| Lesson 8 | Identifying setup errors during Windows Installation |
| Objective | Troubleshoot common setup areas in Windows. |
Identifying Setup Errors for Windows Server
You will find that most setup errors are either one of the following:
- Easy to troubleshoot and fix: common examples will be covered in this lesson
- Virtually impossible to figure out: can be due to BIOS incompatibilities, other hardware compatibilities, subtle disk errors that were not detected by the chkdsk program, power supply problems, and more.
chkdsk: A program that comes with Windows that checks for errors on a hard disk.
Options allow you to choose between chkdsk finding and reporting errors only or chkdsk repairing errors as it finds them.
Problems contacting the domain controller
The most frequent setup error encountered is an inability to contact a domain controller when adding a computer account to the domain.
If upgrading, and the computer has a functional network adapter that is on the Hardware Compatibility List, this is probably not a hardware problem. Check for problems with name resolution, and make sure that the Domain Controller is online. If performing a new installation, the problem could be with the adapter hardware in addition to the problems mentioned above. If the DNS Server and domain controller are online, test the NIC to see if it is functional by placing it in another computer.
Other common problems with finding the domain controller are related to the wrong domain name or IP address entered into the configuration dialog boxes. Make sure that entries have not been mistyped.
If you are reinstalling the operating system on a computer using the same computer name that already exists in the Active Directory, be sure to delete the original computer account in the Active Directory and then recreate an account with the same name.
The following table lists additional common setup errors and possible solutions.
Understanding Operating Systems
| Problem | Solution |
| Media errors | Use a different compact disc. To request a replacement compact disc, contact Microsoft or your vendor. |
| Non-supported CD-ROM drive | Replace the CD-ROM drive with one that is supported. Try another method of installing Windows, such as installing over the network, and then add the CD-ROM driver. |
| Insufficient disk space | Use the Setup program to create a partition that uses existing free space on the hard disk. You can also delete and create partitions as necessary to create a partition that is large enough for installation. |
| Failure of dependency service to start | In the Windows Setup Wizard, return to the Network Settings page 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 of Windows to install or start | Verify that Windows is detecting all of the hardware and that all of the hardware is on the HCL. |
If you do have setup errors on a machine, you should reformat the drives, if possible, and then attempt the installation again. Often this step will solve whatever the previous issues were and the installation will go smoothly.
Identifying Setup Errors Exercise