does this sound like your issue?

http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/354939/cannot-open-dialog-in-job-activity-monitor

Posted by Agrapha on 9/29/2010 at 11:26 AM "

Confirmed. The full version of 2008 R2 express is unable to open the Job Activity Monitor on SqlServer 2008. Fresh install on a new machine via the Microsoft Web Platform installer, after loging I get the brillant "Unspecified error" alert while trying to view whats in the Job Activity Monitor. I'd say this is a successfully designed flaw. It would be hard to do this by accident.

Also as a side note, the download for Microsoft Sql Server 2008 express 32 bit full version is broke. It downloads a non-valid 32 bit application that does not run on a 32 bit platform. Thus I had to install via Web Platform Installer and then hit "customise" and add the management studio. I wonder if this is by design too? "