Unable to access the Active Directory

[jsteiner87]

I am trying to install SBS 2003 on a brand new server. This is a clean install and I am setting up a new network. The server install goes as it should and after it installs I load up 4 drivers (video card, chipset, and 2 LAN drivers). After I install the drivers, I continue with the SBS setup. I can see that active directory is setup and the computer restarts. When it turns back on I get an error message that says, "Unable to access the Active Directory". This is a clean install. Why would I have problems like this?

 

[wahnula]

Is there an accompanying error in the Eventlog? That would be the first place to look, but if it was my server I would try a reinstallation from scratch and see if it recurs.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[jsteiner87]

I have reinstalled the OS 3 or 4 times but I still get the same error during the install of the SBS server.

 

[jsteiner87]

I am still having problems with this server and I will try to explain this as best as possible.

I am trying to setup this server in a exsisting Windows 2000 domain that has a single Windows 2000 Server running. I have been following the MS article (884453) on how to accomplish this task. When I finish step 7 and promote the server to a global catalog server, I restart the server. That is when it goes bad. This is a brand new server and I have nothing else loaded on it. Just the OS and drivers. I get the "Unable to access active directory" when the computer starts. I am getting the following errors in my event log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 477
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:46:38 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
NTDS (3452) The log range read from the file "C:\WINDOWS\NTDS\edb.log" at offset 1589760 (0x0000000000184200) for 512 (0x00000200) bytes failed verification due to a range checksum mismatch. The read operation will fail with error -501 (0xfffffe0b). If this condition persists then please restore the logfile from a previous backup.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 465
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:46:38 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
NTDS (3452) Corruption was detected during soft recovery in logfile C:\WINDOWS\NTDS\edb.log. The failing checksum record is located at position 3105:24. Data not matching the log-file fill pattern first appeared in sector 3106. This logfile has been damaged and is unusable.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 477
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:46:38 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
NTDS (3452) The log range read from the file "C:\WINDOWS\NTDS\edb.log" at offset 1589760 (0x0000000000184200) for 512 (0x00000200) bytes failed verification due to a range checksum mismatch. The read operation will fail with error -501 (0xfffffe0b). If this condition persists then please restore the logfile from a previous backup.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 465
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:46:38 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
NTDS (3452) Corruption was detected during soft recovery in logfile C:\WINDOWS\NTDS\edb.log. The failing checksum record is located at position 3105:24. Data not matching the log-file fill pattern first appeared in sector 3106. This logfile has been damaged and is unusable.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 477
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:46:38 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
NTDS (3452) The log range read from the file "C:\WINDOWS\NTDS\edb.log" at offset 1589760 (0x0000000000184200) for 512 (0x00000200) bytes failed verification due to a range checksum mismatch. The read operation will fail with error -501 (0xfffffe0b). If this condition persists then please restore the logfile from a previous backup.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 465
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:46:38 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
NTDS (3452) Corruption was detected during soft recovery in logfile C:\WINDOWS\NTDS\edb.log. The failing checksum record is located at position 3105:24. Data not matching the log-file fill pattern first appeared in sector 3106. This logfile has been damaged and is unusable.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 454
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:46:38 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
NTDS (3452) Database recovery/restore failed with unexpected error -501.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: NTDS General
Event Category: Internal Processing
Event ID: 1003
Date: 5/7/2008
Time: 10:22:46 AM
User: N/A
Computer: EXODUS
Description:
Active Directory could not be initialized.

The operating system cannot recover from this error.

User Action
Restore the local domain controller from backup media.

Additional Data
Error value:
-501 %2

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Why would a new server setup be doing this after one restart? I also get this error if I install this server as a standalone in an enviroment seperate from my network.

 

[wahnula]

What's the hardware? Is it all brand-new or has some of it been recycled? Is there a RAID or SCSI controller involved?

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[jsteiner87]

All of the hardware is brand new. I have a SATA RAID controller running a RAID 10 setup.

Intel Xeon Chip
4 GB of memory
Promise RAID controller
Western Digital SATA 320 GB hard drives
ASUS Motherboard

I don't have a problem with any of the install processes until I try to install active directory and making it the global catalog server.

 

[noveyron]

Can you clarify, do the problems happen at step 5 active directory installation and verification (do you get the result described in 5L?), or step 7 GC? (do you get the events described in 7D?)

 

[jsteiner87]

If you are talking about the MS Article 884453 that I am following, I am not having problems until step 7e. I get event 1119 as instructed in 7d and then I restart. Once the computer is restarted that is when all the problems happen.

 

[noveyron]

This is a clean install and I am setting up a new network"

"I am trying to setup this server in a exsisting Windows 2000 domain that has a single Windows 2000 Server "


Are you (1) doing a clean install and setting up a new AD network, or are you (2) migrating AD from a 2000 network? If (2), did you follow the steps in the referenced document kb278875?

How many clients are there? It may be easier to do a clean install onto the SBS box with a new AD domain and migrate the clients manually if 2-10 clients?

Alternatively, (if (2) above) have a look at sbsmigration.com, it really does make the process much easier.

 

[jsteiner87]

I was first testing things out setting up a seperate network and doing a clean SMB install (outside of my current network).

I then reinstalled Windows SMB 2003 in my current network and used the MS Article 884453 as a reference.

When I did either one of the installs I would get the same error when Active Directory was setup and the computer restarted.

 

[jsteiner87]

Also, Before I started this process I did run the adprep commands on the Windows 2000 Server and they completed without any errors.

 

[58sniper]

Why are you restarting after making it a GC? Looks like you're getting corruption.

Install the OS and let it sit overnight. Check the logs for errors. Promote to DC, reboot, and let it sit for a while. Check the logs - a lot happens when you promote the server.

The following day, make it a DC and let it sit. Check the logs.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Contributing author The Complete Reference: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007