Print

XP Workstations skipping Group Policy Software Installation

Posted in Server

I was required to setup serveral Windows XP workstations for a client, which required me to join them to the domain. I noticed upon moving the workstations into the correct OU on the server that, after a GPUPDATE /FORCE and reboot they would just skip over the software installation policies deployed from the server.

Cut a long story short the problem was with the group policy time out. A simple reg hack did the trick, which i rolled out through a startup script.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"GpNetworkStartTimeoutPolicyValue"=dword:0000003c

 

Print

Command line tape backup eject

Posted in Server

I had someone very insistent on getting the tape to eject after backup because apparently pressing the button is too hard. I've never needed this prior to now but its bound to come back up.

Below is the full script:

 --------------------------Script Start------------------------------------------------------------------

START /WAIT RSM.EXE REFRESH /LF"DAILY BACKUP"

C:\WINDOWS\system32\NTBACKUP.EXE backup "@C:\Backup\Daily.bks" /n "Daily Backup" /d "Daily Backup" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hc:on /m normal /j "Daily.job" /l:s /p "LTO Ultrium" /um

rsm eject /LF"Hewlett Packard LTO Ultrium-2 drive" /astart

---------------------------Script End------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the line you need to mod to suit your library name (this can be found under removable storage in Computer management > Removable storage > Libraries)

 --------------------------Script Start------------------------------------------------------------------

rsm eject /LF"Hewlett Packard LTO Ultrium-2 drive" /astart

 ---------------------------Script End------------------------------------------------------------------

Print

Remotely restart into Microsoft Windows server directory restore mode

Posted in Server

Came up against a situation where i needed to restart a server remotely into directory restore mode to restore from backup after a jrnl wrap error restore didn't work correctly.

 

Follow the steps below: To restart the domain controller in Directory Services Restore Mode remotely Use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to the domain controller that you want to restart in Directory Services Restore Mode.

Right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then click the Advanced tab. Click Settings for startup and recovery. Click the Edit button to edit the startup options file.

Modify the default entry to include the /SAFEBOOT:DSREPAIR switch, as shown in the following example:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="W2K DC \\ your server name " /fastdetect /SAFEBOOT:DSREPAIR

**Note** The /SAFEBOOT:DSREPAIR switch works for domain controllers running Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003.

Save the modified Boot.ini file, and then close Notepad. On the Start menu, click Shut Down, and then click Restart. During the restart process, the Terminal Services client reports that the session is disconnected.

*** Caution *** Be sure to click Restart and not Shut Down at this step. If you click Shut Down, you cannot restart the domain controller remotely.

Wait until the restart process completes on the remote domain controller, and then reconnect the client session.

When the client session is reconnected, log on as the local administrator.

Right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then click the Advanced tab.

Click Settings for startup and recovery.

Click the Edit button to edit the startup options file.

Delete the /SAFEBOOT:DSREPAIR switch from the default entry in the Boot.ini file, save the file, and then close Notepad.

***Important*** If you restart the domain controller before you modify the Boot.ini file, the domain controller remains offline.

The Boot.ini file is now returned to its original state, which starts the domain controller normally.

Also worth resetting the local administrator password as well, as per these instructions:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322672

Click, Start, click Run, type ntdsutil, and then click OK. At the Ntdsutil command prompt, type set dsrm password. At the DSRM command prompt, type one of the following lines: To reset the password on the server on which you are working, type reset password on server null. The null variable assumes that the DSRM password is being reset on the local computer. Type the new password when you are prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password.

-or- To reset the password for another server, type reset password on server servername, where servername is the DNS name for the server on which you are resetting the DSRM password. Type the new password when you are prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password. At the DSRM command prompt, type q. At the Ntdsutil command prompt, type q to exit.