Chapter 16: Troubleshooting

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Chapter 16Troubleshooting
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Learning Objectives

• Develop your own problem-solving strategy
• Use the Event Viewer to locate and diagnose
  problems
• Troubleshoot configuration, security,
  connectivity, and network printing problems

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Learning Objectives (continued)

• Troubleshoot boot problems, using a variety of
  tools including the emergency repair disk, safe
  mode, and the recovery console
• Back up and restore system state data

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Problem Solving Strategy

• Develop a problem solving strategy to help you
  troubleshoot more effectively such as
• Understanding how the server and network interact
• Training users to help you solve problems
• Learning the essential business processes of your
  organization

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Using Network Diagrams

• Create network diagrams to help determine the
  location of specific problems

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Training Users

• Train users to work as allies in solving network
  and server problems by
• Learning to save their work when a problem occurs
• Precisely recording error messages
• Quickly reporting error situations and the
  conditions under which they occurred

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Learning Business Processes

• Learn the essential business processes of your
  organization and use this knowledge to help you
  locate and solve problems more rapidly

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Solving Problems Step by Step

• Develop a thorough step-by-step approach to
  solving problems
• Get as much information as possible before you
  start
• Obtain the precise wording of error messages
• Start with simple solutions
• Determine how many people are affected

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Solving Problems Step by Step (continued)

• Check for alerts sent to your account
• Check the event logs
• Use System Monitor filtering
• Check for local power problems

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Tracking Problems and Solutions

• Keep a database or log of problems and how they
  were solved, so that later you dont have to
  guess how the same or a similar problem was
  solved in the past

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Using Run As

• Sometimes you have to work on problems when
  someone else is logged on or from another
  persons computer. Try using the Run as option so
  you do not have to log off that account to have
  Administrator privileges.

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Using the Windows 2000 Server Logs for
Troubleshooting

• Windows 2000 Server records valuable notification
  information in event logs
• System log An event log that records information
  about system-related events such as hardware
  errors, driver problems, and hard drive errors
• Security log An event log that records access
  and security information about logon accesses,
  file, folder, and system policy changes

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Using the Windows 2000 Server Logs for
Troubleshooting (continued)

• Application log An event log that records
  information about how software applications are
  performing
• Directory Service log An event log that records
  events that are associated with the Active
  Directory, such as updates to the Active
  Directory, events related to the Active
  Directorys database, replication events, and
  startup and shutdown events

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Using the Windows 2000 Server Logs for
Troubleshooting (continued)

• DNS Server log An event log that provides
  information about events associated with the DNS
  Server, such as instances in which DNS
  information is updated, when there are problems
  with the DNS service, and when the DNS Server has
  started successfully after booting
• File Replication Service log An event log that
  contains information about file replication
  events such as changes to file replication, when
  the service has started, and completed
  replication tasks

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Sample Information in the System Log

• Type of event
• Date and time of the event
• Source of the event
• Category of the event
• Event number
• User account involved
• Computer involved

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Viewing an Event Log
Figure 16-1 Event Viewer
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Viewing a Specific Event
Figure 16-2 Viewing a system log event
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Troubleshooting Tip

• If a server suddenly crashes or is not
  functioning normally, make the system log your
  first stop to look for a problem

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Event Log Filtering

• You can look for specific events in a log by
  setting up a filter on criteria such as
• Event type, including warning, error,
  information, success audit, failure audit
• Event source
• Event category
• Event ID
• User account
• Computer
• Date range
• Time range

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Setting Up an Event Log Filter
Figure 16-3 Creating a system log filter
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Event Log Configuration

• There are several options for maintaining event
  logs
• To size each log to prevent it from filling to
  fast
• To regularly clear each log before it is full
• To automatically override the oldest events when
  a log is full

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Event Log Configuration (continued)
Figure 16-4 Configuring event log settings
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Troubleshooting Server Configuration Problems

• Steps you can take to troubleshooting server
  configuration problems include
• Check the event logs
• Check the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs tool
  for components that need further configuration
• Use the Configure Your Server tool in the
  Administrative Tools menu

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Troubleshooting Server Configuration Problems
(continued)
Figure 16-5 Checking to make sure a Windows
component is configured
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Troubleshooting Server Configuration Problems
(continued)

• Use the Control Panel tools to solve
  configuration problems
• Use the Network and Dial-up Connections tool to
  solve connectivity problems
• Use tools such as Device Manager that are
  available in the Computer Management tool

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Troubleshooting Server Configuration Problems
(continued)
Figure 16-6 Using Device Manager to find a
configuration conflict
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems

• To troubleshoot connectivity problems
• Determine how many stations are experiencing the
  problem
• Check the servers NIC connection
• Verify the protocol setup
• Make sure the NIC is properly configured and has
  the most recent driver
• Make sure clients are set up for the correct
  domain or workgroup

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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)

• Check cable connections and connectors
• Examine network cable for damage

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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)
Figure 16-7 Troubleshooting the NIC media type
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Connectivity Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting TCP/IP Connectivity

• Windows 2000 Server includes command line tools
  that can be used to troubleshoot TCP/IP
  connectivity problems (many of these tools are
  also available in Windows 2000, Windows NT,
  Windows 98, and Windows 95 clients)

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Ipconfig

• Ipconfig is an example of a TCP/IP
  troubleshooting tool used to confirm information
  such as the IP address, subnet mask, and default
  gateway of the Windows 2000 Server

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Ipconfig (continued)
Figure 16-8 Using ipconfig
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Ping
Figure 16-9 Using ping
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Windows 2000, NT, 98, and 95 Diagnostic Commands
for TCP/IP Connectivity
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Cable Problems

• When network communication problems occur, check
  for cable problems as one source

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Troubleshooting Cable Problems
Table 16-3 Troubleshooting Cable Problems
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Troubleshooting Cable Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Cable Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Cable Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Cable Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Network Printing Problems

• Try the simplest solutions first when
  troubleshooting network printing difficulties,
  such as checking printer connectivity

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Troubleshooting Network Printing Problems
Table 16-4 Troubleshooting Network Printing
Problems
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Troubleshooting Network Printing Problems
(continued)
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Troubleshooting Network Printing Problems
(continued)
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Troubleshooting Network Printing Problems
(continued)
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Troubleshooting Network Printing Problems
(continued)
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Troubleshooting Network Printing Problems
(continued)
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Changing a Password

• To change an account password when a user has
  forgotten his or hers
• Open the Active Directory Users and Computers
  tool
• Open the container in which the account resides
• Right-click the account and click Reset Password
• Enter the new password, confirm it, and click
  User must change password at next logon

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Using Auditing for Troubleshooting

• To help resolve why an account cannot access
  certain resources, audit those resources and
  check the security log
• Also, use resource auditing to track intruders

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Using the System Security and Analysis Tool

• The System Security and Analysis tool can be used
  to set up default security and to later analyze
  existing security for problems

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Using the System Security and Analysis Tool
(continued)
Figure 16-10 Checking system security
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Using the System Security and Analysis Tool
(continued)
Figure 16-11 Security analysis results
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Resolving Boot Problems

• Boot problems can be caused by
• Disk failure
• Corrupted partition table
• Corrupted boot file
• Corrupted master boot record
• Disk read error

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Troubleshooting Tip

• When you first experience a boot problem, try
  rebooting to see if it is a transient error

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Safe Mode

• Safe mode A boot mode that enables Windows 2000
  Server to be booted using the most generic
  default settings, such as for the display

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Accessing the Safe Mode

• To access the safe mode
• Reboot the computer
• Press F8
• Select the desired safe mode option in the
  Advanced Options Menu
• Highlight Windows 2000 Server as the operating
  system and press Enter

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Accessing the Safe Mode (continued)
Figure 16-12 Advanced Options Menu for booting
Windows 2000 Server
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Advanced Menu Options
Table 16-5 Advanced Menu Options
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Advanced Menu Options (continued)
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Advanced Menu Options (continued)
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Using the Emergency Repair Disk

• Use the emergency repair disk if you cannot boot
  or solve a problem via safe mode

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Accessing the Emergency Repair Disk

• To access the ERD
• Boot from the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM or Setup
  Disk 1
• Press R on the Welcome to Setup screen
• Press R again on the next screen
• Insert the ERD
• Select M to manually select what to repair or
  select F to perform all repair options
• Follow the repair instructions

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Accessing the Emergency Repair Disk (continued)
Figure 16-13 Accessing the repair option
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Accessing the Emergency Repair Disk (continued)
Figure 16-14 Repair options
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Troubleshooting Tip

• Keep the ERD updated after each key change to
  Windows 2000 Server so that you can troubleshoot
  using the most recent configuration information

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Using the Recovery Console for Troubleshooting

• Recovery console A recovery tool that enables
  you to boot directly into the Windows 2000 Server
  command line to perform recovery and
  troubleshooting operations. The Recovery Console
  can be added as a boot option, started from the
  Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM, or started from the
  Windows 2000 Server floppy installation disks.

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Recovery Console Command Options

• Some examples of commands that can be used from
  the recovery console are
• chkdsk
• disable
• diskpart
• enable
• fixboot
• fixmbr
• format

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Troubleshooting Boot Problems
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems Associated with
Stop Messages
Table 16-7 Troubleshooting Boot Problems
Associated with Stop Messages
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems Associated with
Stop Messages (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems Associated with
Stop Messages (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems Associated with
Stop Messages (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems Associated with
Stop Messages (continued)
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Troubleshooting Boot Problems Associated with
Stop Messages (continued)
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System State Data

• Plan to back up important system state data so
  that it can be recovered, if necessary.

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System State Data Elements

• System state data consists of
• System and boot files
• Active Directory
• SYSVOL folder
• Registry
• COM Class Registration information
• DNS zones (if installed)
• Certificate information (if installed)
• Server cluster data (if installed)

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Backing Up System State Data Using the Backup Tool
Figure 16-15 Backing up system state data
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Protected System Files

• Plan to backup the protected system files along
  with the system state data
• The protected system files include
• Ntldr
• Bootsect.dos
• Boot.ini
• Ntdetect.com
• Ntbootdd.sys
• Ntoskrnl.exe
• Hal.dll

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Restoring a Failed System Volume

• To restore a failed system volume
• Replace the failed hardware
• Install Windows 2000 Server from the CD-ROM
• Use the Backup utility to restore system state
  data and all other data using the most recent
  backup tapes

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Chapter Summary

• Develop a problem solving strategy that matches
  your equipment and organizations needs
• Develop familiarity with the troubleshooting
  tools in Windows 2000 Server, such as the Event
  Viewer, System Monitor, Network Monitor, the
  Network and Dial-up Connections tool, safe mode,
  and recovery console

92
Chapter Summary

• Learn to use the right troubleshooting tool for
  the job
• Plan to keep the ERD updated for future
  troubleshooting
• View troubleshooting situations as an opportunity
  to better understand your organization, its
  network, and the Windows 2000 servers on the
  network