Sign in
 
HomeLibraryWikiLearnGalleryDownloadsSupportForumsBlogs
Resources for IT Professionals >
> 
> 
> 
Installation Issues on brand new SBS 2011 installation - How can this be? E.g. Exchange 2010 cannot be installed etc

Answered Installation Issues on brand new SBS 2011 installation - How can this be? E.g. Exchange 2010 cannot be installed etc

  • Monday, December 03, 2012 4:48 PM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    I took delivery of a brand new Dell PowerEdge server today. Unboxed it and powered it up. The pre-installed SBS 2011 setup routine kicked in where it asked me to specify the domain name, server admin username and password etc. I entered these and let it carry out. This is not a migration.

    A while later, once Windows booted up and the SBS console appeared, I noticed that there was a list of "installation issues" it recommended I review.

    I've put an image of the messages below.

    I don't know if it is related, but during the installation, I clicked on the option to get the latest updates and apply them during install. This server isn't connected to the internet as yet. Might this have been the cause?

    I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I saw the first 3 in the list:

    1. Exchange 2010 cannot be installed.

    2. Administrator Administrator does not have Exchange administrator rights.

    3. User Administrator does not have a mailbox and cannot send mail with Exchange Web Services.

    I specified an administrator username and password when prompted during the installation but this is something I've done plenty of times before.

    I don't understand why it has failed.  I've carried out the exact same procedure many many times in a VM setup. It always works first time every time - with the same details provided during the setup routine.

    Can anyone explain why it might have failed?  Might I be better off formatting the drives and reinstalling? I don't feel that on a brand new server you should have to start troubleshooting problems the minute it's finished installing.



    • Edited by BadBoyHouse Monday, December 03, 2012 4:48 PM
    • Edited by BadBoyHouse Monday, December 03, 2012 4:50 PM
    • Edited by BadBoyHouse Monday, December 03, 2012 4:58 PM
    •  
     

All Replies

  • Monday, December 03, 2012 5:02 PM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    You're better off formatting and reinstalling *anyway*, regardless of errors. That's the first thing I ever do with any preinstalled servers - wipe them! That way you have done the install, you know what extra steps (if any) you have to go through to get it to install, you know if there any additional device drivers needed, you know that the partitions are set how you want them etc. Not Dell, not HP, but you.

    Preinstalled or clean, they're the same as far as I'm concerned. The only benefit, if any, of preinstalled is you can fire it up and get a full hardware/driver inventory from Aida64 or similar. Then when you reinstall, if any devices have the yellow question mark you can refer to your Aida64 listing and determine which Dell drivers to download.

    Jim

    PS In the old days, you couldn't do a Swing Migration from SBS2000 to SBS2003 on Dell boxes if the server had been preinstalled, unless you did some extra steps, due to the way Dell did the install. Not sure if that is still the case.

     
  • Monday, December 03, 2012 5:19 PM
     
     Answered
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    I've got it reinstalling now. From what I've read elsewhere online these issues can occur if you tell the setup routine to check for and install updates during the installation. If you don't have the server connected to the internet (which I don't yet) then these problems can occur. We'll see how it goes.

    I agree really on formatting and reinstalling however the partitions were set up as I wanted them so I felt ok to run with what Dell had pre-configured.

    Fingers cross this time having been formatted, and NOT clicked on install updates during setup it will be ok.

    Cheers Jim.

    • Marked As Answer by BadBoyHouse Friday, December 07, 2012 8:41 AM
    •  
     
  • Monday, December 03, 2012 5:22 PM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Yes...never EVER choose to install updates :-) It introduces scenarios (like "reboot required") that the installation media knows nothing about.

    Jim

     
  • Friday, December 07, 2012 1:37 AM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    How much RAM does the box have? I have seen this failure when there is not enough RAM (<8GB).

    Thanks Robert Crane [MVP-Office365] www.ciaops.com

     
  • Friday, December 07, 2012 8:41 AM
     
     Answered
    Sign In to Vote
    0
    The server has 16GB however I resolved by re-installing. Issue is caused when you agree to download and install updates during setup.