MSDTC errors on Lenovo X1

[codesmith]

I have a new Gen 6 Lenovo X1.    Out of the box I experienced COM+ and MSDTC (Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator) errors.  Even after performing a clean install of Windows 10 from my Microsoft developer account (I'm a software developer), the COM+ subsystem gets corrupted after the first system update (I think it is device driver related).  Microsoft related thread is here...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/error-code-8004e00f-com...

This means that software using MSDTC for transaction integrity will fail.  I purchased the X1 specifically for software development.  But with the above problem and the transaction-oriented code I intend to write, I effectively have a very nice looking $2000 brick.  ;-)

Is anyone else having this problem?   Try the following on your X1...

• In your Windows 10 search bar, search for "component services". (Without the quotes.)
• Start component services
• Expand the Component Services -> Computers tree
• Expand "My Computer".   Do you see a red arrow?   That is the first indication of a problem.
• Now click on COM+ Applications.  Did you get a "Catalog Error" dialog box? 

MSDTC is non-functional due to the COM+ corruption above.

As the above Microsoft link shows, other Lenovo users are having this problem too.   Lenovo or anyone...how can this be resolved?

[Alex515]

I have the same problem with Lenovo X1 gen 6 running latest patched Windows 1803 build 17134.254). Tried everything to diagnose this problem including tweaking Windows Registry settings for MSDTC and RPC - didn't help. I don't think to be honest that it was the driver that broke it: I can't think of the way the driver could break MSDTC.

[codesmith]

This seems to be some combination of Microsoft COM+ errors and Lenovo features.  A friend of mine with a new Dell Precision laptop running Windows 10 (the same build, 1803) does NOT have this problem.   Assorted Windows 10 virtual machines I have created do not have this problem.

I certainly cannot recommend Lenovo to any of my software engineer colleagues for Windows app or server development until this is fixed.  Please, Lenovo...can you work with Microsoft to get this fixed?

[VFR800]

I am seeing this exact same issue with my X1C6. Both in the COM+ dialog (same error) and now I am unable to install ActivClient 7.1, which relies on this COM+ architecture. Appears to be related to the Dolby Atom / Realtek drivers.

[VFR800]

I can confirm that doing a Lenovo factory restore on the machine does not fix the issue -- it appears to be baked into the OEM build.  How do we report an issue like this to Lenovo?

[codesmith]

VFR800 wrote>How do we report an issue like this to Lenovo?

I don't know.  I was hoping for some response from Lenovo here.  Maybe we have to start posting negative review of the X1 Gen6 on the Lenovo reviews forum.  As I wrote earlier, my ability to develop AND run any transaction oriented MSDTC apps using the X1 is impossible due to this problem.

I guess we all at least have a very pricey Windows 10 machine on which we can play Candy Crush.    Dropping $2K on this thing has been a disaster.  Way to go Lenovo and Microsoft!

[Alex515]

Have you tried to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch?

[codesmith]

>Have you tried to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch?

Yes.  With the same problem resulting after a windows update.  That was stated in the opening post to this thread.

[Alex515]

So the MSDTC error started to happen after the Windows Update OR after installing Lenovo X1 drivers?

[VFR800]

Since it occurs out of the box with the OEM build, I think it's something Lenovo needs to look at with their OEM configuration. Shouldn't have to do a clean install, especially if a Windows or System Update causes the problem again.