Sign in
 
HomeWindows Server “8” Beta20082003LibraryForums
Windows Server TechCenter > Windows Server Forums > Setup Deployment > Adprep is giving a syntax error

Answered Adprep is giving a syntax error

    •  
      Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:49 PM
       
       
      Sign In to Vote
      0
      Sign In to Vote
      Hi All,
      I'm trying to add a Windows 2008 server as a DC in our excising 2003 domain. The first problem I encountered is while running adprep.exe /forestprep (on my 2003 DC, from the 2008 setup DVD) that adprep is not giving any information and seems to be waiting. When I typed in a C and hit return it did start. All well, till the ......... (dot's) suddenly stopped. Starting adprep again did continue the dot's but also end them again without notification.
      When I look in my Log's is says in .003.txt: 

      There is a syntax error in the input file
      Failed on line 169.  The last token starts with 's'.
      An error has occurred in the program

      Does anyone have any suggestion?

      Thank you very much for your help!

      Greetings.

      E. de Wolf
       

    Answers

    • Friday, March 27, 2009 11:20 AM
       
       Answered
      Sign In to Vote
      2
      Sign In to Vote
      Okay, it's solved. This is how:
      Because I was using adprep from a different language then the server was (server was EN-US, adprep NL) it didn't show any information.
      So, copy the adprep 2003 domain controller and rename the language map (in my case nl-nl) to en-us. Adprep should work fine then and giving you all the information to need to successfully prepare your 2003 domain for a windows 2008 server.

      Hope this helps anyone.

      Thank you.
      • Marked As Answer by e.dewolf Friday, March 27, 2009 11:21 AM
      •  
       

    All Replies

    • Friday, March 27, 2009 11:20 AM
       
       Answered
      Sign In to Vote
      2
      Sign In to Vote
      Okay, it's solved. This is how:
      Because I was using adprep from a different language then the server was (server was EN-US, adprep NL) it didn't show any information.
      So, copy the adprep 2003 domain controller and rename the language map (in my case nl-nl) to en-us. Adprep should work fine then and giving you all the information to need to successfully prepare your 2003 domain for a windows 2008 server.

      Hope this helps anyone.

      Thank you.
      • Marked As Answer by e.dewolf Friday, March 27, 2009 11:21 AM
      •  
       
    • Tuesday, August 11, 2009 1:01 PM
       
       
      Sign In to Vote
      0
      Sign In to Vote
      You're a lifesaver. I just spent hours and hours to find the log of adprep (windows/debug instead of system32/debug). When I finally got the log, I had just the same syntax error - failed on line 169.

      How did you find out that you had the rename the language map?

      Anyway, thanks a lot !
       
    • Thursday, February 11, 2010 9:18 AM
       
       
      Sign In to Vote
      0
      Sign In to Vote
      Nice work, this saved my life indeed. Thank you very much.
       
    • Saturday, April 16, 2011 11:29 AM
       
       
      Sign In to Vote
      0
      Sign In to Vote

      Hello E.de.Wolff

      This an amazing sollution,

      how did you find out about it?

      This is really a live saver (or at least a time saver)

      Thanks

       
    • Monday, October 31, 2011 10:06 PM
       
       
      Sign In to Vote
      0
      Sign In to Vote

      I had a very similar issue today and this answer helped me find the eventual resolution.

      I was also getting the "There is a syntax error in the input file Failed on line 169." but since my media was EN-US and my system was set to EN-US locale (systeminfo) I was a bit stumped.

      It turns out that the version of ADPREP that was on the media I was using was from 7/14/2009 and in desperation I downloaded an EVAL copy of 2008R2 server and the date of the ADPREP on it is from 11/21/2010.

      This version ran perfectly without issues. I am not sure what MS has changed but it seems there may be a newer version of ADPREP for 2008R2 on newer 'presses' of the disc (.ISO)? Perhaps someone can confirm, as it is also possible that there was corruption in the ADPREP files on the original CD/ISO i was using.

      It would be nice to know :)