Lesson 3: Troubleshooting a Windows 2000 Server Installation

Your installation of Windows 2000 Server should run to completion without any problems. However, you might encounter some difficulties during installation. This lesson covers some common issues involved in Windows 2000 Server installation.

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After this lesson, you will be able to

• Troubleshoot Windows 2000 installations

Estimated lesson time: 15 minutes

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Troubleshooting Windows 2000 Server

When installing Windows 2000 Server, you might encounter problems caused by such things as bad media or incompatible hardware. Table 8.13 lists some of these common installation problems and offers solutions to resolve them.

Table 8.13 Common Installation Problems

Problem	Solution
Media errors	If you are installing from a CD-ROM, use a different CD-ROM drive. If you still receive media errors, request a replacement CD-ROM by contacting Microsoft or your vendor.
Unsupported	Replace the CD-ROM drive with one that is supported, or if that is not possible, try another method of installation, such as installing over the network. After you have completed the installation, you can add the driver for the CD-ROM drive if it is available.
Insufficient disk space	Use the Setup program to create a partition by using existing free space on the hard disk. Delete and create partitions as needed to create a partition that is large enough for installation. Reformat an existing partition to create more space.
Failure of dependency service to start	Use the Windows 2000 Setup wizard, and return to the Network Settings dialog box and verify that you installed the correct protocol and network adapter. Verify that the network adapter has the proper configuration settings, such as transceiver type, and that the local computer name is unique on the network.
Failure to connect to the domain controller	Verify that the domain name is correct. Verify that the server running the DNS service and the domain controller are both running and online. If you cannot locate a domain controller, install into a workgroup and then join the domain after installation. Verify that the network adapter card and protocol settings are set correctly. If you are reinstalling Windows 2000 and using the same computer name, delete and then recreate the computer account.
Failure of Windows 2000 Server to install or start	Verify that is detecting all of the hardware and Windows 2000 that all of the hardware is on the HCL.

Lesson Summary

This lesson provides an overview of some of the common problems that can be encountered when installing Windows 2000 Server. Installation problems can be caused by bad media or incompatible hardware. In addition, there may not be enough room on any of the partitions to install Windows 2000 Server because you did not complete the preinstallation tasks. Other problems that might arise are the failure to connect to the domain controller or failure of Windows 2000 Server to install or start.