Server Manager Crashing on Windows 8.1 Using Domain Admin Account

I'm running a Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 (Server Core) and Windows 8.1 Pro with RSAT.  I have been using Server Manager on the Windows 8.1 client for about a year without any problems.  About 1 week ago every time I tried to launch Server Manager it crashes. 

I got the monthly Microsoft patches a few days before, but I was using Server Manager afterwards so I don't think any of those patches introduced the problem?  I've tried uninstalling and re-installing Server Manager and RSAT, but neither fixed the problems.

I tried running this command and got some error messages.  (I don't recall the exact text.)

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

But after uninstalling and re-installing RSAT then running the DISM command no longer got any errors, but Server Manager still crashes.

I am running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 as a VM on Hyper-V Server 2012 R2.  The Windows 8.1 account where Server Manager is crashing is the Domain logon account.  I found that if I used another Administrative account on the Windows 8.1 client I am able to get Server Manager to run, but I'm sure I'll have other problems since this account is not a Domain Admin account?

So I'd like to restore the ability to use Server Manager from the Domain Admin account on my Windows 8.1 Pro client.

Until recently I've always run my Server and PCs in a workgroup and am not very familiar with using a Domain.  I am concerned that if I try and delete the Domain Admin account from my Windows 8.1 client that I may have trouble getting logged back onto the Client?  So I'd rather not try that as a solution to fixing Server Manager, but as a last resort.

In searching the web I see a number of other people who've had problems with Server Manager, but none seem to match these symptoms (or none of their solutions worked for me).

Thanks for any insight you can pr

May 22nd, 2015 10:28am

Here's the Event ID 1026 I get when Server Manager crashes -

Application: ServerManager.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
Stack:
   at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)
   at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeImpl()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.Invoke()
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.ProcessQueue()
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WndProcHook(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
   at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
   at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(System.Object)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
   at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.LegacyInvokeImpl(System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherPriority, System.TimeSpan, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
   at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr)
   at MS.Win32.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessage(System.Windows.Interop.MSG ByRef)
   at MS.Win32.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessage(System.Windows.Interop.MSG ByRef)
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrameImpl(System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherFrame)
   at System.Windows.Application.RunInternal(System.Windows.Window)
   at Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.SingleInstanceAppLauncher.StartApplication(Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Common.ArgumentsProcessor)
   at Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.MainApplication.Main(System.String[])

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May 22nd, 2015 10:30am

Hi,

Based on your description, when you use local admin account you can open server manager without issue, but crashed when you use a domain admin account.

As the Windows 8.1 and your server is now running in a workgroup not domain, you should not use domain account on them anymore. Domain account authentications need connections to domain controllers.

Domain admin account will be added to the local administrators groups when you re-join them to the domain.

Regards,

Yan Li

May 25th, 2015 4:46am

Yan Li,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.  It took me a few days to get everything working again.

"As the Windows 8.1 and your server is now running in a workgroup not domain ..."  I am not sure what gave you that impression.  My Windows 8.1 PC was still part of the domain.  I had been wondering aloud what would happen if I tried to remove the domain from this PC, but I was hoping I was not going to have to do that.

I did end up removing this Windows 8.1 PC from the domain and put it back in the WORKGROUP.  Once that was done I deleted the User directories associated with the Domain Admin logon.  Then I re-joined the domain using the same Domain Admin account as before.

This did fix the problems with Server Manager, but I had a new problem.  A TEMP directory was created in the User folder and every time I logged on with the Domain Admin account I would get a temporary profile (which meant a number of things had to be changed every time I logged back on).

I could not find a solution for that problem.  So I again put the Windows 8.1 PC back in the WORKGROUP.  I then used one of the Windows 8 restore options.  If memory serves I believe there are 3 options (or was it only 2)?  I did not select the most drastic option, but one which tried to (as I recall) retain files and settings.

After that was done I then re-joined the domain again using the same Domain Admin logon.  This time I got a User directory and no longer had the temporary profile problem.  Server Manager was also working.

So that got rid of my initial problem, but it then took me about 2 days to re-install all the software that got lost due to the Windows refresh option.

I am now working again, but this solution was a lot more intrusive/destructive than I had hoped to find.  If anyone else ever runs into this Server Manager problem hopefully by that time someone will have a better solution than what I had to go through.

Thanks for your assistance.

P.S.  I also still have no idea what caused the Server Manager problem in the first place.  But hopefully I'll never run into that again.

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June 17th, 2015 3:23pm

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