Windows Essentials 2012 - problems with Connector s/w

[Mick]

A few months ago, we installed a Windows Essentials 2012 server for a small local business, with seven PCs as clients running Win 7 Pro 64 bit. The server is acting as a DC. We successfully joined all the PCs to the network using the built-in Windows Connector software. A week ago, I noticed on a routine check that one of the PCs had disappeared from the Windows server dashboard, although it was still showing everywhere else (explorer etc) as being available and on-line and the user was able to log-in without problems and do all the usual stuff like access their own folder on the server, surf the net and so on.

I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to rejoin this machine to the server. I've taken the PC off the domain and parked it in a workgroup. Then I've uninstalled the connector software through Control Panel and also removed the computer from AD on the server. Trying to rejoin using the Connector software and an internal browser link - all as per MS's recommendations - has failed. The Connector software starts to run and gets as far as asking for account credentials. When I input these, using a domain admin account, I get "Connector software is unable to continue. An unknown error has occurred." This has happened time after time and I seems clear that I am not going to get anywhere merely by repeating the process. The PC's event log just shows 'an unknown error' has occurred. I can manually join the PC to the network (simply by reversing the process described earlier, i.e removing it from a workgroup and making it a domain member) and that works OK, but the PC still won't show in the server dashboard. And, because of that, we are not able to remote into it, neither is it included in scheduled back-ups. I have a feeling that the connector software is not properly uninstalling, although I haven't been able to verify this. If anyone has any suggestions for what we try next I'd like to hear from them.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Try this registry edit which is used to run the connector on workstations already connected to the domain such as when you're doing a server migration to Essentials....

On client, run following at elevated command prompt: reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Server\ClientDeployment" /v SkipDomainJoin /t REG_DWORD /d 1

When doing a server migration, workstations are already joined to the domain and the connector will fail with an error stating so. Microsoft was asleep at the wheel when they designed the connector...dunno why they didn't figure ~50% of the Essentials installs out there are migrations...but..oh well. So the above registry edit keeps the connector tool blind to the fact that the workstation is already joined.

Source of above regedit...
https://social.technet.microsoft.co...se-domain-using-the?forum=winserveressentials

 

[Mick]

Many thanks for the quick reply. I'll try this when I'm next over at the clients, which won't be for a day or two. Will post back with results.

 

[Mick]

For the benefit of anyone else who might struggle with this, Stone Cat's reg hack helped. I also needed to delete a user account the connector process had generated on a previous attempt and to reinstall the .NET framework on the client machine. Then, a quick reg clean using JV 16 and the connector behaved itself perfectly.

 

[freedomit]

Does the the reg hack work for R2 or have Microsoft fixed the issue?

 

[Mick]

Haven't tried it myself, but the jury appears to be out: http://homeservershow.com/forums/in...nt-skip-domain-connector-install-fails-win-7/

 

[Simmy]

I had similar problems with the connector (2012 Essentials R2) and found loads of people had the same issue. I could only get it to work by unticking the option to migrate the user data - Then the connector successfully connected the machine to the domain and setup the computer for backups, folder redirects etc.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

That homeserver link thread is stale. Microsoft released an update for Essen R2....which updated the Connector. Before going to join workstations, you should ensure you have run all the Microsoft updates on the server. Which is something that should be done anyways when you build a server, before you deliver it to a client, right?

I believe when I ran into the issue of migration clients already on the domain, when I did my research on it, I found Microsoft released an update for R2 which did change the connector a bit, and the registry edit I mentioned above works when you have updated Essen R2. I just did another SBS03 to Essen 12 R2 migration at a large insurance company this past weekend...and I ran that registry edit on a ton of workstation remotely and ran the connector successfully. Zero problems.

Server was updated
And of course, the workstations were already updated except for 1 (because it had been turned off in a spare office for the past...oh...over 1 year). And I did notice that the one workstation did take quite a bit longer to install the connector...and it had to reach out and download/install some .NET Frame 4 components. (something which naturally keeping it updated via Microsoft updates would have ensured).

I also opt not to migrate users data. No need to, user profile is already there in the existing domain profile (for old rigs)...and not needed at all for brand new rigs.