The Local Server Groups display under Registered Servers has disappeared. In fact all groups under Registered Servers are not visible. I have the same problem posted by DBA_Reaper and moderated by Alberto Morillo. Bottom line is I see NO ANSWER to this problem. Same situation: SQL Srv Mgmt Studio (SSMS) 2012; new installation on new PC; Under Registered Servers there is NOTHING....no groups to right-click therefore nothing you can do. Here's the scenario....New installation so I got an import of a fellow DBA colleague's Registered SQL Server entries from their SSMS 2012 setup. When I tried to import the Registered Servers into my newly installed SSMS 2012 the application shutdown. When I restarted SSMS everything in "Registered Servers" was blank....NO GROUPS of any type. I de-installed the full SQL Server 2012 software and deleted the remnant folders under Program Files and then re-installed SSMS 2012. Same problem existed....no groups under the Registered Servers window.
Yes, you can connect to a SQL Engine and then right-click to register that connected server. It accepts that registration but it does not display that under Registered Servers. If I try to register that same servername again it echoes that that particular servername entry already exists in 'Local Server Groups'. Great!...Right?? NOPE !!! Even though SSMS thinks it has a Local Server Groups folder it is NOT displaying it under the Registered Servers Windows. OK...maybe its hiding using some HIDE function. NOPE...been there done that! Found some related HIDE function but that was not it !!
Tried again to de-install the entire SSMS 2012 along with all SQL Server 2012 software. Even spent hours combing through the registry to remove all keys and sub-keys related to SQL Server...then rebooted...then re-installed again. The problem still existed in that all groups including 'Local Server Groups" was not showing up under SSMS 2012.
So I challenge anyone with good troubleshooting skills to come up with some troubleshooting steps to work towards a solution. This one is just frustrating.