Deploying Windows Server 2012 (part 4) - Performing additional administration tasks during installations

8/8/2013 3:35:50 PM

5. Performing additional administration tasks during installations

Sometimes, you forget to perform a preinstallation task prior to starting the installation. Rather than restarting the operating system, you can access a command prompt from within Setup or use advanced drive options to perform the necessary administrative tasks.

Accessing a command prompt during installation

When you access a command prompt from within Setup, you access the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) used by Setup to install the operating system. During installation, you can access a command prompt at any time by pressing Shift+F10. As Table 2 shows, Windows PE gives you access to many of the same command-line tools that are available in a standard installation of Windows Server 2012.

Table 2. Commands available in the Windows PE environment

Command	Description
Arp	Displays and modifies the IP-to-physical address translation tables used by the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).
Assoc	Displays and modifies file-extension associations.
Attrib	Displays and changes file attributes.
Cacls	Displays or modifies access control lists of files.
Call	Calls a script or script label as a procedure.
CD/Chdir	Displays the name of the current directory or changes its name.
Chcp	Displays or sets the active code page number.
Chkdsk	Checks a disk for errors, and displays a report.
Chkntfs	Displays the status of volumes. It sets or excludes volumes from automatic system checking when the computer is started.
Choice	Creates a selection list from which users can select a choice in batch scripts.
Cls	Clears the console window.
Cmd	Starts a new instance of the Windows command shell.
Color	Sets the colors of the command-shell window.
Comp	Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
Compact	Displays or modifies the compression of files or sets of files.
Convert	Converts FAT volumes to NTFS.
Copy	Copies or combines files.
Date	Displays or sets the system date.
Del	Deletes one or more files.
Dir	Displays a list of files and subdirectories within a directory.
Diskcomp	Compares the contents of two floppy disks.
Diskcopy	Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another.
Diskpart	Invokes a text-mode command interpreter so that you can manage disks, partitions, and volumes using a separate command prompt and commands that are internal to Diskpart.
DISM	Services and manages Windows images.
Doskey	Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates macros.
Echo	Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off.
Endlocal	Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file.
Erase	See the entry for Del.
Exit	Exits the command interpreter.
Expand	Uncompresses files.
FC	Compares two files, and displays the differences between them.
Find/Findstr	Searches for a text string in files.
For	Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
Format	Formats a floppy disk or hard drive.
Ftp	Transfers files.
Ftype	Displays or modifies file types used in file-extension associations.
Goto	Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in a script.
Graftabl	Enables Windows to display extended character sets in graphics mode.
Hostname	Prints the computer’s name.
IF	Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
Ipconfig	Displays TCP/IP configuration.
Label	Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
Md/Mkdir	Creates a directory or subdirectory.
Mode	Configures a system device.
More	Displays output one screen at a time.
Mountvol	Manages the volume mount point.
Move	Moves files from one directory to another directory on the same drive.
Nbtstat	Displays status of NetBIOS.
Net Accounts	Manages user account and password policies.
Net Computer	Adds or removes computers from a domain.
Net Config Server	Displays or modifies the configuration of the Server service.
Net Config Workstation	Displays or modifies the configuration of the Workstation service.
Net Continue	Resumes a paused service.
Net File	Displays or manages open files on a server.
Net Group	Displays or manages global groups.
Net Localgroup	Displays or manages local group accounts.
Net Pause	Suspends a service.
Net Print	Displays or manages print jobs and shared queues.
Net Session	Lists or disconnects sessions.
Net Share	Displays or manages shared printers and directories.
Net Start	Lists or starts network services.
Net Statistics	Displays workstation and server statistics.
Net Stop	Stops services.
Net Time	Displays or synchronizes network time.
Net Use	Displays or manages remote connections.
Net User	Displays or manages local user accounts.
Net View	Displays network resources or computers.
Netsh	Invokes a separate command prompt that allows you to manage the configuration of various network services on local and remote computers.
Netstat	Displays the status of network connections.
Path	Displays or sets a search path for executable files in the current command window.
Pathping	Traces routes, and provides packet loss information.
Pause	Suspends processing of a script, and waits for keyboard input.
Ping	Determines if a network connection can be established.
Popd	Changes to the directory stored by Pushd.
Print	Prints a text file.
Prompt	Changes the Windows command prompt.
Pushd	Saves the current directory and then changes to a new directory.
Rd/Rmdir	Removes a directory.
Recover	Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
Reg Add	Adds a new subkey or entry to the registry.
Reg Compare	Compares registry subkeys or entries.
Reg Copy	Copies a registry entry to a specified key path on a local or remote system.
Reg Delete	Deletes a subkey or entries from the registry.
Reg Query	Lists the entries under a key and the names of subkeys (if any).
Reg Restore	Writes saved subkeys and entries back to the registry.
Reg Save	Saves a copy of specified subkeys, entries, and values to a file.
Regsvr32	Registers and un-registers dynamic-link libraries (DLLs).
Rem	Adds comments to scripts.
Ren	Renames a file.
Replace	Replaces a file.
Route	Manages network routing tables.
Set	Displays or modifies Windows environment variables. It’s also used to evaluate numeric expressions at the command line.
Setlocal	Begins the localization of environment changes in a batch file.
Sfc	Scans and verifies protected operating system files.
Shift	Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in scripts.
Start	Starts a new command-shell window to run a specified program or command.
Subst	Maps a path to a drive letter.
Time	Displays or sets the system time.
Title	Sets the title for the command-shell window.
Tracert	Displays the path between computers.
Tree	Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path.
Type	Displays the contents of a text file.
Ver	Displays the Windows version.
Verify	Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written correctly to a disk.
Vol	Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
Xcopy	Copies files and directories.

Forcing disk-partition removal during installation

During installation, you might be unable to select the hard disk you want to use. This issue can occur if the hard-disk partition contains an invalid byte-offset value. To resolve this issue, you need to remove the partitions on the hard disk (which destroys all associated data) and then create the necessary partitions using the advanced options in the Setup program. During installation on the Where Do You Want To Install Windows page, you can remove unrecognized hard-disk partitions by following these steps:

Press Shift+F10 to start a command prompt. At the command prompt, type diskpart. This starts the DiskPart utility.
To view a list of disks on the computer, type list disk. Select a disk by typing select disk DiskNumber , where DiskNumber is the number of the disk you want to work with.
To permanently remove the partitions on the selected disk, type clean. When the cleaning process finishes, type create partition primary size=N , where N is the size of the space you want to allocate to the partition in megabytes.
When the create-partition process finishes, tap or click the back arrow button in the Install Windows dialog box. This will return you to the previous window.
On the Which Type Of Installation Do You Want? page, tap or click Custom (Advanced) to start a custom install.
On the Where Do You Want To Install Windows? page, tap or click the disk you previously cleaned to select it as the install partition. You can then continue with the installation as discussed previously.

Loading mass storage drivers during installation

During installation on the Where Do You Want To Install Windows? page, you can use the Load Drivers option to load the device drivers for a hard disk drive. Typically, you use this option when a disk drive you want to use for installing the operating system isn’t available for selection because the device drivers aren’t available.

To load the device drivers and make the hard disk available for use during installation, follow these steps:

During installation on the Where Do You Want To Install Windows? page, tap or click Load Driver.
When prompted, insert the installation media, or USB flash drive, and then tap or click OK. Setup will then search the computer’s removable media drives for the device drivers.
1. If Setup finds multiple device drivers, select the driver to install and then tap or click Next.
2. If Setup doesn’t find the device driver, tap or click Browse to use the Browse For Folder dialog box to select the device driver to load, tap or click OK, and then tap or click Next.

You can use the Rescan button to have Setup rescan the computer’s removable media drives for the device drivers. If you are unable to successfully install a device driver, tap or click the back arrow button in the upper left corner of the Install Windows dialog box to go back to the previous page.

Creating, deleting, and extending disk partitions during installation

When you are performing a clean installation and have started the computer from the distribution media, the Where Do You Want To Install Windows? page has additional options. You can display these options by tapping or clicking Drive Options (Advanced). These additional options are used as follows:

New Creates a partition. You must then format the partition.
Format Formats a new partition so that you can use it for installing the operating system.
Delete Deletes a partition that is no longer wanted.
Extend Extends a partition to increase its size.

Creating a partition is the key task you need to perform, but you can also delete and extend partitions as necessary. You generally don’t need to format partitions because Setup will handle this for you. If the advanced options aren’t available, you can still work with the computer’s disks by following these steps:

Press Shift+F10 to open a command prompt. At the command prompt, type diskpart. This starts the DiskPart utility.
To view a list of disks on the computer, type list disk.
Select a disk by typing select disk DiskNumber , where DiskNumber is the number of the disk you want to work with.
List the existing partitions on the disk by typing list partition. You can now do the following:
- Create a partition Use available space to create a partition by typing create partition primary size=N , where N is the size of the space to allocate in megabytes.
- Delete a partition Select the partition to delete by typing select partition followed by the partition number, and then delete it by typing delete partition.
- Extend a partition Select the partition to extend by typing select partition followed by the partition number, and then extend it by typing extend size=N , where N is the size of the additional space to allocate in megabytes.
When you are finished working with disks, tap or click the back arrow button in the Install Windows dialog box. This will return you to the previous window.
On the Which Type Of Installation Do You Want? page, tap or click Custom (Advanced) to start a custom install.
On the Where Do You Want To Install Windows? page, tap or click the disk you previously cleaned to select it as the install partition. You can then continue with the installation as discussed previously.

Others

- Deploying Windows Server 2012 (part 3) - Installing Windows Server 2012 - Performing a clean installation, Performing an upgrade installation, Activation sequence

- Deploying Windows Server 2012 (part 2) - Installing Windows Server 2012 - Planning partitions, Naming computers, Network and domain membership options

- Deploying Windows Server 2012 (part 1) - Preparing for a Windows Server 2012 installation

- Windows Phone 8 : Phone Integration - Using Tasks (part 2) - Choosers

- Windows Phone 8 : Phone Integration - Using Tasks (part 1) - Launchers

- Windows Phone 8 : Phone Integration - Alarms and Reminders

- Windows Phone 8 : Phone Integration - Contacts and Appointments

- Active Directory 2008 : Supporting User Objects and Accounts (part 3) - Administering User Accounts

- Active Directory 2008 : Supporting User Objects and Accounts (part 2) - Managing User Attributes with DSMod and DSGet, Understanding Name and Account Attributes

- Active Directory 2008 : Supporting User Objects and Accounts (part 1) - Managing User Attributes with Active Directory Users And Computers