Error when running dcpromo on a Windows Server 2003 R2

When you try to dcpromo a server running Windows Server 2003 R2 and you receive the following error during the wizard.

“The Active Directory Installation Wizard cannot continue because the forest is not prepared for installing Windows Server 2003. Use the Adprep command-line tool to prepare both the forest and the domain. For more information about using the Adprep, see Active Directory Help.

The version of the Active Directory schema of the source forest is not compatible with the version of Active Directory on this computer.”

This issue may occur when Active Directory has not been updated with the Windows Server 2003 R2 schema extensions.

To resolve this issue, run the adprep.exe /forestprep command from the Windows Server 2003 R2 installation disk 2 on the schema master.  To do this insert the Windows Server 2003 R2 Disk 2 and copy the ADPREP directory to the C:\ of your server.  Then run C:\ADPREP\adprep /forestprep.

Follow the instructions to complete the upgarde

For more read http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917385

Network drives don’t map sometimes during logon

If your users are complaining that they don’t get their network map drives when logging onto Windows.  Don’t just tell them to log off and log back on eventhough this will work most of the time.

The problem is that Windows XP has fast logon.  This feature will not wait for network connectivity and will just use cached credentials to logon to the computer.  Therefore, the logon script is ignored, hence the user will not get their network drives.

To fix this problem enable Computer the Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon feature in group policy

Full path is Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon: Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon.

If this doesn’t fix the problem then you may need to enable scripting across a slow network connection in the group policy that contains the logon script.

To do this go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy

Look for Scripts policy processing. Double click on Scipts policy processing and select (check) Enabled. Then, also select (check) Allow processing across a slow network connection in the box and press OK.

Note: Other default behaviours that is not executing when slow link detected can also be changed:

Folder redirection policy processing
Disk quota policy processing
Scripts policy processing
EFS recovery policy processing
Software installation policy processing
IP security policy processing
Internet Explorer Maintenance policy processing
Wireless policy processing

Printer dialogue menu slow to appear when printing PDF documents

If the printer dialogue menu is slow to appear when printing PDF documents you will need to check that you do not have a print server that is not available.  Some users may have a network printer connected to a print server.  If this print server is offline then the printer dialogue menu will be very slow to appear as it needs to communicate to all printers first before launching the printer dialogue menu.

To resolve this issue delete the offline printer or make sure the print server is online.