I need to set a static IP on my server, for obvious reasons. I run a small business, and only have less than 10 clients connecting to the server at least half of them also connect via RWA and I connect frequently via RDP.

What is the best DNS to manually set??

I have read it is best set the DNS to the router's IP, usually the same as the gateway IP, I have also see that admins set the DNS to 127.0.0.1 then set DNS forwarders for the server.

Can some kind soul tell me the advantages and disadvantanes of both methods?  I have also see that some Admins set the DNS to something like the Open DNS IP's.

• 208.67.222.222
• 208.67.220.220

I am confused about which option is the best for a small business like mine.

Take care, and thanks for all replies.

When I run the Connector for Mac I get the error Registration failed: Cannot establish connection with the registration service.

The last entry in my "Windows Server.log" is "Apr  9 16:13:43 CHARLESs-iMac.local WSL[717] <Error>: /Users/xcbusr/macbuild/Request/F2E65C6F-F0F2-45FA-AFD9-10DBF661EF50/MacUtils/RegistrationManager.m:364 Request failed"

If I go to the Windows Server 2012 Essentials Dashboard, the Mac is listed under Devices. However, it is listed as Offline with no details and the connector is not installed on the client.

I am running OS X 10.8.3 and trying to connect to Windows Server 2012 Essentials.

This is for Server 2012R2 Essentials, specifically, but I didn't see a specific forum for it.

However, every time I add or remove disks (literally EVERY time), it breaks the wbengine service, and therefore the WseMgmtSvc. 

Starting the wbengine (server backup) service seems to go fine, but every time you access it (by starting the WseMgmtSvc or running wbadmin.msc), it crashes the service.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any good logs for this (aside from the WSE management logs, which accurate report that there is an error.

I know that deleting the catalog (directly via the sys vol info folder, or running "wbadmin delete catalog") fixes the issue, but it requires you to set up the backups again.

This has been an issue since WHS2011/SBS2011E, on multiple different machines I've owned. 

I know I've posted about this before, and got a "sorry, we can't reproduce" response from a Microsoft Employee. However, I can reproduce this issue at will, and very very VERY (insert expletive here) reliably.  And giving how easy that I can find results on this topic, I'm clearly not the only one.  

Does Microsoft actually have a hotfix for this? Or is just filed into the "not enough people use Essentials for Microsoft to actually care about" bin...

I'm building a new WS 2012 R2 Essentials server.

I have several remote employees that will need to connect to the server and access files.

When they are in the office they simply connect to the server, through File Explorer, find files from the server, open then and edit in Word, or Excel, or whatever.  When they finish they simply click "save" and the file is obviously saved on the server. I'd like to figure out a way for my remote employees to use our server the same way. 

I'd prefer to not make remote employees have to download a file, work on it, save it, then re-upload it to the server.  We can quickly get files out of sync and various revisions flying around. 

Is there a way to do what I want, that is have remote clients open documents in word, or whatever directly from the server, then when they save edits, have that file also on the server??

Thank you in advance for all replies!

-- Cain

Windows 10 client setup on a server 2012 R2 Essentials.

The client server icon on the taskbar is greyed out and if I hover the mouse over it, it says "Cannot connect to Servername".

I right clicked on it and selected open dashboard, signed into the server with the client credentials and was able to access the server (but icon still greyed out with the message as above). I started off a backup which completed Ok but the client icon is still greyed out?

There's nothing wrong with the network as all computers appear to be functioning. Why is the icon greyed out (especially after I signed in using the client on the browser?

Thanks

I know that the hostname for WSE 2012 R2 can't be changed to something altogether different, but I wonder if its sentence casing can be changed?

I originally named mine Server2, but now I'd like it to be SERVER2 instead. I've since decided to adopt all uppercase hostnames by convention.

Is this possible and if so, how? Could it be a registry entry or AD setting somewhere?

I have tried the other threads but pretty much everything goes off in other directions :(

I joined my new employer a few months ago and inherited a windows 2012 essentials server. I have since discovered that the server is shutting itself down automatically due to errors in Server Infrastructure Licensing.

I will paste some below for example.

=====

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing
Date:          01/09/2013 07:18:08
Event ID:      2
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      TYCHE.hlaw.local
Description:
The Forest Trust Check in the Licensing component did not pass because error 0x80070008 occurred in function fe1 [QRKD].
Not enough storage is available to process this command.

Make sure that each primary domain controller in your Active Directory forest can be contacted and the following services are running on it: Active Directory Domain Services (NTDS), DNS Server (DNS) and Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC). This server will be automatically shut down if the issue is not corrected.

======



Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing
Date:          01/09/2013 07:18:08
Event ID:      38
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      TYCHE.hlaw.local
Description:
The Forest Trust Check detected a condition in your environment that is out of compliance with the licensing policy. This server will be automatically shut down if the issue is not corrected in 27 day(s) 20 hour(s) 0 minute(s). Please look for additional events for Forest Trust Check to troubleshoot.

======

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing
Date:          01/09/2013 07:18:08
Event ID:      3
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      TYCHE.hlaw.local
Description:
The FSMO Role Check in the Licensing component did not pass because error 0x80070008 occurred in function f2 [ORJF].
Not enough storage is available to process this command.

Make sure that your DNS server can be contacted and the following services are running: Active Directory Domain Services (NTDS), DNS Server (DNS), Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC).  This server will be automatically shut down if the issue is not corrected.

======

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing
Date:          01/09/2013 07:18:08
Event ID:      38
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      TYCHE.hlaw.local
Description:
The FSMO Role Check detected a condition in your environment that is out of compliance with the licensing policy. This server will be automatically shut down if the issue is not corrected in 27 day(s) 20 hour(s) 0 minute(s). Please look for additional events for FSMO Role Check to troubleshoot.

=======

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing
Date:          01/09/2013 07:18:08
Event ID:      50
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      TYCHE.hlaw.local
Description:
Root domain check did not pass because error 0x80070008 occurred in function f1980 [NYGH].
Not enough storage is available to process this command.

Make sure that the domain that this computer is joined is reachable. This server will automatically shut down if the issue cannot be corrected.

=======

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Server Infrastructure Licensing
Date:          01/09/2013 07:18:08
Event ID:      38
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      TYCHE.hlaw.local
Description:
The Root Domain Check detected a condition in your environment that is out of compliance with the licensing policy. This server will be automatically shut down if the issue is not corrected in 27 day(s) 20 hour(s) 0 minute(s). Please look for additional events for Root Domain Check to troubleshoot.

====

These 6 errors repeat over and over every few hours until server shuts down.

From trying to research this most posts reference server 2008, or old kb articles which are not related to 2012 or suggesting I have other domain controllers. I don't just this server which for all intents and purposes works correctly and as intended apart from the shutdown.

As i understand it essentials includes 25 licenses we currently only have 14 users. Actually whilst we are on that subject, I was looking at what we do when we hit 25, Im reading that we have to buy Server 2012 standard and do in place license change, and then we have to buy cals. So does this mean we have to then buy 25cals to keep current users and then buy more on top? or does the upgrade from essentials include 25 licenses when you switch? MS's documentation is anything but clear.

Thanks for any help in advance.

I have been taking regular backups from my Windows 10 Client to a Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials Server, and now wish to test that I will be able to restore the client should this be necessary in the future.

I have downloaded and installed the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit and chosen to install WinPE. The package installed successfully.

When I now try to create a USB Key from Client Computer Backup Tasks / Tools on the dashboard, I get an error message saying "Cannot Find WINPE on the system.

Any suggestions?

From what the blog post says, it sounds like "business managed" devices won't receive the Windows 10 upgrade for free.

If that's the case, then that means my purchase of Windows Server Essentials as screwed me over, as all of my client PCs are domain joined. And because of this, none of my PCs are going to receive the Windows 10 free upgrade.  

In this case, I should have just stuck with WHS2011, instead of paying $500 to upgrade to WSE...

Thanks Microsoft for yet again burning Enthusiasts. 

I have upgraded three PCs from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, installed the new Windows 10 Connector, joined them to the Server using their previous names and backup is working on these PCs.  One other computer is a MacPro that was running Windows 8.1 in a BOOTCAMP partition.  While under Windows 8.1 that computer was working just fine joined to the Server and backup was working just fine.  I upgraded the bootcamp partition to Windows 10, installed the new Windows Connector as with the other computers.  However, backup starts, stays at 1% and eventually fails.  In the Event Viewer Application log two errors are logged, Code 12289

and Code 8194

Clicking OnLine Help yields no further information.

Would appreciate any help

Larry

Hello.

I'm trying to migrate from 2011 sbs to 2012 r2 essentials. According to documentation there should be an installation option during new 2012 r2 server installation called "migration mode" (new server or migration mode), but in my case i don't have such option. There is no such window at all.

Any clues?

Hey Guys,

I've come up with a problem I hope you can help with.  This is my first post on Technet.  I have a new server build on which I've installed Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials.  This is the actual Essentials product, not a Standard or Datacenter license with the Experience role installed.

This is entering into an existing Windows Server 2003 domain.  Once it's setup, it'll be the primary DC.  It's being installed into a Hyper-V environment.

I've attempted to follow as best I can in our environment the 8 step process on Technet for migrating to this OS and also having an existing domain.  Most everything has done smoothly, except for the post-configuration of the Essentials Experience role.  It fails every time so far.  Everything else seems to be functioning smoothly.

The first time it failed was because I has already installed a Certificate Authority on the server.  Once I realized this wasn't allowed, I uninstalled the CA, rebooted and tried again.  It failed this time and looking at the logs, the error was"the certserv service is not installed".  It didn't make any sense to me why it failed the prerequisite check with the CA installed, and then failed anyway after it was uninstalled.

So, I uninstalled the CA completely again (after the Essentials setup tried to re-install it) and removed any certificates on the machine created by that CA.  I then removed the Experience Role, rebooted, and tried to reinstall it.  Now I am not getting the error for certserv that I mentioned above, and the wizard runs all the way up to 100%, then fails. 

Looking at the Event Viewer doesn't show anything as a warning or an error that seems relevant.  Looking at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Server\Logs, there is a file called CA_ROLE_INSTALL.  The last line in that file says "Get alteration state ended with Completed" and does not have any listed errors.  When I click re-try, it jumps back to 33% complete, then 67% complete and then it fails.  At this point, another file "Errors" shows up in the logs directory.  It only has one line and that says "FATAL: ConfigureCATask:".

Any ideas on where to go next?  For better or worse, I have done a bit of work installing and testing programs, including some legacy line of business apps, setting up file shares and copying over some data, so i would prefer to fix this if possible without a complete re-install.  That being said, this server isn't in production yet so if necessary I will.  But I would like to try other options first as it'll take days to re-do the work that's been done so far.

Thanks in advance.

Per the situation described in this thread, I ended up with a bucketful of unwanted users in my Dashboard when I installed Exchange on the domain. I'm almost done removing them and cleaning up the mailboxes, but two in particular are being stubborn.

1. HealthMailbox-SERVER3-001
2. HealthMailbox-SERVER3-Mailbox-Database-0560916881

When I try to remove them via the Dashboard I get this:

-----------------
An unknown error prevented the user account from being deleted. Restart the Delete a User Account Wizard, and then try to delete the account again.
-----------------
Ugh.

Now in PowerShell:

------------------------------------------------------
PS C:\Windows\system32> remove-wssuser -name 'HealthMailboxb880ef0'
remove-wssuser : RemoveUser
At line:1 char:1+ remove-wssuser -name 'HealthMailboxb880ef0'+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+ CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Remove-WssUser], UserException+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.WindowsServerSolutions.Users.UserException,Microsoft.WindowsServerSolutions.Administration.RemoveWssUserCommand
------------------------------------------------------

Very helpful, isn't it?

To add to the fun, these users never appeared in Active Directory in the first place!

Does anyone know how I might find out more about the error that occurring? Event log reveals nothing.

I have a small user group, about 7 users.  They are all log into the Server's local Domain when they log into their machines.

I worry if I ever need to rebuild my server from scratch, my users will be stranded.

Can I simply back-up my "Users" folder, to be certain that if I need to rebuild my OS Drive (C:) from scratch, I will have no problem with my users reconnecting and authenticating on the "new" rebuilt server??

As it is now I have every WSE 2012 R2 folder on my D: Drive, and the entire D: drive is backed up to an off-site NAS nightly.

Thanks!!

Hi,

How do you prevent Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials from automatically adding the default "Shared Folders" DFS root shortcuts to Computer and Desktop?

Thanks.

Ben.

Hello,

We have Windows server 2012 essentials installed on premise and need to integrate it in to a 3rd party hosted exchange 2013 server that is off premise in a hosted environment.  Is this possible?  I have seen plenty of articles on how to integrate in to office 365 by going to:  services - other integrations - integrate your exchange server.  But this appeas to only integrate with an on-premise solution.

Any adivce please?

Thanks

Andy

I've just noticed that RDP permissions aren't being correctly assigned to one of my client computers by the Dashboard.

When I grant any user access to the workstation, no change is made to that computer's Remote Desktop Users group—thus the user can't RDP into it. This occurs whether I assign permissions directly or through group inheritance.

As expected, the appropriate AD groups (RDP_MAPPING_S-1-5-21-1233873241-1602964603-3849943759-*) are being created as I test add users and groups. That part is working. And the Remote Desktop Users group is correctly modified on other machines.

It's just this one that's misbehaving.

Nothing's showing in the event logs. Where should I start looking?