FIX: Subsequent attempts to activate a COM object by using the ProgID fail after an intermittent error occurs in Windows Server 2003

Consider the following scenario:

• In Microsoft Windows Server 2003, you activate a Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) object by using the ProgID.
• A process writes to the registry. Therefore, the object cache is invalidated.
• You call the CLSIDFromProgID function to obtain the ClassID for the COM object. Because the COM object is not in the invalidated object cache, the registry is searched.
• An intermittent error occurs when you obtain the ClassID from the registry. For example, a registry API call fails.

In this scenario, the CLSIDFromProgID function returns CO_E_CLASSSTRING. Subsequent attempts to activate the COM object by using the ProgID fail.

This issue occurs because the COM object is stored in the object cache with an unregistered ProgID.

This problem may appear to be intermittent. A process may write to the registry again and invalidate the object cache. For example, a user may log on to the computer. If no problems occur when obtaining the ClassID from the registry, COM activation for the object succeeds.

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Windows Server 2003 Post-Service Pack 1 COM+ 1.5 Hotfix Package 9.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: