There is a known issue with Windows Server 2003 SP1 on certain PowerEdge models as stated in the below link. Although we are not using the factory installed OS because of security issues, this seems to be the issue that we're having.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&dn=1092292

In item #1, it states to apply the hotfix before you install SP1. Unfortunately, all of our OS CDs have SP1 embedded into the OS so we can't uninstall it, to install the hotfix. Besides finding a CD that doesn't have SP1, which I know we don't have, is there a workaround for this? We even tried to install the recently released SP2 to see if it would fix the problem, but it didn't.

This has to be one of the most perplexing issues I've ever run into.

We can install Windows Server 2003 SP1 on a PE1850 and have it as a member server of a Windows 2000 domain. No problems whatsoever. It is only until you promote it to a DC that we run into problems. The initial reboot after the DCPROMO, no problems. It is after you reboot it a second time (doesn't matter when) that the server dies. All but 4 services fail to start. You can't open up individual events in Event Viewer to get details, nor can you open up individual Services. And if you try to start a service, it fails because of dependancy of another failed service.

We installed Windows Server 2003 SP1 on a PE1750, and promoted it to a DC in the same Windows 2000 domain. No problems.

We have to use BIND as our DNS server, but we've ruled out it being a DNS problem because I've verified that all entries in the netlogon.dns file were dynamically updated into the DNS tables and the fact that we had a PE1750 running as a DC helped to come to that conclusion.

To add to the perplexity of this, we used one of the PE1850s to install WS2K3 SP1 as a stand-alone box, installing MS DNS, and promoting it to a DC for a new AD forest. No problems. So you'd think it was a DNS problem or Active Directory, but as I stated earlier, we had the PE1750 up and running in the Windows 2000 domain as a DC and using BIND as the DNS server.

So we thought maybe it was a problem with the onboard Intel NICs on a live network. We disabled the NICs in the BIOS and installed an add-in NIC. Same problems, the DC just dies after a second reboot.

It's apparent there is a combination of things that is breaking a Server 2003 DC, but we can't seem to pin-point it.

That's why I'm hoping if we can get a workaround by installing that hotfix after SP1 has been installed, that the problem gets resolved.

Any ideas?

Message Edited by it1wan on 04-07-2007 09:54 AM