Use

Use "Last Known Good" to Do Good!

After installation is complete, you must continue to configure your Windows Server 2003 to install additional software and add all types of information about system and user policies, account and group names , and so forth.

A generic boot floppy saves systems!

The problem with Startup disks is that it takes six of them to boot Windows 2003. Using these disks also takes you through a time-consuming set of steps to get a machine running. Fortunately, creative minds decided to develop a generic Windows 2003 boot floppy. It works on any system and kick-starts just about any balky Windows 2003 machine. Here's how to build one:

1. Format a floppy using the Windows Explorer (right-click the floppy drive icon in the left panel and select Format).

   You MUST format this floppy inside Windows 2003. A DOS-formatted floppy won't work as a generic Windows 2003 boot floppy!

2. Check your Windows Explorer settings to make sure you can see hidden files by choosing Tools Folder Options, clicking the View tab, and then clicking the Show Hidden Files and Folders option in the Advanced Setting section.

3. Copy the following files from your server's root directory to the Windows 2003-formatted floppy disk:
   
   

   • NTDLR

   • NTDETECT.COM

   • BOOT.INI

   • NTBOOTDD.SYS (only if it appears)

This creates a boot floppy that can bring up a Windows 2003 system without using all six startup disks. Make this part of your standard Windows 2003 toolkit.

If this generic boot floppy won't boot the system, try the Startup floppies and attempt a full-fledged system repair!

 

Every time you make a change to Windows 2003, those changes are recorded in the Windows 2003 Registry. Sometimes, those changes can have unforeseen side effects - especially if you've been editing the Registry directly - and can make your machine falter or even fail to boot.

When your machine does falter or fails to boot, always try reverting to the last working version of the Registry. When the boot menu shows up, press F8 to access Advanced Options, and then select Last Known Good Configuration. You roll back to the version of the Registry that was in use the last time your machine booted successfully. The good news is that your machine will probably boot; the bad news is that you'll lose all the changes you've made since the last time you rebooted the machine. Bummer!

Tip 

When you make lots of changes, either back up the Registry frequently or reboot frequently. This keeps the amount of work you can lose - from an ill-advised Registry change, a bad driver selection, and so on - to a minimum.