can't startup gnc "gnc has stopped working" during initialisation

On a clean VM Win2016

No antivirus, no local firewall. all HTTP traffic is blocked further in the network. Only https.

The server had an older version of gnc installed, but it didn't work. (never worked; it gave an error "verify that your network adapter is enabled and the VPN Client")

I update it to 9.9.1

reboot

startup gnc

While the application is initializing it crashes, giving me an error message "gnc has stopped working"

I see several errors in event viewer

-  Metadata staging failed, result=0x80072EFD for container '{8A9283EE-1348-11E9-A80C-005056BBBC11}'

  -  Metadata staging failed, result=0x80072EFD for container '{8A9283ED-1348-11E9-A80C-005056BBBC11}'

  -  Metadata staging failed, result=0x80072EFD for container '{00000000-0000-0000-FFFF-FFFFFFFFFFFF}'

  -  error .net runtime:
Application: NetClient.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.IO.FileNotFoundException
   at AGN.Windows.Client.Infrastructure.NetClientDLL.NetClientDLL..ctor(System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher)
   at AGN.Windows.Client.Infrastructure.NetClientDLL.INetClientDLLFactory.InitFactory(System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher)
   at AGN.Windows.Client.UI.AGNMainWin.InitializeInfrastructure(System.Object)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(System.Object)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart(System.Object)

 

  -  Application error
Faulting application name: NetClient.exe, version: 9.9.1.222, time stamp: 0x5c420e17
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.14393.2273, time stamp: 0x5ae3f22e
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x000daa12
Faulting process id: 0x1758
Faulting application start time: 0x01d4bf91b8b2563f
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\AT&T Global Network Client\NetClient.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: 1d8329c1-12f3-4cd0-b5e6-8f5c32e5f7b2
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID: