Fix COMADMIN_E_START_APP_NEEDS_COMPONENTS (0X80110448)

Quick answer

Run dcomcnfg, expand Component Services > Computers > My Computer > COM+ Applications, find the app throwing the error, right-click it, and select Delete. Then recreate the application from scratch. That's it 90% of the time.

Why this happens

This error shows up when you try to start a COM+ application that has zero components registered under it. COM+ is picky — it won't let you launch an empty shell. I've seen this most often on Windows Server 2016 and 2019 after a failed software install or uninstall that leaves behind the app entry but strips its components. Another common trigger: exporting and importing a COM+ application from one server to another, where the import drops the component references.

Fix steps (main method)

1. Open Component Services — hit Win+R, type dcomcnfg, press Enter.
2. Navigate to Component Services > Computers > My Computer > COM+ Applications.
3. Find the application that's throwing the 0X80110448 error. It'll usually have a red arrow or show as stopped.
4. Right-click the application and select Delete. Confirm the prompt.
5. Right-click COM+ Applications and choose New > Application. Pick Create an empty application, give it the same name, and select Server application (unless you need Library for in-process use).
6. Click Next, accept defaults, and finish. Now right-click the new app and select Start. It should start cleanly.

If the app had specific components you need, you'll have to re-register them. Usually that means reinstalling whatever software owns those COM objects.

Alternative fixes if delete doesn't work

Add a dummy component

If you can't delete the app (maybe it's locked by the system), try this instead:

1. Right-click the problem app and select Properties.
2. Go to the Components tab. It'll be empty.
3. Click Install new component. Browse to C:\Windows\System32\comsvcs.dll and add it. That's a safe system DLL that acts as a placeholder.
4. Apply and try starting the app again. It should work now.

This is a hacky workaround — the app still won't do anything useful, but it'll start without the error.

Check for corruption in COM+ catalog

Rarely, the COM+ catalog itself gets corrupted. I've seen this on a 2012 R2 server after a bad disk write. Fix it with:

regsvr32 /u comsvcs.dll
regsvr32 comsvcs.dll
net stop comsysapp
net start comsysapp

Reboot after this, then try deleting and recreating the app.

Export and reimport

If the app came from an export (an .MSI file), sometimes the export loses components. Export the app again from the source server, making sure to select Export user identities and Export roles if needed. On the destination server, uninstall the old app via Add/Remove Programs, then run the new .MSI.

Prevention tip

Don't delete components manually from within a running COM+ application. Always uninstall the software that registered them. If you need to move a COM+ app between servers, use the export/import wizard properly — and verify the component count on the destination before starting the app. A quick powershell -Command "Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\COMPlus -Class COMSystemApp" lists all apps and their GUIDs — if you see one with InstanceCount=0, that's your problem child.