one item could not be deleted because it was being used. I disabled my firewall and anti-virus and anything else I saw open and it went away.
I proceded through the other steps, did a re-start and then Start/Help and Support/Detailed Computer Information.
I got the same "Critical Error" message I've been getting all along.
Strange. I wonder what it could be?
JRosenfeld
2 Intern
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4.4K Posts
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March 31st, 2004 23:00
Sorry it did not work. I did not find any other suggested fixes. No idea what else would be wanting a file from there, as I understand it, it is WMI that uses it.
Probably best to go to plan B, clean install as you mentioned in an earlier post.
SEMANA
2 Intern
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197 Posts
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April 1st, 2004 09:00