Source: jgilbert (myITForum)

How to check the WMI repository before rebuilding it.
I've had some WMI repository repair tidbits stashed away in my e-mail that I was going to blog about sooner or later. I'm not sure if today is sooner or later, but I did have to go looking through my old e-mails to find these steps for a lab machine today, and figured that was a sign I should finally post this information to the blog. If you suspect that the WMI repository has been corrupted, before throwing in the towel and blowing it away you can/should try to repair it

I couldn't remember where I got these command lines so I had to go look them up again! Looks like if the repository can't be repaired, it will be recreated anyway: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/topics/help/wmi.mspx

Of course, you could use the WMI Diagnosis Utility to check for WMI corruption, but I'm a pretty impatient person at heart and find that this is just faster for me. The steps when using these commands go kind of like this--check it, fix it and worst case replace it.

Anyway, to check the WMI repository for errors on a Server 2003 SP1 or SP2 systems, run the following command from command prompt:

rundll32 wbemupgd, CheckWMISetup

Once you've run that command, check the setup.log file located at: %windir%\System32\Wbem\Logs\Setup.log. Check for entries from today's date. If you find none, then WMI is probably OK and you should continue troubleshooting somewhere else. If however, you see an error message from today saying that it can't find a namespace then yes, your WMI repository does have issues and you should do the below:

rundll32 wbemupgd, RepairWMISetup

This will re-create your WMI repository minus any custom .mof additions that were implemented without the -autorecover switch.

For Windows XP SP2, use the following command to check for corruption, and repair if necessary:

rundll32 wbemgupgd, UpgradeRepository

For Windows XP SP1, the check and repair commands are below and function just like the Windows Server 2003, SP1 commands:

rundll32 wbemupgd, CheckWMISetup

and

rundll32 wbemupgd, RepairWMISetup

If anyone has used Sysprep with XP on a machine that uses an Intel Graphics chipset you have likely ran into the dreaded hang during mini-setup when plug and play installs the graphics driver. (Sits at the please wait screen and must be manually rebooted to continue)

Microsoft offers a hotfix for this (must be requested via the web form or through calling PSS)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/883667

It is effectively a single dll file that needs to be replaced.

12-Aug-2004 17:50 5.1.2600.2505 247,808 Newdev.dll SP2QFE

I have run into scenerios where I needed access to the Windows Installer service while in Safe Mode. You may be suprised to know that this service is not enabled by default. The following info will get it back for you:

To start Windows Installer in Safe Mode:
1. Restart your computer and press F8 before the Boot Menu or splash screen.

2. Open a CMD.EXE window.

3. Type the following commands and press Enter:

REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Minimal\MSIServer" /VE /T REG_SZ /F /D "Service"
net start msiserver

NOTE: You can use this technique to uninstall an application in Safe Mode.

Some great resources around virtualizing applications:

Application Virtualization Operations Guide
http://blogs.technet.com/softgrid/archive/2007/11/13/softgrid-operations-guide-part-1.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/softgrid/archive/2007/11/14/softgrid-operations-guide-part-2.aspx

List of applications that can be virtualized
http://blogs.technet.com/softgrid/archive/2007/09/27/list-of-applications-that-can-be-virtualized.aspx

Virtualworld Blog
http://blogs.technet.com/virtualworld

Want to poke around with SCCM without the complicated installations and configurations?

Microsoft offers Virtual Labs to wet your feet:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/bb539977.aspx