Chapter 4. Troubleshooting Installations

Objectives

This chapter helps you to prepare for the exam by covering the following Microsoft objectives for the Installing Windows XP Professional section of the Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional exam:

Perform and troubleshoot an attended installation of Windows XP Professional.

• Administrators who install Windows XP and manually answer each setup request have performed an attended installation. You are expected to know the process that installation follows, when to configure various aspects of Windows XP Professional, how to troubleshoot problems that can occur, and the points at which they occur.

Perform and troubleshoot an unattended installation of Windows XP Professional.

• Troubleshooting an unattended installation requires you to understand the specifics regarding answer files, Sysprep, and Remote Installation Services (RIS). The underlying process of installation relates back to an attended installation.

Troubleshoot failed installations.

• Troubleshooting failed installations is an objective referring to the error logs and troubleshooting procedures that are generated when Windows XP Professional fails during the Setup process. You are required to know which error log applies to which failure, as well as how to follow through in correcting the problem.

Outline

Introduction	150
Troubleshooting an Attended Installation	150
Common Problems During Installation	151
Media Problems	152
Insufficient Hard Drive Space	153
Unrecognizable CD-ROM Drive	153
Unavailable Network	153
Advanced Startup	157
Recovery Console	158
Refer to Compatibility	158
Troubleshooting an Unattended Installation	159
Problems with Answer Files	160
Boot Disks	160
Preparation	160
Switches	161
Answer File Specifications	163
Problems with Sysprep Installations	163
Problems with RIS Installations	165
Troubleshooting Failed Installations	166
Stop Errors or Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)	167
Stopped Installation	168
Troubleshooting Process	168
Identifying the Point of Failure	169
Discovering the Cause of the Failure	170
Defining a Solution	170
Testing and Implementing the Solution	170
Documenting the Results	170
Chapter Summary	171
Apply Your Knowledge	172

Study Strategies

This chapter addresses several methods you can use to troubleshoot installations of Windows XP Professional. Practical experience in this field is vital to understanding how these methods work and which situations are best suited for each.

• Spend some time looking through the error logs on a Windows XP computer. You should look at the specific logs and look at Event Viewer immediately after the Windows XP operating system has been installed.

• Use a lab environment and the exercises in this chapter to become familiar with troubleshooting.

• Review the "Common Problems During Installation" section and become familiar with the various problems you can encounter, including their symptoms and causes.