error "The RSA key container was not found." even after adding the container

Upon running the command - aspnet_regiis -pa ?NetFrameworkConfigurationKey? ?Network Service?
I get the error message:  "Adding ACL for access to the RSA Key container...  The RSA key container was not found.  Failed!"
I found the following thread which seems to have helped others - http://forums.asp.net/p/960412/1423554.aspx#1423554  - and in fact when I ran the suggested command to add the container i received a response that the container was successfully created.  Then when I tried to run the initial command again it still says that the container is not found.  If I try to run the command to add the container again it says it already exists.
So now I am stuck with the paradox that I can't add permissions to the container because it doesn't exist, but I can't create it because it already exists... Go to the complete details ...