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Skype for Business doesn't support 4K Advanced Format hard disks RRS feed

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    Posting this for information, but if anyone has any ideas for workarounds i'd be most grateful!

    The Skype for Business 2015 Front End role will not run on computers with 4Kn hard disks.

    When the FE service is started for the first time, it tries to start the Windows Fabric service. The Windows Fabric service attempts to configure itself on first fun, however the configuration fails and the service gets stuck in a loop constantly retrying to set itself up.

    The Skype for Business 2015 FE service therefore fails to start, due to the Windows Fabric service failing to start.

    I've tested, and confirmed, the problem on SfB 2015 versions up to and including CU5 on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016.

    I have a PSS case open regarding this issue

    The only known workaround is to move back to using 512 or 512e hard disks.

    The Skype for Business 2015 Edge role works fine with 4Kn hard disks.


    • Edited by DJL Thursday, November 23, 2017 7:56 PM
    Thursday, November 23, 2017 7:46 PM

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    I've found another work around. Only two folders need to reside on a 512 or 512e disk, they are:

    • C:\ProgramData\Windows Fabric
    • The Skype for Business share

    So you can get SfB working with a 4Kn disk by doing the following:

    • Install Windows on the 4Kn disk as normal
    • Create a 512e VHDX file and mount it as D:\ for example. New-VHD -Path "vhdname.vhdx" -Fixed -SizeBytes 15GB -LogicalSectorSizeBytes 512 -PhysicalSectorSizeBytes 4KB
    • Setup the Skype for Business share on the D drive
    • Create a folder called "Windows Fabric" on the VHDX and use mklink /j "C:\Program Data\Windows Fabric" "D:\Windows Fabric" to create a directory junction
    • Install Skype for Business
    • You may need to run mklink again after the installation has finished, but before start the SfB services for the first time.

    • Edited by DJL Friday, November 24, 2017 5:31 PM
    Friday, November 24, 2017 5:26 PM