help! GPO issue....software installs on pc's....

[kennysarmy]

Since a power cut over night and the servers turning off at 3am I've been unable to get new pc's to the network to install software that they should do automatically via group policies and MSI's...

 

screenshot of error attached...

 

I've shutdown all the servers and turned the primary DC on first then the secondary then all other servers but the error and the issue remains...

 

any ideas?

[chazzy2501]

Log onto the clients and see if you can reach the MSIs correctly, if you can then the workstations may be taking a long time before they aquire a valid ip address. If you can't you'll have to look at DNS DHCP permissions etc. You can set a GPO that forces the workstations to always wait for network at logion via the GPO. (which may take a while to impliment in your case) I also had this issue after a powercut with a suite because my 3com switches don't save their settings by default and the RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) was turned off, this causes a 30 second to 2 minute delay for the PC to be even allowed on to the network before getting an IP.

[kennysarmy]

Thanks for your reply...

 

I've checked the 3 com edge switches that my room is in and spanning tree is disabled - this was a gotcha a while ago but the flash boots these switches up correctly now with spanning tree disabled.

 

I've logged in to a workstation and I can browse OK to the share that holds the MSI's ok.

 

I have run some ping test from my desktop to one of the affected PC's (and it may be all of them) and it's rock steady at "time <1ms"...

 

[chazzy2501]

you've turned spt off? you wan't it on for all edge ports.

[kennysarmy]

advice from company that installed switches was it is more trouble than it's worth....

 

we also had issues when it was on with PC's taking ages to be seen on the network since turning it off it's been fine...

[ricki]

Hi

 

Have you tried rebooting all you switches by pulling the power and waiting 5 to 10 mins for the settings to clear and then plugging them back in.

 

Have you checked the dhcp service is running and clients can release can renew ips.

Have you tested dns with nslookup.

Also try netdiag and dcdiag this may point you in the correct direction.

Have you also checked that replication is happening between servers.

 

Richard

[kennysarmy]

Thanks Richard,

 

Yes I rebooted the edge switches for the area I am connected to in my office on Friday evening and it made no difference...

 

DHCP seems to be running OK on the server...16% free addresses....uptime 114 hours

 

Tested a client and ipconfig/release then /renew works OK.

 

NSLOOKUP queries seem to me to return OK.

 

What's the best way to confirm the replication process is happening between my servers?

 

Also.

 

I found this MS tech net article...

How to disable the Media Sensing feature for TCP/IP in Windows

 

This solves the 1054 errors on the clients...but I am not sure it's just masking a more fundamental issue on the network...

 

Many thanks.

[kennysarmy]

This chap seems to have had similar problems....

 

DisableDHCPMedia Sense caused problems with Group Policy - Extension Collaborative Wiki

[kennysarmy]

This chap seems to have had similar problems....

 

DisableDHCPMedia Sense caused problems with Group Policy - Extension Collaborative Wiki

 

I've now worked out that this issue is only affecting PC's connected to the network in one area where the edge switches are a 3com variety...

 

I've attached two files

one showing an appliaction log when the laptop is connected via a 3com switch and one showing an application log from a AT switch...

 

can anyone help?

area A through 3com switch.rar

area C through AT switch.rar