While attempting to start a dedicated server from a program that is enabled for Games for Windows LIVE, you receive one of the following error messages: "System Cannot Find the Path Specified" or "Failed to Initialize LIVE"

When you try to start a dedicated server from a program that is enabled for Games for Windows LIVE, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Error message 1Error message 2This problem occurs if you are running the Games for Windows LIVE program on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer.

This problem occurs for one of the following reasons:

• A file in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Catroot2 folder is damaged.
• The Cryptographic Services service is disabled.

To troubleshoot this issue, follow these steps.

Step 1: Rename the Catroot2 folder

Rename the Catroot2 folder, and then try to start the Dedicated Server program again. To rename the Catroot2 folder, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the server by using an account that has administrator rights.
2. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   net stop cryptsvc
4. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   ren %windir%\system32\catroot2 catroot2_renamed
5. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   net start cryptsvc

Important Do not rename the Catroot folder. Windows automatically re-creates the Catroot2 folder. However, if you rename the Catroot folder, Windows does not re-create the renamed Catroot folder.

Step 2: Set the Cryptographic Services service to start automatically

Configure the Cryptographic Services service to use the Automatic startup type. Then, reinstall the program that is enabled for Games for Windows LIVE. To set the Cryptographic Services service to automatically start, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
2. In the Services Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in, double-click Cryptographic Services.
3. In the Startup type list, click Automatic.
4. Click Start, and then click OK.

For more information about how to resolve this issue, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: