"Run as Administrator" fails for Windows system components

Hello! As my Windows troubleshooting routine did not solve anything, I start to suspect the interaction with the Domain Controller (UCS 5.0-4) as the cause for the following issue on serveral virtualized systems:

  • Starting Windows system components (cmd.exe, services.msc…) “as administrator” via a shortcut (start menu, search, taskbar) is not possible: I get two different errors (see below) when the UAC prompt should appear.
  • Starting the same tools not “as administrator” works fine.
  • Starting the same tools directly (e.g. right click on ‘C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe’ → “Run as Administrator”) works, too.
  • In Windows “safe mode”, the links work fine when run “as administrator”.
  • The above is true for users with and without administrative privileges.

Error messages:

  • when [Ctrl]+[Shift]-clicking an a shortcut pinned to the task bar: “This File Does Not Have an App Associated With It.”
  • when running from the start menu (with [Ctrl]+[Shift]-clicking as well as with rightclick → “Run as Administrator”): “Error code: 0x800704b3 / The specified network path was not accepted by any network service provider.”
  • no entries in the Windows “Event Viewer”

Environment:

  • Windows 10 VM with latest patches (with and without optional KB5028244 / OS Build 19045.3271)
  • virtualized with VirtualBox 6.1 on Ubuntu 20.04 hosts.
  • Windows has not been activated by the customer, although the systems are virtualized on their original hardware
  • domain managed by UCS Version 5.0-4 errata771

So far I did, without any success:

  • ‘sfc /scannow’ (some errors found and fixed, but not the one described above)
  • ‘dism’ Cleanup-Image procedure (no errors found)
  • restore older Snapshot of VM
  • setup of a new Windows 10 VM within a new disk image / container
  • latest UCS patches (5.0-4 errata753 → 5.0-4 errata771)

Thanks in advance for any hints!

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