event viewer - mmc could not create snap in

hi,

i've googled this probelm and seen many people with same/similar. i've been trying for days to fix it with no success. i'll provide as much info as i can

after running windows update my event viewer won't load with this error message

- mmc has detected an error in a snap in and will unload it

and 2 options 1) report error to microsoft and shut down mmc
2)unload snap in and continue running

choosing 2 brings up a box - unhandled exception in managed code snap in

FX:{b05566ad-fe9c-4363-be05-7a4cbb7cb510}

an attempt ws made to load a program with an incorrect format

exception type:system.badimageformatexception

exception stack trace:at Microsoft.Windows.ManagementUI.CombinedControls.CommonUtils.CheckIfWindowsEventingServiceIsRunning()
at Microsoft.Windows.ManagementUI.CombinedControls.EventsNode.SetActionsForNode()
at Microsoft.Windows.ManagementUI.CombinedControls.EventsNode..ctor(EventNodeType type)
at Microsoft.Windows.ManagementUI.CombinedControls.EventsNode.GetRootNode()
at Microsoft.EventViewer.SnapIn.MMCRootNode..ctor(String remotecomputerName, String userDomain, String userName, String encryptedPassword)
at Microsoft.EventViewer.SnapIn.EventViewerSnapIn.OnInitialize()
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.SnapInBase.PostInitialize()
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.SnapInBase.Initialized()
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Internal.SnapInClient.Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Internal.ISnapInClient.Initialize(ISnapInPlatform snapInPlatform)
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Executive.SnapInInitializationOperation.OnStart()
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Executive.Operation.Start()
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Executive.RunningOperationsTable.EnqueueOperation(Operation operation)
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Executive.StandAloneComponentData..ctor(SnapInRegistrationInfo info, Int32 bookkeepingId)
at Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Advanced.FrameworkSnapInFactory.Microsoft.ManagementConsole.Advanced.ISnapInFactory.CreateSnapIn(Int32 bookkeepingId, String snapInKey, Object& snapIn)


event viewer now shows:

mmc could not create snapin. the snap in might not have been installed correctly.
name: event viewer
clsid: FX:{b05566ad-fe9c-4363-be05-7a4cbb7cb510}




i've tried every fix for this i can find including:

uninstalling/reinstalling .net 3.5
re entering the path in system variables
registering DLLs
giving administrator full access to the mmc and event viewer
looking for non-existent event viewer configuration files
amending machine.config files (of course backed up and then changed back)
opening event viewer from command line etc. (same result)
loading snap in into mmc manually (same error)
opening event viewer in safe mode

and maybe some others i don't remember now.

i hope somebody here has a fix for this, please!

oh, my OS is vista ultimate 32
hp laptop
1 GB ram
intel duo core 2.2 ghz

just to reiterate, this only happened after updating


thanks in advance

Lets go one step at a time. First, lets get working properly, use system restore. Its quick and easy and you lose nothing. This is exactaly what System Restore is for.

Second, after you are up and running we will take care of the update.

thanks for your reply ..


system restore would, of course, have been the first thing i did, but i have it turned off.

I have no comment about turning off SR except Its a great feature, that you paid for use it.

Go to an adminstrators account. In search type cmd. When you see CMD right click, run as administrator.. In cmd type sfc /scannow. If errors are found they will be corrected. If you get a report saying errors were found. Run sfc several more time. It is a good feature, but it is lazy; fixing only one error at a time.

If that does not work, return, I have other useful tricks.

scannow is one that i forgot to mention having tried already. but i will try it several times as you recommend.

as for not having system restore - everything i've read indicates that it doesn't do anything in relation to this particular problem. i'm hoping to avoid doing a repair install as i heard that you lose all of the settings and so on.

Repair install was my next trick. Upfront, I have never tried it, but all my sources say that it is just like an upgrade, you do not lose your settings, but I can help there too.
Download easy transfer. It saves: settings, desk top everything. I used it when I inatalled 7, it is a true gift from MS. I will get the link and return.

Here is the link.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/easy-transfer.aspx

so this is turning into the biggest head%$#k imaginable.

ran scannow several times. it found faults but hasn't enabled me to use eventviewer which was the original problem. so in the end i decided to throw in the towel and re-install.

some reason the computer will not cold boot from the dvd (yes i enabled the optical drive and placed it at no. 1 in the bios). even as a test i deleted the bootmgr file from my c drive to try and force it to boot from the dvd but no. so i quicky repaired that with the recovery disk and ran the dvd from inside windows (which i believe is actually the correct way to do it anyway).
the dvd will run from windows - computer but won't do an upgrade install as it needs about 12 gb free space and i only have about 5. so somehow i've gotta find 7 gb to delete before i do it? at best i reckon i can free up about 3 without too much bother. but 7 seems unlikely. so that leaves me with the option of clean install which i certainly don't want.

i've been running vista on this computer for two years without a problem never understanding why people were hating it and now after stupid MICROSOFT UPDATES i've hit a brick wall. can't believe there's not a simple fix for this simple problem and if i ever get it sorted i will be very very choosy about installing any updates in the future. i don't think i've any other avenues to try

TY for the rep. I hope that everything finally works to your satisfaction.