Configure and troubleshoot Distributed Transaction Coordinator

Reinstall MSDTC

Reinstall the Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) with the following steps (Win2k/WinXP/Vista):

1. Execute commands
   • Net stop msdtc
   • Msdtc -uninstall
2. Delete registry keys:

   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \MSDTC]
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM \CurrentControlSet \Services \MSDTC]

3. Execute commands:
   • Msdtc -install
   • Msdtc -resetlog
   • Net start msdtc

   More Info MS KB240038
   More Info MS KB279786
   More Info MS KB873160

Reset Recovery Log

Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) uses the following log file for storing transaction-related recovery information along with all other MS DTC recovery information (WinNT4 also uses Dtcxatm.log).

%SystemRoot%\system32\DTCLog\MSDTC.LOG

If the location of the log file is faulty (non existing or no permission) or the MSDTC.LOG is corrupted, then it will keep the service from starting and give errors like:

*Event ID : 7024
Source : Service Control Manager
Description: The MSDTC service terminated with service specific error 3221229584.

Event ID : 4163
Source : MSDTC
Description: MS DTC log file not found. After ensuring that all Resource Managers coordinated by MS DTC have no indoubt transactions, please run msdtc -resetlog to create the log file.*
More Info MS KB205069

To reset the log-file :

1. If possible start the computer in safemode
2. Open the %SystemRoot%\System32\DTCLog folder. (Unless you have changed the default location)
3. If a Msdtc.log file exists in the folder, rename it to Msdtc.old.
4. Use Notepad to save an empty file as Msdtc.log in the folder.
5. Open a CMD prompt and type: msdtc -resetlog and press Enter.

Fix corrupted COM catelog

The Distributed Transaction Coordinator might fail to perform properly if the COM+ Catalog have become corrupted.