Microsoft Exchange Server 2003

Upgrade Windows 2008 R2 Standard to Enterprise

2011-08-25T05:25:25Z

One of the great things about Windows Server 2008 R2 - there is an easy way to change editions from the command line.

FYI, you can only go “up” in editions; you couldn’t go from Enterprise to Standard.

To check the current edition of your Windows Server 2008 R2 installation, run this command:
DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition
The response should be ServerStandard
To change to Enterprise edition, run
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerEnterprise /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

The process for a domain controller looks like this below

1. DCPROMO down the domain controller.

2. Open an elevated command prompt window.

3.      To check the current edition of your Windows Server 2008 R2 installation, run this command:
         DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition
         The response should be ServerStandard

4. To change to Enterprise edition, run
DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerEnterprise /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

5. Reboot when prompted.

6. DCPROMO the server back to a domain controller.

-Alstar

Remote Procedure Call failed HRESULT 0x800706BE when opening up Roles and Features on Windows 2008 R2

2011-07-03T09:53:04Z

Today when I opened up Server Manager on one of my Windows 2008 R2 servers I encountered an error while accessing the Roles and Features option.

I saw an RPC error 0X800706BE and in the event log I saw an error 1000 for the TrustedInstaller.exe faulting application

==========================================

Faulting application name: TrustedInstaller.exe, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bc4b0

Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16695, time stamp: 0x4cc7b325

Exception code: 0xc00000fd

Fault offset: 0x0000000000052200

Faulting process id: 0x844

Faulting application start time: 0x01cc3961da8ad674

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\servicing\TrustedInstaller.exe

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll

Report Id: 3a2ce2b7-a555-11e0-b747-782bcb07d726

============================================

I looked around on the internet and found that I needed to download a "System Update Readiness Tool" for the version of my server and install it, which can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821

After I downloaded the appropriate version for my R2 box and installed it the error went away and now I am able to open up Server Manager and install the Roles and Features I wanted.

If that did not fix it for you then you have to look at the log file the tool generates under C:\Windows\logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log and try and see at what package it is failing on.

I found the below articles which might be useful in troubleshooting your issue, so please have a look at them if the tool didn't fix your error.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/roplatforms/archive/2010/05/12/how-to-fix-server-manager-errors-after-installing-updates-hresult-0x800f0818-hresult-0x800b0100.aspx

http://www.itsolutionskb.com/2009/04/roles-error-when-viewing-roles-in-windows-server-2008-server-manager/

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/microsoft/Windows-Update/35325680/could-not-discover-the-state-of-the-system-0x800706be.aspx

-Alstar

Nortel Vpn client gives an error "Remote Host not responding" when using a Linksys router

2011-06-25T10:52:06Z

Alright this morning I faced some issues while connecting to my work using the Nortel VPN Client, it kept coming back with an error "Remote Host not reponding". My internet was working just fine and also I was able to ping the FQDN of the vpn box of my company but whenever I tried connecting it gave me the error, I have a Linksys router at home by the way.

So I decided to dig into it a little deeper and disconnected from my home wi-fi and connected to a different wi-fi connection which had no security password on it and once I got into that I was able to use my Nortel Vpn client and connect to my work... So there had to be something wrong with the router setting which I had at home and it wasnt allowing VPN traffic to pass???

I opened up a webpage and went to the administration page of the Linksys router by going to 192.168.1.1 and the default password for most Linksys routers are admin/admin (Username/Password). Once in that I clicked the Security tab and then the VPN tab and enabled the protocols for the VPN passthrough and clicked Save Settings.

After a while I was able to connect using the Notel VPN client through my home wi-fi!!

Hope this helps!

If not then go to homesupport.cisco.com and post a question in the forums and I bet someone will repond back to you or call the Linksys support line.

-Alstar

Why cant I run New-MailboxExportRequest ?!

2011-06-23T08:52:27Z

Here is another trick played by Microsoft on us! first they change the cmdlet from export-mailbox to New-mailboxexportrequest which applies to the import-mailbox cmdlet too and then even if you are a part of the Organisation Management role group and when you try and run the "New-MailboxExportRequest" its comes back with an error!

So it turns out you have to grant this particular permission seperately through the shell!

Example:

New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Import Export" -User

Then you can double check by running

Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Import Export" | ft Identity

Hope this helps!

-Alstar

Exchange 2010 Roll up 4 does not Install - Error Code 1603

2011-06-23T06:39:34Z

So I downloaded the Exchange 2010 Roll up 4 released by Microsoft today and was trying to install it on my servers along with a little prayer that it wont mess up my databases which the last Roll up did for some users (Roll up 3!!).

Okay now I am all excited but when I start the installation after a while it would say "Rolling back actions" and fail (Booooo!) so I looked at the event logs and spotted the 1603 error code which I instantly thought will be some kind of a generic error message. So I looked up the Install log file and saw an "Access Denied" error while the installation was trying to stop the Exchange services and that was the issue!

So this time when I ran the install I did it from an "Elevated Powershell command prompt" and guess what it worked! That was simple!

Now I know for some of you guys out there the solution is not going to be as simple as this so let me know what issues you face and maybe I can help you figure it out!

Tips: You can also give it a shot by disabling UAC from the contol panel under "Change User Account Settings" menu and you can manualy stop all the Microsoft Exchange Services and give it a try!

-Alstar

Cannot delete the first database in Exchange 2010

2010-10-26T10:15:17Z

If you try to delete the first default database created when exchange 2010 is installed chances are that you will not be able to do that even through the database does not have any user's on it.

But having said that the databases will contain 3 hidden mailboxes or "Arbitration" mailboxes which you will have to move over to a different database and only after that you can do ahead and delete the default database.

Ok now that I have ur mind running in circles lets get down to performing this action.

From the Exchange Management Shell run the below command

Get-mailbox -database -Arbitration

You will see the 3 hidden mailboxes...

Now create a new database and move these off the default database..

Get-mailbox -database -Arbitration | new-moverequest -targetdatabase

Once the move is complete you can now delete the default database!!

-Alstar

Edit the default email address policy in Microsoft Exchange 2010

2010-10-24T05:32:19Z

So I have been going around in circles for the last 20 minutes trying to edit the default email address policy in exchange 2010 and when I use the EMC to do that it fails with some "Conditional Attributes" message!! such a pain.. so anyhow I think I might have found out how to edit the dam policy but its through the EMS not EMC and the command I run is

get-emailaddresspolicy default* | set-emailaddresspolicy -enabledemailaddresstemplates SMTP:%g.%s@alstar.com,smtp:%g.%s@alstarfilms.com

Note: %g.%s@alstar.com = Firstname.Lastname@alstar.com

Update-emailaddresspolicy -Identity default*

Hope this helps and let me know if you manage to find alternate ways to achieve this shit!

-Alstar

How to move items between calendar's in Microsoft Outlook

2010-10-19T03:59:19Z

ategory

User Interface Mode not supported - Dell MD3000i

2010-10-03T11:57:01Z

So I was trying to configure the Dell MD3000i storage utility today and after configuring the ip's for the management ports and the 2 controllers when I tried running the Storage utility to configure the disks I encountered an error which said:

User Interface Mode not supported

Unable to load and to prepare the installer in GUI mode

This was quite annoying coz I spent a lot of time on this stupid error message and it turns out that if your user account which you are logged in to the server has some special characters in them you get this error.

My account had a "!" (Domain\alihassan!) (Dont ask why, its a company standard..blah blah)

Anyhow I used my other account (Domain\alihassan123) which had no special characters and tried launching the Storage Utility again and guess what it worked!!

Hope this works!

-Alstar

Call option greyed out when calling a computer through Microsoft Office Communicator

2010-09-29T12:48:46Z

Today I came across an interesting issue, you know how we can call each other's computer using Microsoft Office Communicator by right clicking the desired contact and saying Call --> Computer.

So on one of the user's laptop he just could not do that, I logged in with my communicator details and even I wasn't able to call a computer where as on my other laptop I was able to so it wasn't an account issue for sure something had to be messed up on the stupid laptop.

Then we found out a registry key which disabled the "Call" option in Office Communicator so please follow the steps below to change that registry entry.

Go to -> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator and look for a registry key called "DisablePC2PCAUDIO" and if present change the value to "0" restart your computer and log into communicator and now you should be able to call a computer using microsoft office communicator.

PS: Make sure when you restart your laptop the registry key is not enabled again by a group policy or something similar!

-Alstar