Component Services (dcomcnfg) in Windows: what it is and how to open it

Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server. Viewing works for any user; changing settings needs administrator rights.

What Component Services is

Windows programs often talk to each other through COM (Component Object Model) and, across processes or computers, DCOM. Component Services is the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that shows those components and controls who may start and use them. It also manages COM+ applications (mostly used by older business software) and the Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC), which some database and server apps rely on.

On a typical home PC you never need to touch it. It matters for IT admins, developers, and anyone following a fix for a DCOM error in Event Viewer.

How to open Component Services

• Run box: press Win + R, type dcomcnfg and press Enter. comexp.msc opens the same console.
• Windows 11: open Start, select All apps, open Windows Tools and double-click Component Services.
• Windows 10: open Control Panel, set View by to Large icons, open Administrative Tools and double-click Component Services.
• Search: type Component Services in the Start menu search box.

To change permissions, open it as administrator: right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin) (or Command Prompt (Admin)), and run dcomcnfg from there. Running comexp.msc /32 opens the 32-bit view, which lists 32-bit COM+ applications on 64-bit Windows.

What’s inside the console

Expand Component Services > Computers > My Computer and you’ll see:

• COM+ Applications: packaged components, including Windows’ own system applications. Leave the built-in ones alone.
• DCOM Config: every registered DCOM application, listed by name or by its AppID (a GUID in curly braces, like the APPID shown in the event). This is where per-app launch and access permissions live.
• Running Processes: COM+ applications currently running.
• Distributed Transaction Coordinator: MSDTC settings and transaction statistics.

The console also includes Event Viewer (Local) and Services (Local) nodes, so you can check DCOM errors and the related services without opening another tool. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties for computer-wide settings: the Default Properties tab (including Enable Distributed COM on this computer) and the COM Security tab with the default and limit permissions. Don’t change those defaults unless a vendor’s documentation tells you to; they affect every DCOM app on the PC.

Change DCOM permissions for an app

This is the usual fix for DCOM event 10016 when an app you rely on really is failing (most 10016 warnings are harmless and can be ignored). Note the APPID and the user account named in the event first.

1. Open Component Services as administrator and go to Component Services > Computers > My Computer > DCOM Config.
2. Find the application by name or AppID. If you only see GUIDs, use View > Detail to show the Application ID column and sort by it.
3. Right-click it, choose Properties and open the Security tab.
4. Under Launch and Activation Permissions, select Customize and click Edit.
5. Add the account from the event and tick Local Launch and Local Activation, then click OK and restart the app or PC.

Greyed-out Edit buttons mean the app’s registry key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID is owned by TrustedInstaller. Changing ownership of Windows keys is possible but can be undone by updates and weakens protection, so only do it when a specific, documented fix requires it, and back up the key first.

Common problems

• DCOM Config is empty or very slow to load: give it a minute on the first open; it reads thousands of registry entries. If it stays empty, run sfc /scannow from an administrator Command Prompt and restart.
• COM+ errors in apps or Event Viewer: check that the COM+ System Application and DCOM Server Process Launcher services are running in Services (Local). Never disable DCOM Server Process Launcher; Windows won’t start properly without it.
• “Access denied” when saving changes: the console isn’t running as administrator. Close it and reopen it from an admin terminal.
• Related service errors: problems such as “Please wait for the System Event Notification Service” and “The Diagnostics Policy Service is not running” are fixed in Services, not in Component Services.

Related guides

• DCOM event 10016: Local Activation permission warning explained
• Please wait for the System Event Notification Service: how to fix it
• The Diagnostics Policy Service is not running: how to fix it

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own pages:

• Microsoft Learn: Event ID 10016 is logged when accessing DCOM
• Microsoft Learn: Automating COM+ administration

Frequently asked questions

Is Component Services safe to disable or remove?

No. It’s part of Windows and can’t be uninstalled, and the services behind it are needed by Windows itself. Opening the console does nothing on its own; only the changes you make matter.

Is dcomcnfg the same as Component Services?

Yes. dcomcnfg is the command that opens the Component Services console; comexp.msc is the console file itself.

Where did Administrative Tools go in Windows 11?

Windows 11 renamed it Windows Tools. You’ll find it in Start under All apps, or by searching for it.