SBS 2011: Troubleshooting Client Deployment

Troubleshooting Client Deployment Issues when using Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, Windows Home Server 2011 and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

General troubleshooting steps to take when client deployment does not succeed

• Make sure your server is set up using the latest version image and is up to date.
• Make sure the network connection between your server and the client computer works.
  1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect your server to the client computer, and then do either of the following:
     • From the client computer, open the Internet browser to http://servername/ (where servername is the name of your server).
     • Click Start, type \servername, and then press ENTER.
  2. If you are still unable to connect to your server from the client computer:
     • Temporary disable all firewall and antivirus applications on both server and client computers.
     • Add the IP address of the server to the hosts file located on the client computer at %systemdrive%\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.

**Add this info to the file in the following format:
**       

127.0.0.1 localhost 
::1 localhost 
[yourserverIPaddress] [yourservername] 

 Note: Do not start the entries with a # symbol as shown in the examples in the hosts file. 

• Uninstall the server connector software.
• Unjoin the client computer from the network. Make sure the client computer is not joined to any other server networks including Windows Home Server, Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials.
• From the client computer, open the Internet browser to http://servername/connect (where servername is the name of your server), and follow the instructions to connect the computer to the server.
• Make sure that the date and time settings for the server and the client computer are the same.
• Make sure that the Regional and Language settings for server and the client computer are the same.

** 1. You receive the error “The Windows Server Connector has encountered an unexpected error. Click Close to undo most of the changes that are made to this computer"**

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011 and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, while client has Media Center feature enabled.

Symptoms

Open the ClientCore.msi.log under %programdata%\Microsoft\Windows Server\Logs on the client and search for the following logs:

Error 1722. There is problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action SetupMcConnector, location: C:\Program Files\Windows Server\Bin\esSetup.exe.

Cause

Media Center add-in installation failed during client connector installation.

Solution

First, as a genearal trouble shooting step, try to install the client connector again. If it still fail, please follow the below steps to resolve this issue.

Note these steps will allow the client connector to skip the installation of Media Center Add-in. This add-in intergates the build in shared folder into media center, without the the add-in, you will not be able to access media files on server's shared folder from Media Center Console, or record/archive TV to the server share. However, there will be no impact to Media Center features or the Server Shared Folder features.

On the client computers, run regedit to open the registry key, (note: if the client is a 64bit client, make sure you run the regedit 32bit version, which could be found under %systemroot%\syswow64\regedit.exe)

1. Find the registry key named "Ident" under "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center"
2. Backup the registry value.
3. Delete the registry key "Ident" in step 2 from "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center".
4. Run client connector installation.
5. After the connector installaion succeed, add back the registry key named "Ident" ( string ) to "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center" and restore the value you saved in step 3.

2. You receive the error “The installation is canceled. The Windows Server Connector has encountered an unexpected error”

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

Symptoms

The following log files located on the client computer at %programdata%/Microsoft/Windows Server/Logs include the records noted:

• ClientCore.msi.log

Product: Windows Server Connector -- Error 1920. Service 'Windows Server Client Computer Backup Provider Service' (WSS_ComputerBackupProviderSvc) failed to start.  Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services.

• ShareServiceHost-BackupClientConfig.log

Service "WSS_ComputerBackupProviderSvc" failed to start: Unhandled exception in OnStart: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: The task image is corrupt or has been tampered with. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80041321) 

Cause

Task Scheduler could not complete the task because the task image is corrupt.

Solution

For information that may help you resolve this issue, see the related posting in the Windows Client TechCenter (http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/itprovistadesktopui/thread/d24a6af9-4c42-4507-9562-fdf466c9d707).

3. You receive the error “A computer can only be connected to one server at a time. To connect to [YourServerName] server, you must first uninstall the connector from this computer, and then install the Windows Server Connector again"

Applies to

Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

Cause

The Windows Server Connector was uninstalled from a client computer that is still joined to the domain of a different server.

This behavior is by design. Uninstalling the server Connector does not unjoin a client computer from the network domain.

Solution

To resolve this issue, manually unjoin the client computer from the network, and then visit http://<servername>/connect to automatically reinstall the connector and join the network domain.

4. You receive the error “Cannot connect the computer to the server because either another software installation is in progress or, the computer has a restart pending. Either complete the installation process, or, restart the computer and try to connect it again”

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

Symptoms

After restarting the computer multiple times, the message continues to appear.

Cause

A previous software installation on the client computer has left the computer in a restart pending mode, and restarting the computer does not clear the status.

Solution

You may be able to resolve the issue by performing the following steps:

1. Open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager, find the value named PendingFileRenameOperations under that key, delete the value.
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update\RebootRequired and delete the key.
4. Restart the computer and try again to connect to the server.

You can also use this resource and script to find any files if your registry key is empty:
http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2011/09/26/cannot-connect-the-computer-to-the-server-the-computer-has-a-restart-pending.aspx

5. You receive the notification “Cannot connect the computer to the server The Server Connector version that is installed on this computer is more recent than the server. Contact the administrator to ensure that the server is up to date”

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

Symptoms

You cannot open the Dashboard from Launchpad on the client computer.

Cause

You will experience this problem in the following scenario:

1. You installed the most recent Windows Server Update Rollup on the server.
2. Client computers automatically received and installed the update.
3. You manually uninstalled the Windows Server Update Rollup after updating the client computers.

At this point, the more recent version of the Windows Server Connector installed on client computers is not compatible with the older version that is installed on the server.

Solution

As a best practice, you should install the most recent updates on the server. To install the most recent updates from Microsoft:

1. Open the server Dashboard.
2. Click Server settings, and open the General tab.
3. In Windows Update settings and error reporting, click Change (or Change/Install updates), and then click Check for updates.
4. Click Install to download and install the most recent updates.

If you do not want to install the most recent updates, you must uninstall the Windows Server Connector update on the client computer. To uninstall the update on the client computer:

1. From the client computer, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click Programs and Features. If the client computer is running Windows XP, in Control Panel, click Add/Remove Programs.
3. In the list of program updates, click the most recent update for Windows Server Connector, and then click Uninstall.
4. When the uninstall process is finished, restart the client computer.

6. Client computers cannot connect to the server after installing an update on the server

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

Symptoms

The update installation process on client computers may run continuously for an extended period and does not finish.

Cause

An unknown error caused the connector update installation to fail on the client computer.

Solution

You may be able to resolve this issue by perform the following steps:

• Restart the server and client computers, and then try again.
• Copy the connector update package from the Server folder at %systemdrive%\Program Files\Windows Server\Bin\WebApps\Client\Package\en\x64 (for 64-bit systems) or %systemdrive%\Program Files\Windows Server\Bin\WebApps\Client\Package\en\x86 (for 32-bit systems), and then manually run the update on the client computer.
• On the client computer, uninstall the Windows Server Connector (not the updates for the connector), and then reinstall the connector from http://[servername]/Connect.

7. Windows XP Client failed to install client connector ( NetTCPPortSharing service cannot start)

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials
Client is Windows XP SP3

Symptoms

During client connector installation, you will get an error message says "The Connector has encountered an unexpected error" and on your XP client NetTCPPortSharing service is in starting status but not successfully started.

Cause

In some situations, NetTCPPortSharing service fail to start on XP client with .NET 4.0 installed. That may caused by several reasons including

1. LocalService account does not have proper access rights to the root of the C: drive
2. LocalService account does not have proper access rights to the C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\V4.0.30319\SMSvcHost.exe.Config file 3. "The disk on which the C: Volume exists is a Dynamic disk"

Solution

You may be able to resolve this issue by perform the following steps:

1. Give LocalService account Read permission to C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\V4.0.30319\SMSvcHost.exe.Config
2. OR Give LocalService Read and List Folder Contents permission to the root of C:

Note if your C drive is a dynamic disk,  convert the dynamic disk to basic disk or upgrade XP to Windows 7 will also resolve it, however, keep in mind coverting from dynamic disk to basic disk will erase all data on that disk.

8. You failed to install client connector and get the error “This computer cannot be connected to the server using the user name and password credentials provided."

Applies to

Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

Cause

It happens if you joined this client to Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials before and uninstalled the connector software but not leave the Server domain. When you try installing the client connector to connect to the same server with different user credential, you will get this error.

Solution

You need make your client leave server domain and try reinstalling the client connector again. Follow the steps below to leave domain:

1. Right click the computer and select property.
2. In the Computer Name tab, click "Change"
3. Select "Member of" to "Workgroup" and restart the computer.

9. You've received "Cannot connect this computer to the network" error when deploying connector in domain joined client with standard domain user.

Applies to

Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

Cause

For domain joined client, changing the AD content requires network administrator permission.

Solution

Please use the account has network administrator permission to deploy the connector.

10. You received the notification “Cannot connect this computer to the network. The server is not available. Try connecting this computer again, or for more information, see Troubleshoot computers to the server”

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

Symptoms

You cannot join the client computer even the server is on and accessible by client computer. The following log files located on the client computer at %programdata%/Microsoft/Windows Server/Logs include the records noted:

• ClientDeploy.log

Cause

This is caused by wrong certificate binding with the certificate web service.

Solution

1. Login the server
2. Launch the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager 
3. Expand the left tree view and select Sites->WSS Certificate Web Service 
4. Right click and select “Edit Binding…” 
5. In the popped dialog, select Port 65500 and click “Edit” 
6. In the popped dialog, please make sure the SSL certificate there is the same as your server’s computer name. 
7. Click ok to save your changes. 
8. Restart the IIS service by select the root node which is your computer name in the left pane and choose restart in the Actions in the right pane.

11. You received the notification “Registration failed. Registration failed due to internal error” when join a Mac client to the server.

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, Mac Clients

Symptoms

You cannot join the client computer even the server is on and accessible by client computer. The following log files located on the client computer at /Library/Logs include the records noted:

• Windows Server.log

Apr 12 18:37:31 RysMac.local WSL[1015] <Error>: /Users/xcbusr/macbuild/Request/9AA878B8-1898-4BEA-8BA9-0B5091CFCEE7/MacUtils/RegistrationManager.m:383 Registration failed

Cause

This is caused by wrong certificate binding with the certificate web service.

Solution

1. Login the server
2. Launch the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager
3. Expand the left tree view and select Sites->WSS Certificate Web Service
4. Right click and select “Edit Binding…”
5. In the popped dialog, select Port 65500 and click “Edit”
6. In the popped dialog, please make sure the SSL certificate there is the same as your server’s computer name. 
7. Click ok to save your changes. 
8. Restart the IIS service by select the root node which is your computer name in the left pane and choose restart in the Actions in the right pane.

12. You receive the error “The installation is canceled. The Windows Server Connector has encountered an unexpected error”

Applies to

Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials
Client does not have .NET 4.0 installed and has Anti-virus software install like Kaspersky.

Symptoms

The following log files located on the client computer at %programdata%/Microsoft/Windows Server/Logs include the records noted:

• CSetup.log

  NetworkUtil::_WinInetDownloadFile (      http://[FE80:0000:0000:0000:90D2:61F9:FF62:3294]:80/Connect/default.aspx?Get=dotNetFx45_Full_x86_x64.exe    , C:\Windows\Temp\Client Deployment Files\dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe)  
_CopyInetDataToFile - InternetReadFile returns 12002
_CopyInetDataToFile (., C:\Windows\Temp\Client Deployment Files\dotNetFx45_Full_x86_x64.exe, 300000, 500000000) failed with hr = 0x80072ee2
_WinInetDownloadFile returns 0x80072ee2.
NetworkUtil::DownloadFile(http://[FE80:0000:0000:0000:90D2:61F9:FF62:3294]:80, Connect/default.aspx?Get=dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe, C:\Windows\Temp\Client Deployment Files\dotNetFx45_Full_x86_x64.exe) failed with hr = 0x80072ee2.

Cause

This is caused by the download URL does not return a downlaod file length and some Anti-virus software takes more time to verify the downlaod file and cause the download timeout.

Solution

This issue will be solved when you try install the client connector again, there is no any function break.