I can't create a homegroup after repair install

Hi dbgarza,

Admittedly, I have nothing more that stands out for you to check and I'm up to the generic 'services won't start' stuff.

• Please check the log-on tab of the PNRP service in 'Services' (see pic)
• Check the registry and file permissions (see pic)
• You may also want to check the permissions on the pnrpsvc.dll in case this has become corrupt (unlikely, but it's good to tick this box). %SystemRoot%\system32\pnrpsvc.dll

EDIT: I forgot to add that the error number means that no access is given to the directory where keys are stored. I'm not sure if this is a SAM file, something else, or the homegroup directory..... so this is new ground for me also..... more to follow.

Ok... I believe it is stored here C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA

Please run the attached take ownership script. Then right click on the directory and take ownership (see pic).

Just try on your RSA folder first, but if it doesn't work then try the entire crypto folder (as shown in the pic)

dbgarza said:

Thanks for all the help, I granted the permissions but so far the service refuses to start, only the Peer Networking Identity Manager starts but that one always has started even before I did the permissions thing.

Also I noticed another thing. The Credential Manager service doesn't starts neither, I try to start it and I get an error 5 which is access denied.

It sure is a permissions thing but there must be something else to modify

You should be having no problems accessing the credential manager. There are no permissions for that with the standard admin account.

Something is messed up here for sure.

Try opening a command prompt and type in> sfc/ scannow then hit enter, let it run and see if it finds any file integrity violations.

It might also help to run a startup repair from the Windows CD a few times "more than once" because it's been known to fix these types of problems.

Winsock can also get messed up with the upgrade installation or maybe a repair install also so try this next just to make sure that winsock is set up correctly.

1. Click start, type cmd in the Start Search box, right-click cmd.exe, click Run as administrator, and then press Continue.


2. Type netsh winsock reset at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

Note If the command is typed incorrectly, you will receive an error message. Type the command again. When the command is completed successfully, a confirmation appears, followed by a new command prompt. Then, go to step 3.


3. Type exit, and then press ENTER. You should be prompted to reboot, if not you should reboot and test.

last night I did the sfc /scannow command and it did not found any errors, kinda odd considering the mess I have with this.

Now I have a question. Does the Windows Cardspace depends on the anything else to work? I get an error when I try to open it I checked the event viewer and I got this:

An error occurrred while accessing the card collection. Failed to open store.



Additional Information:
at System.Environment.GetStackTrace(Exception e, Boolean needFileInfo)
at System.Environment.get_StackTrace()
at Microsoft.InfoCards.Diagnostics.InfoCardTrace.BuildMessage(InfoCardBaseException ie)
at Microsoft.InfoCards.Diagnostics.InfoCardTrace.TraceAndLogException(Exception e)
at Microsoft.InfoCards.Diagnostics.InfoCardTrace.ThrowHelperError(Exception e)
at Microsoft.InfoCards.StoreConnection.GetConnection(WindowsIdentity identity, Boolean allowCreate)
at Microsoft.InfoCards.StoreConnection.GetConnection()
at Microsoft.InfoCards.GetUserPreferenceRequest.OnProcess()
at Microsoft.InfoCards.Request.ProcessRequest()
at Microsoft.InfoCards.Request.DoProcessRequest(String& extendedMessage)
at Microsoft.InfoCards.RequestFactory.ProcessNewRequest(Int32 parentRequestHandle, IntPtr rpcHandle, IntPtr inArgs, IntPtr& outArgs)

The folder is there with the storage and all, I even moved the folder to the desktop and ran cardspace again and even when it threw error it did created the folder again.

Also have you noticed that all the errors I have are related to identity? the Peer services that doesn't runs one is related to create an identity. the credential manager manages your ID's credentials like hotmail accounts, etc. And the cardspace is also related to identity since you create a card with your data I think for fast safe access if I recall well.

So I think the problem may be with some missing permission setting.

Just ran again the sfc /scannow command and it did not found any errors.

Another detail the problem isn't at local level, the problem is present in new accounts I create and even on the Administrator account too (I enabled it temporary to see if on it the services worked)

It has to be something else. Guess a clean install is my only exit huh?

Hi dbgarza,

I think another repair install is the best solution moving forward, as something has gone wrong with the first. I'll post a link to the guide in a moment.

EDIT: Repair Install

FIRST (hold off on another repair)- I think I mentioned it; but did you try to create a new user profile? This is usually a safe option when authorization is damaged?

I also should of asked - is the credential manager starting? It should be set to log-in with a local system account.

dbgarza said:

The credential manager didn't started and it was indeed to login with the local system account. I did created a new profile but the problem remained, also the repair install was what got me in this issue actually, I already tried it again before posting this topic and didn't repaired anything at all.

I decided to format and do a clean install, I still have the old windows installation cloned onto another disk so I still can access it by simply switching disks but for now I'm going on the clean install path.

Thanks anyways for all of your help and time, I really appreciated it :)

I fresh install - I know how you feel. Yesterday a faulty hard drive roasted my Sata plug which in turned burned out the mobo's on another 3 hard disk drives (5TB of space in total burnt). I'm rebuilding too.