Posts Tagged Windows 2008
Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file (c:\windows\panther\unattend.xml) for pass [specialize]
Posted by Terje Skulstad in Software, Windows on July 28th, 2010
Got this error during setup of Windows Deployment Services on Windows 2008 R2. I used a standard boot.wim and install.wim file for the install. After doing som backtracking I found out that I had misconfigured a setting for the automatic naming of the machine name in the domain. I had used NN-%username-%# in the WDS properties, and that caused the machines to all trying to use the same name (NN-administrator-1).
After changing to NN-%username-%03# the problem was solved.
WSUS client error 0×80244022
Posted by Terje Skulstad in Software, Windows on August 17th, 2009
Ever seen this error “Error 0×80244022 occurred while downloading update notifying dependent calls” in your Windows Update.log?
Typically you have a Windows client, set up to use WSUS, but still you see that it keeps banging at http://update.microsoft.com for updates. Most likely this is caused by a corrupt download, and the best way (if you ask me) is to delete the WSUS client cache and let it check for updates on the local WSUS server instead.
To delete the cache:
On the client, stop the service “Automatic Updates”, delete (or rename) the SoftwareDistribution folder under %windir% (typically C:\Windows or C:\Winnt) and start the “Automatic Updates” service again.
Unable to delete files or folders from System Volume Information?
Posted by Terje Skulstad in Software, Windows on July 20th, 2009
OK, probably a security feature built in to Windows 2008. If you give yourself access to the System Volume Information folder in 2008 (e.g take ownership) you can see the files, but if you try to delete something, everything looks OK. You press Delete, confirm with Yes and “What the f#%¤!”, the folders are still there? Even if you try running Explorer with elevated privileges, it doesn’t help.
What you have to do is run it from the command line.
Start –> Run –> cmd –> ”OK”
cd System Volume Information
rd “folder name” /s /q
You might have to run the last command twice or else it won’t delete the top folder.
Please BE CAREFUL when deleting stuff under System Volume Information! In my case I had to do it due to an unsuccessful restore which left behind 5Gb of data
Move the local WSUS update folder
Posted by Terje Skulstad in Software, Windows on July 14th, 2009
To move the WSUS content folder to a new location, use the wsusutil.exe. It’s located in C:\Program Files\Update Services\Tools\
To move the folder to d:\wsus you first have to create the folder, then run the wsusutil from the command line. Log file has to be specified.
wsusutil.exe movecontent d:\wsus d:\wsus.log
Depending on the size of the local update folder and disk speed, the content will eventually be moved to the new location.
As you can see from these before and after screenshots from the Share and Storage management snap-in in 2008, the util takes care of changing the shares.
Before:
After:
I noticed that the utility doesn’t seem to move the updates, but copy them. After the operation was complete, I had to delete the folder C:\WSUS manually (6GB).
More info on storing WSUS updates: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb245839.aspx
Move the Remoteinstall folder in Windows 2008
Posted by Terje Skulstad in Software, Windows on July 14th, 2009
When I set up my testserver I only had one disk available. Afte a while it started filling up, so I added a second disk to it. To move the RemoteInstall folder from the Windows Deployment Services in 2008 while keeping all the settings I followed this procedure:
Using elevated privileges Start –> Run –> cmd
Run WDSUTIL /uninitialize-server
The copy the RemoteInstall folder to the new location (in my case D:\)
Run WDSUTIL /Initialize-Server /RemInst:C:\RemoteInstall
That’s it!
Your WDS storage is now moved to the new location. Needless to say, but you should now check to see that your still able to PXE boot and install images.
Which version of SQL Server 2008 Express Edition?
Posted by Terje Skulstad in Software, Windows on July 9th, 2009
Microsoft has released 3 different versions of SQL Server 2008 Express Edition. Which version should I download and use? Well, depends on your needs, but just to be sure, I downloaded SQL Server 2008 Express Edition with advanced services. This is the one that has the most features, but if you need them is another question…
Found this link to an MSDN blog which shows the features in each edition: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlexpress/archive/2008/08/07/what-s-up-with-sql-server-2008-express-editions.aspx
I’m using it for a Windows 2008 WSUS test environment, so I could use the Windows Internal Database, but where’s the fun in that 
If you want to do it the easy way, you don’t have to install any version of SQL Server Express on Windows 2008 at all. You could use the Windows Internal Database which is included with the OS. Just add the feature Windows Internal Database.
Haven’t looked into this yet, but I think it should also be possible to migrate the internal database to feor example an express edition (2008). Have a look at these:
Windows 2008 Sysprep – join domain issue
Posted by Terje Skulstad in Software, Windows on June 23rd, 2009
This week I’ve made a template for Windows 2008 Standard x86 for deployment of new VM’s to our ESX Servers. Sysprep is now done through an XML-file instead of the usual INF file.
To use it, you first have to install the Windows Automated Installation Kit and use the Windows System Image Manager. It’s more advanced than the good old sysprep.
What I wanted was a base install which could be created from the VMWare template, given a name an joined to a domain. Then you can change the IP-adress afterwards.
After creating a new VM, installed VMWare Tools and ran sysprep, I tested the startup. The VM booted, asked for language and computer name. Punched in a new computer name and got the logon prompt.
When I tried logging in as the domain administrator I got an error “the security database on the server does not have a computer account for this workstation trust relationship”
After looking through the event log (security) I saw that there was a failure audit for Winlogon, and when I looked at the name logged it was different than the one I gave the machine during the mini-setup.
I found that the name I gave the machine was applied after the computer actually was joined to the domain, so it got an auto-generated name in Active Directory
Since I then tried to log on from a computer with a name changed only locally through OOBE there was a security mismatch.
I ran sysprep again and this time I checked what the machine name was in AD (you can find it in the Computers special container) and gave the same in the Welcome Wizard and voila! Success!
I’ve tried to find out why this happens, but it seems it’s meant to be this way. No way in the current version of WAIK to give the computer a name before it’s added to the domain, so I’m stuck with adding it to a workgroup and change the name/ join domain afterwards. Sorry Microsoft, but this is a step back…
According to some posts on the web, this is by design and you should use something like netdom or a script to change the computername and join the domain, but why the f… did they add the option to the Answer file?!?!?