Active Directory, enumerating user's groups, COM exception

Question

while enumerating current user's groups through AD .NET API I sometimes get

COMException: Unknown error (0x80005000)

Here's my code :

        var userName = Environment.UserName;

        var context = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain);
        var user = UserPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, userName);

        foreach (var userGroup in user.GetGroups())
        {
            Console.WriteLine(userGroup.Name);
        }

What's the problem? I thought every user can retrieve list of HIS groups?It seems to be strange behavior, sometimes It can be reproduced like this : when running on 'userA' PC, It crashes, but it is enumerating OTHER 'userB' groups successfully (under 'userA')!

Calling something on Null will cause NullReferenceException, not COMException, and yeah, user is not null, i've simplified code (removed error checking) — illegal-immigrant, Apr 21 '11 at 09:37
BTW, found something on Microsoft support, seems to be known issue, I'll post link — illegal-immigrant, Apr 21 '11 at 09:38

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 24 '13 at 11:57

I had the same problem, I solved it by supplying the domain name when creating the PrincipalContext:

var domain = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, Environment.UserDomainName);
var user = UserPrincipal.FindByIdentity(domain, Environment.UserName);

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 27 '11 at 01:39

Try using

var context = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, "yourcompany.com", "DC=yourcompany,DC=com", ContextOptions.Negotiate);

With the ContextOption set to Negotioate the client is authenticated by using either Kerberos or NTLM so even if the user name and password are not provided the account management API binds to the object by using the security context of the calling thread.

Remko · Answer 3 · 2011-04-21T09:44:35.973

1

0x80005000 = E_ADS_BAD_PATHNAME so you supply an invalid adspath somewhere, maybe you must add LDAP:// prefix or opposit are doing this twice? Set a breakpoint and inspect value...

EDIT: AdsPath should be a value like "LDAP://CN=Administator,CN=Users,DC=contoso,DC=com", you seem to have a misformed path.

edited Apr 21 '11 at 09:44

answered Apr 21 '11 at 08:56

Remko

7,214
2
32
52

Can you please provide more details, what path, what value to check? – illegal-immigrant Apr 21 '11 at 09:41
((System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement.Principal)(user)).DistinguishedName is equal to 'CN=MyAccountName,OU=MyCompany Users,DC=mycompany,DC=local' and it works, on someone other's PC it does not – illegal-immigrant Apr 21 '11 at 09:52
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324433 - found this, but seems it also does not work – illegal-immigrant Apr 21 '11 at 09:53

Active Directory, enumerating user's groups, COM exception

3 Answers3

Linked