Windows Error: MMC Cannot Open The File

Written on January 7th 2010 at 08:40. Last modified: January 21, 2011

Microsoft Management Console causing problems with some snap ins

• When you try to launch a Microsoft Management Console Snap-in file (.msc file) you receive the error “MMC cannot open the file c:\pathfilename.msc“

Explanation:

This is being caused by the remote access server console disconnecting abnormally and causing corruption in the user profiles MMC snap in’s reference file.

Luckily there is a relatively simple solution.

Solution:

1. Click Start > Run
2. Type the following:

regsvr32 C:\Windows\system32\msxml3.dll

3. Click OK and WAIT until Windows confirms that the dll has been registered successfully.
4. Now open Windows Explorer and browse to the following folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\MMC

Note

Replace the word username above with your own Windows username

5. Look through the files in this folder and locate the file with the same name as the msc file that appears in the error message.
6. Rename the file to filename_old
7. Now try to launch your console again and the error should be resolved.