Your installation of Windows 2000 should complete without any problems. However, this lesson covers some common issues that you might encounter during installation.

Resolving Common Problems

Table 2.4 lists some common installation problems and offers solutions to resolve them.

Table 2.4 Troubleshooting Tips

Problem	Solution
Media errors	If you are installing from a CD-ROM, use a different CD-ROM. To request a replacement CD-ROM, contact Microsoft or your vendor. If one of your Setup disks is not working, try using a different set of Setup disks. You can make a new set of Setup disks by running Makeboot.bat.
Nonsupported CD-ROM drive	Replace the CD-ROM drive with one that is supported, or if that is not possible, try another method of installing, such as installing over the network, and then after you have completed the installation, you can add the adapter card driver for the CD-ROM drive if it is available.
Insufficient disk space	Use the Setup program to create a partition by using existing free space on the hard disk. Delete and create partitions as needed to create a partition that is large enough for installation. Reformat an existing partition to create more space.
Failure of dependency service to start	In the Windows 2000 Setup wizard, return to the Network Settings dialog box and verify that you installed the correct protocol and network adapter. Verify that the network adapter has the proper configuration settings, such as transceiver type, and that the local computer name is unique on the network.
Inability to connect to the domain controller	Verify that the domain name is correct. Verify that the server running the DNS Service and the domain controller are both running and online. If you cannot locate a domain controller, install into a workgroup and then join the domain after installation. Verify that the network adapter card and protocol settings are set correctly. If you are reinstalling Windows 2000 and using the same computer name, delete and then recreate the computer account.
Failure of Windows 2000 to install or start	Verify that is detecting all of the hardware and that Windows 2000 all of the hardware is on the HCL.

Setup Logs

During Setup, Windows 2000 generates a number of log files. These logs contain information about the installation process, which can help you resolve any problems that occur after Setup completes. Two of the logs are especially useful for troubleshooting: the action log and the error log.

Action Log

The action log provides a description of the actions that Setup performs. These actions are recorded in chronological order, and include such actions as copying files and creating registry entries. The action log also includes any entries that are written to the Setup error log. The action log is stored in the file setupact.log.

Error Log

The error log contains a description of any errors that occur during Setup, along with an indication of the severity of each error. If errors occur, the error log is shown to the user by the log viewer at the end of Setup. The error log is stored in setuperr.log.

Additional Logs

A number of additional logs are created during Setup. These include the following:

%windir%\comsetup.log outlines installation for Optional Component Manager and Com+ components.

%windir%\mmdet.log is a detection log for multimedia devices detailing port ranges for each device.

%windir%\setupapi.log Each time a line from an INF file is implemented an entry is made in this log. If, for some reason, an error occurs it will log information here to indicate the failure.

%windir%\debug\NetSetup.log logs joining domain or workgroup activity

Lesson Summary

You might encounter some common problems when installing Windows 2000. Installation problems could be caused by bad media, in which case you will have to get a new CD-ROM to be able to install. You might also encounter problems with your installation if your hardware is not on the HCL. If your CD-ROM drive is not on the HCL, you can swap it out for a supported drive or install over the network and add the driver to support the CD-ROM drive if it is available.

If you failed to complete your preinstallation tasks and there is not enough room on any of the partitions to install Windows 2000, you can create a new partition from unused space on the hard disk, if the space is available; you can delete some existing partitions so that you can create one that is large enough to install Windows 2000; or you can format an existing partition to provide enough space to install Windows 2000.

You also learned some tips to try in case you cannot connect to the domain controller. If you cannot connect to the domain controller, you can complete the installation by having the computer join a workgroup. After you have completed the installation and determine what is preventing you from connecting to the domain controller, you can have the computer join the domain.