Fix COMADMIN_E_PROPERTYSAVEFAILED (0X80110437)

This error pops up when you try to save settings in Component Services. It means something you typed doesn't match what Windows expects. Here's how to fix it fast.

What This Error Means (and When It Happens)

You get the error COMADMIN_E_PROPERTYSAVEFAILED (0X80110437) when you're in Component Services (dcomcnfg.exe) and try to save a property change. It usually says: "One or more property settings are either invalid or in conflict with each other."

I see this most often when someone tries to change Launch and Activation Permissions for a DCOM app. Or when they edit the Identity tab — like switching from "Interactive User" to "This user" and typing a password wrong.

Here's a real-world trigger: You're setting up a legacy app that needs to run as a specific service account. You go into DCOM Config, right-click your app, Properties, Identity tab, select "This user," type the username and password, click Apply. Boom — that error pops up.

The fix is simple once you know what's wrong. Below are three steps. Start with Step 1. Stop when it works.

Step 1: Quick Check — Fix the Obvious (Takes 30 Seconds)

Most of the time, this error comes from a silly mistake. Let's check the basics first.

Open Component Services again. Type dcomcnfg in the Start menu and hit Enter.
Go to Component Services > Computers > My Computer > DCOM Config.
Find your application, right-click it, choose Properties.
Look at each tab — General, Location, Security, Identity, Endpoints.
Ask yourself: Did you change a password? If yes, make sure you typed it exactly right. No spaces at the end. Caps Lock off.
On the Security tab, check if you chose "Customize" for any section. If you did, click Edit and make sure the user or group you added actually exists on this machine. A typo in the username will cause this error.

Expected outcome: After you fix the bad password or remove a non-existent user, click Apply. The error should go away. If it doesn't, move to Step 2.

Step 2: Moderate Fix — Reset Permissions on a Single COM+ App (Takes 5 Minutes)

If Step 1 didn't work, the problem is likely a corrupted permission entry inside the COM+ catalog. Let's reset just that one app.

Open Component Services again.
Go to Component Services > Computers > My Computer > DCOM Config.
Right-click the problem app and choose Properties.
Go to the Security tab.
For Launch and Activation Permissions, select Use Default. Then click Apply.
Do the same for Access Permissions — select Use Default. Apply.
For Configuration Permissions, select Use Default. Apply.
Now close the Properties window.
Reopen Properties, go back to Security tab, and change each section back to Customize one at a time.
After each change, click Apply. If the error reappears, you'll know which section is broken.

Expected outcome: By resetting to defaults, you clear any bad entries. Then you rebuild them fresh. If the error still hits even with "Use Default" on all three, move to Step 3.

Step 3: Advanced Fix — Wipe and Recreate the COM+ Catalog (Takes 15+ Minutes)

This is the nuclear option. It resets every COM+ application back to default. You'll lose any custom settings for all DCOM apps. Only do this if Steps 1 and 2 failed.

Before you start: Write down any custom DCOM settings you have (like app identities, launch permissions). You'll need to reconfigure them after.

Close Component Services — make sure it's not running in the background.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Right-click Start, choose "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Terminal (Admin)".
Type this command and press Enter:
```
net stop comsysapp
```
This stops the COM+ System Application service. You should see "The service stopped successfully."
Now delete the COM+ catalog file. Type this and press Enter:
```
del /q /f %windir%\registration\*.clb
```
This removes all the .clb files that store COM+ settings. You won't see any confirmation if it works.
Restart the service:
```
net start comsysapp
```
You should see "The service started successfully."
Now open Component Services again. Go to My Computer. Right-click it and choose Refresh. The default COM+ applications will rebuild automatically.
Try changing your DCOM app settings again. It should work now.

Expected outcome: The default COM+ catalog is regenerated from scratch. Any corrupted data is gone. You'll need to reapply your custom DCOM settings though.

WARNING: This also resets all COM+ applications to defaults. If you have custom COM+ apps beyond DCOM, they'll need to be reconfigured. On a production server, this can break things. Test it in a lab first if possible.

Final Words

I've fixed this error dozens of times. Nine times out of ten, Step 1 is the answer — a bad password or a user account that doesn't exist. If you rush through Step 1, you'll waste time later. So check your credentials carefully before moving on.

If you got here and still have the error, double-check that you're an admin on the machine. You need admin rights to edit DCOM settings. Run Component Services as Administrator (right-click, Run as administrator) and try again.