How to fix error editing job step properties in SSMS 18?

Question

Whenever I try to edit the properties of a SQL Server Agent job step in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) version 18, the application throws an error and I cannot proceed. How do I fix that error?

UserVoice post link:

https://feedback.azure.com/forums/908035-sql-server/suggestions/37642465-ssms-18-0-job-properties-window-click-on-step-fa

SSMS version 18.4:

• SQL Server Management Studio 15.0.18206.0
• Microsoft Analysis Services Client Tools 15.0.1567.0
• Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 10.0.18362.1
• Microsoft MSXML 3.0 4.0 6.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.11.18362.0
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0.30319.42000
• Operating System 10.0.18362

Full error text:

===================================

The system cannot find the file specified.

------------------------------
Program Location:

at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Application.get_LogProviderInfos()
at Microsoft.DataTransformationServices.DTSExecUI.Controls.LoggingCtrl..ctor(IDTSExecViewManager treePanel)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.DTSJobSubSystemDefinition.InitializeControls()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.DTSJobSubSystemDefinition..ctor(CDataContainer dataContainer, IMessageBoxProvider messageProvider)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepSubSystems.CreateJobStepSubSystemSsis(AgentSubSystem agentSubSystem, CDataContainer dataContainer, JobStepData data, IMessageBoxProvider messageProvider)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepSubSystems.CreateJobStepSubSystem(AgentSubSystem agentSubSystem, CDataContainer dataContainer, JobStepData data, IMessageBoxProvider messageProvider, IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepSubSystems..ctor(CDataContainer dataContainer, JobStepData data, IMessageBoxProvider messageProvider, IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepProperties.get_SubSystems()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepProperties.FilterStepCombo(DatabaseEngineEdition engineEdition)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepProperties.InitializeStepCombo()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepProperties.InitializeData()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobStepProperties.OnInitialization()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlMgmt.ViewSwitcherControlsManager.SetView(Int32 index, TreeNode node)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlMgmt.ViewSwitcherControlsManager.SelectCurrentNode()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlMgmt.ViewSwitcherControlsManager.InitializeUI(ViewSwitcherTreeView treeView, ISqlControlCollection viewsHolder, Panel rightPane)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlMgmt.LaunchForm.InitializeForm(XmlDocument doc, IServiceProvider provider, ISqlControlCollection control)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlMgmt.LaunchForm..ctor(ISqlControlCollection control, IServiceProvider provider)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.JobSteps.OnDoubleClick(Object sender, MouseButtonDoubleClickedEventArgs args)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.Grid.GridControl.OnMouseButtonDoubleClicked(HitTestResult htArea, Int64 nRowIndex, Int32 nColIndex, Rectangle rCellRect, MouseButtons btn, GridButtonArea headerArea)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlManagerUI.SqlManagerUIDlgGrid.OnMouseButtonDoubleClicked(HitTestResult htArea, Int64 rowIndex, Int32 colIndex, Rectangle cellRect, MouseButtons btn, GridButtonArea headerArea)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.Grid.GridControl.OnMouseDown(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseDown(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.Grid.GridControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.DebuggableCallback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(IntPtr dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.RunDialog(Form form)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog(IWin32Window owner)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlMgmt.RunningFormsTable.RunningFormsTableImpl.ThreadStarter.StartThread()

===================================

The system cannot find the file specified.

------------------------------
Program Location:

at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Wrapper.ApplicationClass.get_LogProviderInfos()
at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Application.get_LogProviderInfos()

Answer 1

There's an MSDN answer which implies that registering the DTS.dll will fix the issue, but the post is about SSMS 2008 and it references an old location for the DTS.dll.

Registering a more recent version of the DLL (from C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\130\DTS\Binn) fixes the issue.

To register the DLL, run an Administrator Command Prompt and execute this line, in the directory housing the relevant DLL:

regsvr32 DTS.dll

You should get a message box saying:

DllRegisterServer in DTS.dll succeeded.

If you get this error:

The module 'DTS.dll' was loaded but the call to DllRegisterServer failed with error code 0x80070005.

It's likely because you do not have Administrator access. You will likely get a UAC prompt when you try to run a Command Prompt with Administrator access.

I was concerned that there would be some 32-bit vs 64-bit issues, as the DLL is in the Program Files folder from the 64-bit version of the SQL Server engine, and SSMS is 32-bit, but there didn't seem to be a problem.