Causes of Error Message "Couldn't Retrieve All Machines..."

ID: Q151757


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

When you start the Systems Management Server Administrator program, you may receive the following error message:

Couldn't retrieve all machines. SMS administrator has encountered a problem attempting to load machines from the database.
After you click OK, most or all workstations show up in the Sites window. You receive the following error message when you execute a query:
Couldn't execute the specified query.


CAUSE

These errors are general and can occur in any of the following situations:

  • The SMS Security rights for the database user, stored in SMS.SecurityObjAccessList are corrupted. To correct this, set the rights for this database user to No Access, then reset them to the desired privilege.

    -or-


  • TEMPDB is in single user mode.

    -or-


  • TEMPDB is full.


  • -or-

  • The Transaction log is full. For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q125487 SMS Administrator Unable to Retrieve Machine List
    -or-


  • The stored procedure sp_GetSubSite, created by the Systems Management Server setup program, may be missing or corrupted. To reload the Systems Management Server stored procedures, sp_site.sql can be rerun in the Query Window.


  • -or-

  • One or more tables in the SMS database has been dropped.

    This also can occur if DBCLEAN is run to delete an architecture.


MORE INFORMATION

Enabling SQL Tracing may help narrow down the problem, and will log errors to the SMS\LOGS\UI.LOG on the site server when the SMS Administrator is run at the site server.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

To enable SQL Tracing, complete the following steps:

  1. Start Registry Editor (Rededt32.exe).


  2. Locate the following registry key:


  3. 
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Tracing\  
  4. Set the parameter SQLEnabled to 1.


  5. Restart the Systems Management Server Administrator program and re-create the error.


  6. Check the Sms\Logs\Ui.log using SMSTrace or Notepad.


Additional query words: prodsms

Keywords : smsadmin
Version : winnt:1.0,1.1,1.2
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: September 2, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.