ADWS service does not start.

Below the error message :

Active Directory Web Services cannot be started due to a locked or invalid configuration file.
 The error returned was: Unrecognized configuration section appSettings. (C:\Windows\ADWS\Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.WebServices.exe.Config line 7)

I have already replaced the config file with a file from an another DC server. Same issue.

Can you help me ?

Hi,

It seems there are some thing wrong in the configuration files according to your post.

Any event id have you received in the event viewer?

Did you try the following steps to check the result?

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/adpowershell/archive/2009/10/05/how-to-view-soap-xml-messages-to-and-from-ad-webservices-and-powershell.aspx

Regards.

Log Name:      Active Directory Web Services
Source:        ADWS
Date:          02-04-15 07:26:23
Event ID:      1108
Task Category: ADWS Configuration Events
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      xxxxx.com
Description:
Active Directory Web Services cannot be started due to a locked or invalid configuration file.
 The error returned was: Unrecognized configuration section appSettings. (C:\Windows\ADWS\Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.WebServices.exe.Config line 7)

ADWS cannot start, so the messages.svclog file is not created.

In Powershell, the AD cmdlets don't work :

PS C:\Users\xxxx> Get-ADDomain
Get-ADDomain : The 'system.serviceModel/commonBehaviors' configuration section cannot be created. The machine.config file is missing information. Verify that this configuration section is properly registered and that you have correctly spelled the section name. For Windows Communication Foundation sections, run ServiceModelReg.exe -i to fix this error.
At line:1 char:13
+ Get-ADDomain <<<<
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (xxxx:ADDomain) [Get-ADDomain], ConfigurationErrorsException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : The 'system.serviceModel/commonBehaviors' configuration section cannot be created. The machine.config file is missing information. Verify that this configuration section is properly registered and that
  you have correctly spelled the section name. For Windows Communication Foundation sections, run ServiceModelReg.ex e -i to fix this error.,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Commands.GetADDomain

Hi,

I think the PowerShell command did not work because the ADWS did not start.

Did you try the suggestions as I mentioned above?

Regards.