Windows Deployment Services Error!!!! Help!!!!

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Hey guys. I'm studying for the MCDST. I know it doesn't cover windows server 2003 but it does cover remote installation services so I've decided to install win2k3 sp2 in a VM and create an RIS. To cut the long story short, I've used this tutorial:

http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=270

Everyting was running just fine until I've realised that RIS was replaced by windows deployment services but as you all already know, there's a legacy mode in WDS suitable for deploying XP in client computer.

So after I've followed all the steps explained in the tutorial, i.e., having created a domain controller (active directory), a DNS server, a DCHP server, and a file server, I went for the WDS and I got this error: "the specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted" (check print screen "WDS error" attached to this post).

Did i do something wrong? Bare in mind that I've strictly followed all the steps of tutorial as I'm a plain old newbie (with a very curious mind, though hehe!)

PS: one weird detail - I can't access the internet (for example I can´t go googling in IE for win2k3; i could do it before i got into this mess...); I think that's because there's was one particular step where I had to give the domain controller a different IP address from the one that my host computer has. I've print screened the step as well - "step 1" and "step 2". Me and my home mates have a wireless LAN with a router so i just did what I was asked to do...I must admit that I still don't know how to handle most of the technical details of these procedures. Please help me.

 

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Hi

From the Domain Controller, can you ping it by name? Also, can you ping the domain name? What does it return?

You said that you have a wireless LAN with a router. It's probable that this is handing out DHCP address as well, so your clients will accept an IP from whichever DHCP server gets to it first, so either isolate the test network from the wireless LAN, or switch off DHCP on the router. If other people use the router, the best bet is to get a small switch, and connect your host machine to that with a cable, and switch off wireless, therefore isolating it from the rest of the network.

The DC is set up with an IP of 192.168.3.1, as per the tutorial. I'm guessing that your router IP is something like 192.168.1.something - Most of them are. As they both probably use a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the 192.168.1 on the router, and the 192.168.3 on the server both describe the network ID, so are on different subnets. This would explain why you can't access the internet.

What I would do in your situation is:

Get a mini-switch. I know this means spending a bit of money, but they are dirt cheap, and it will be very useful as you continue your studies​

Reinstall your server, as a standard server I.E. don't promote just yet, and keep it on DHCP. Then run all your windows updates as normal​

Remove your host machine from the wireless LAN, by disabling wireless. Connect it to your mini-switch. Give it a static IP if necessary.​

Give your server a static IP, and work through the tutorial. Test at each step, so you can pin point problems easier​

Install a Windows XP client, and see if it gets an IP from your DHCP server.​

Scrap the XP client, and try a WDS install​

Hope this helps

Maria

 

Ok guys. I'm gonna need your help on this. I'm portuguese and I've been living in Newcastle for just 3 months so I'm still not confortable with some of the english names for IT stuff (as well as IT in general, I'm afraid...). When you say a mini switch do you mean an ethernet switch? Like these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/qid=12395...ethernet+switch&bbn=560798&sort=relevancerank

What kind of ethernet cable should I get? Is there a UK standard?

Do you recomend any these ethernet switches? Did someone here tried or bought one of these before? (my budget is £20 and that should include the cable)

Also, how should I work with it? Do I connect it to the modem or to the router (it's a four port Net Gear. Two of the ports are being used by two XBOX's 360, so I have a couple of spare ones.)

As for the default gateway, how can I return to that dialog box in order to input my host computer's IP adress? will it allow me to access the internet?

As for the ping procedure, i've never done nothing like that before. I'm in the dark trying to feel my way out by touching in the walls...

Sorry, I know it's to many questions but I do have to learn this stuff one way or another!

 

Hi there

I'm sorry, I may have confused you a little with my earlier post. No more posting before coffee for me from now on.

First off, install Server 2003 as you would Windows XP. Don't make any changes just yet, get it up to date by opening Internet Explorer, clicking Tools, and then Windows Update.

Once this is done, take the computer that you have the server installed on. Unplug it from your router, if its normally connected by a cable, or disconnect from the wireless, if that's how you connect. This will separate your test network from the household network, which means anything you do won't interfere with your housemates internet access. This does mean that you won't get internet access, temporarily.

I'm making the assumption here that you are using Windows XP or Vista as your computers operating system, with Server 2003 installed as a virtual pc. I don't use virtual PC, so I'm not completely sure, but I'd guess that you can change the way a virtual machine connects to the network. There may be an option to use some sort of host-only networking, meaning that you won't need a switch, but you will need to find that out yourself, or someone on here might be able to help. If not, then just to clarify, I did mean an ethernet switch, but a small one, rather than an industrial size one. The ones on the link you provided all look OK. I haven't got any of those, so I am unable to provide a review. For cable, I would get a couple of the Belkin £1.86 ones. They'd be plenty good enough. But as I said, getting a switch and cables might not be necessary.

One you've isolated your PC and the server on it from your household network, assign it a static IP. Go Start, Control Panel, Network Connections, and then your network connection. Click properties, then select Internet Protocol, and properties again, and give it an address as per your tutorial. The default gateway can be set here, usually as the IP of your router, but as I said, your isolated from the main network, so won't get internet.

Click Start, run and type cmd, and hit enter. This will bring up a command window. In this window, type

Code:

ping 192.168.3.1

.

This will ping, or send small amounts of data to an IP address, and see if it gets an answer. Its a bit like shouting someones name, and seeing if they answer.

If this is OK, carry on with the tutorial. After the server has rebooted, after installing active directory, open up command again (Start, Run, cmd). type:

Code:

ping servername

, where servername is the name of the server (found in computer properties, name tab). If this returns

Code:

reply from 192.168.3.1

, then try pinging the domain name, E.g.

Code:

ping WINDOWS-NOOB

. If this replies with 192.168.3.1, then DNS is OK, and you can just carry on with the tutorial.

If you need any more help, post back, and let us know how you get on.

Good luck

Maria

 

Hello again.

I was able to solve the error. And I've completed the tutorial, but I don't know what to do next...

I have win 2k3 installed in a VMWare Workstation 6.5 hard-drive that actually has an option to run the VM in a host-only networking environment, suitable for creating virtual networks in my host Vista SP1.

I did the ping tests and everything went ok except for the DNS ping test, because the cmd prompt that shows the results (like the one that opened for the the "ping servername" test) closed too quickly and I don't know what happened.

All I know is that it finished the WDS wizzard with no problems, so I didn't have the previous error that I've posted before.

The WDS wizzard instructed me to insert an OS CD (I used my old XP PRO cd) in order to copy the files for creating the image of the cd. Correct me if i'm wrong here. So now I want to depoly this suposedly created image of XP PRO in a totally blank VM with no OS installed on it. How do I mingle these two VM's so that the new one detects my RIS/WDS server?

I surely must have missed something because i'm learning as i'm going so be patient with me, lol...

 

You're absolutely right. Embarassing mistake...well check the printscreens of both tests: "ping servername" and "ping DNS name". They both seem fine, as there were no packages lost...

 

Done this more times than I care to remember. Very embarrassing, especially if you have someone watching you.

Sounds like you've got it sorted. Well Done you've covered a lot in a small time.

To install a VM through WDS now, set up a new VM, and set it to boot from network. Make sure it's network settings are set to host only, like the server. Hopefully, and I'm not 100% on this one, it should get an IP address from the DHCP server, which is part of your WDS server. It should then boot to the WDS menu. I'm lost from here on, as I've only used WDS to deploy whole images, rather than an RIS type windows install.

Basically, set up a VM, set it to Host-only networking, and set it to network boot, and see what happens.

Maria

 

I'm not sure but I didn't specify a FQDN during the setup. Is it automaticaly given? I know that it is supposed to look like an URL address isn't it? is there way to retrieve it?

 

Update: the WDS server is also pinging right (check printscreen). And i've set the VM's BIOS to do a network boot. Nothing happened (check print screen 2). My guess is that there's a bit of tweaking to do with the network options of VMWARE workstation. There's loads of tutorials on google covering the subject of how to create virtual labs/private networks within vmware, but i was hoping that one of you would explain it to me because there not specific, as in, they (understandably) don't mention the use of windows 2k3 to create a virtual network.

 

Hi again

Right, VMWare Workstation - I've never actually used it myself, so I can't really help with it. That said, on the server there is a couple of things worth checking.

First of all, ensure your DHCP server is authorised to give out addresses. Do this by launching the DHCP management tool, and expand the DHCP node. If there is a red arrow next to your server name, like in the picture, right click it, and select Authorise. Then refresh, and the red arrow should turn into a green arrow. This means that the server is now allowed to start giving out addresses.

I don't have WDS set up on my server at the moment, but am just downloading SP2, as I need to test a few things anyway. When I have, I'll check WDS, but from memory, I'm sure there is something that needs to be done, like authorise the server, in WDS. When I've tried it, i'll let you know.

Maria

 

The scope is activated and the DHCP server is authorized to hand out IP adresses. I will carry on googling until I find some kind of solution. Thank you all for your help. I'll post back if anything happens.

 

Hi guys! After more than one day trying to figure this stuff out, I need your assistance. So, I've done all the necessary tweeking in VMWare workstation, as in, i've created a custom virtual network and both guest vm's (win 2k3 and a brand new vm where I want to install win xp pro via WDS server i've ste up in win2k3) are connected to that virtual network. Now, what I need to do is work with active directory which I is pretty much a novelty for me. But I'm guessing that I should add the brand new vm to the AD server. The server is configured to respond to DHCP requests from any computer (known or unknown) but the VM still doesn't find a DHCP server and therefore cannot boot from the WDS. What should I do?