'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.IRegistrationService' Error on Expanding Database Tabs in SSMS

_{Monday, August 6, 2018 11:32 AM}

Hi,

For no clear reason my SSMS (version 17.8.1) began displaying the below error message when connected to my SQL Express 2014 server and attempting to expand any of the tabs in the object explorer. This was also accompanied by SSMS not automatically displaying the connection dialog on start-up of the programme, not sure if significant but a noted change.

I have searched extensively for fixes (see links to forum discussions below) and have tried the following:

-Reinstall of SSMS (incl back releases in case issue with 17.8.1) and SQL 2014

-Repair of above

-Reinstall of .NET and VisualStudio components

In the below forums and a few others I saw there is various mention of looking up the .dll file 'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SDK.SqlStudio' in given file paths. The specific versions of SQL/SSMS referred to in these discussions were different to mine but the files were always present in different locations to those specified. I found no complete discussion of successful fixes for similar problems.

I am using a company computer I have some suspicions that the errors could be related to permissions/user account management. If these issues could be at play then help understanding how permissons/user accounts need to be modified would be greatly appreciated.

Any help would be much appreciated as whilst the database is still functional via other apps that connect the inability to use SSMS is severely hampering work!

Thanks,

Tom

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/9ec69121-cf4d-4bf0-b28f-31f75fd2a3ee/ssms-175-last-one-service-microsoftsqlservermagamentiregistrationservice-not-found?forum=sqlsetupandupgrade

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/64c3e5ac-14b1-4d3b-b6ef-4dd97c5e17d8/when-opening-ssms-2014-getting-the-following-error?forum=sqlsetupandupgrade

ERROR MESSAGE

===================================

Service 'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.IRegistrationService' not found (Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SDK.SqlStudio)

Program Location:

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.ServiceProvider.GetService[T](IServiceProvider serviceProvider, Boolean throwIfNotFound)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlStudio.Explorer.NavigationService.Initialize()

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlStudio.Explorer.NavigationService.GetView(String urnPath)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NavigableItemBuilder.<GetColumnsFromNavigationService>d__11.MoveNext()

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NavigableItemBuilder.AddFields(List`1 list, IEnumerable`1 fields, IDictionary`2 allValidFields, AddFieldsFlags flags)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NavigableItemBuilder.GetParentFields(INodeInformation source, Dictionary`2& allValidColumns)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NavigableItemBuilder.BuildDynamicItemWithQuery(IList`1 nodes, INodeInformation source, INavigableItem sourceItem, String urnQuery, Boolean registerBuilder, Boolean registerBuiltItems)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NavigableItemBuilder.BuildDynamicItem(IList`1 nodes, INodeInformation source, INavigableItem sourceItem, IFilterProvider filter)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NavigableItemBuilder.Build(IList`1 nodes, INodeInformation source, INavigableItem sourceItem, IFilterProvider filter)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NavigableItem.RequestChildren(IGetChildrenRequest request)

   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.ExplorerHierarchyNode.BuildChildren(WaitHandle quitEvent)

_{Monday, August 6, 2018 11:55 AM}

See
https://blog.devoworx.net/2016/01/09/service-microsoft-sqlserver-management-iregistrationservice-not-found/
for some solutions

Olaf Helper

[ Blog] [ Xing] [ MVP]

_{Monday, August 6, 2018 12:20 PM}

Are you able to run the SSMS setup with "Run as Administrator"? If you don't have admin permissions, is it possible to have someone with admin access install it for you (such as Desktop team etc.)?

Anyway, I've found the following threads that appear to discuss the same issue as yours. See if they're of any help.

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/67011f3e-ffab-4fba-87d5-23a31d44136a/service-microsoftsqlservermanagementiregistrationservice-in-sql-server-management-studio?forum=sqldatabaseengine

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/b49eb033-1646-4d1c-8488-2507277472ca/get-error-when-connecting-sql-2012-management-studio-to-sql-server-2012-database?forum=sqltools

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/8adcbb52-3453-47d0-ace7-0de3d13f9270/ssms-failed-to-open-connection-dialog-microsoftsqlservermanagementiregistrationservice-not?forum=sqltools

Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" if my response answered your question or click "Vote as helpful" if it helped you in any way.

_{Saturday, August 31, 2019 7:13 AM}

I had the same issue.

It helps to install the new => .net framework 4.8. After restart the error was gone.

_{Thursday, February 6, 2020 12:01 AM}

I found that the reference for the "Document Folder" (i.e. C:\Users\*myuser**\Documents) were referencing a Path that didn't exists anywhere and thus it generated this, as far as I'm concerned, unrelated error.

I scanned through my local Registry and fixed all these incorrect Path References I could find, and now the error is gone!