Web Application Creation Fails

Recently while creating new web applications, I received the following error:

Application Server Administration job failed for service instance Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchAdminSharedWebServiceInstance (ae1bb579-16f8-4ad3-9d60-decfb589e3ae).

Reason: The path specified cannot be used at this time. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070094)

Techinal Support Details:

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80070094): The path specified cannot be used at this time. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80070094)

at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.CommitChanges()

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Metabase.MetabaseObject.Update()

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPProvisioningAssistant.ApplyIisVirtualDirectorySettings(VirtualDirectory virtualDirectory, String path, AccessFlags accessFlags, String applicationName, String applicationPoolId, String[] scriptMaps)

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPProvisioningAssistant.ProvisionIisRootVirtualDirectory(WebSite webSite, String path, AccessFlags accessFlags, String applicationName, String applicationPoolId, String[] scriptMaps)

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPProvisioningAssistant.ProvisionIisWebSite(String serverComment, String[] serverBindings, String[] secureBindings, AuthenticationMethods authenticationMethods, String[] authenticationProviders, String path, AccessFlags accessFlags, String applicationName, String applicationPoolId, String[] scriptMaps, String sslCertificateSubjectName)

at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPMetabaseManager.ProvisionIisWebSite(String serverComment, String[] serverBindings, String[] secureBindings, Int32 authenticationMethods, String[] authenticationProviders, String path, Int32 accessFlags, String applicationName, String applicationPoolId, String[] scriptMaps, String sslCertificateSubjectName)

at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.SharedWebServiceInstance.Synchronize()

at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.ApplicationServerJob.ProvisionLocalSharedServiceInstances(Boolean isAdministrationServiceJob)

Solution:

Restart the WSS Timer service

the WSS Timer service leaks memory