Author: Bob Lin

Bob Lin, Chicagotech-MVP, MCSE & CNE Data recovery, Windows OS Recovery, Networking, and Computer Troubleshooting on http://www.ChicagoTech.net How to Install and Configure Windows, VMware, Virtualization and Cisco on http://www.HowToNetworking.com

Can ping any websites but can’t access them

Situation: After a new windows update, I can’t access any websites. However, I can ping them such as google.com and yahoo.com. I just can’t access them with page can’t be displayed message.

Troubleshooting: 1. If you have any anti virus or security software, disable it for a test.

2. Reinstall Drivers.

3. ipconfig /release /renew.

4. Change the DNS server, for example use 8.8.8.8.

5. Flush DNS by running these commands: ipconfig /flushdns and ipconfig /registerdns.

6. Run netsh winsock reset command.

7. Make sure no proxies set -> all default obtain automatically.

8. Make sure it is multihomed computer or the computer with multiple Network connections..

Windows OS goes to black screen after Windows update

Symptom: The client has a windows 7 PC. Windows OS goes to black screen after Windows update. It boots, but it goes to black screen after Windows popup.

Troubleshooting: 1. Safe mode and last known good configuration don’t fix the problem. Refer to this psot:

How to boot into Windows 10 Safe Mode in black screen

2. Run Windows repair locally, but can’t access because incorrect password.

3. Run Windows bootable DVD and run repair. But it doesn’t fix the problem.

4. Run Windows repair and select System restore. Select early system point, but that doesn’t fix the problem.

5. Run Windows repair and select command. The restore backup registry files. That fixes the problem. The step by step procedure can be find here:

How to recover a Windows system that does not start because of corruption in the registry

Note: 1. The registry backup files have been remove from \windows\repair in Windows XP to \windows\system32\config\regback in Windows 7 and 10.

2. OS may install on differnet drive instead of C drive.

windows 10 Critical_service_failed BSOD loop

Situation: The client has booting issue on his laptop running windows 10. It shows a BSOD with a “CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED” error, then restarts, goes back to the BSOD with the same error 3 seconds later, resets, and so on.

Troubleshooting: 1. This error is usually caused by a missing or corrupted device driver, or incompatibility issues with a newly installed hardware or driver. So as an initial recommendation, I would suggest you to disconnect any peripheral devices except for the mouse and keyboard and check if it helps.

2. Automatic Repair is a Windows recovery tool that can fix certain system problems that might prevent Windows from starting. Automatic Repair scans your computer for the problem and then tries to fix it so your computer can start correctly. Run Automatic repair and check the issue status.

Create Windows 10 ISO: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Please follow the below steps to perform the repair for the computer.

a) Insert the Installation Disk into the disk drive of the computer. Press any key from the keyboard when prompted to.

b) Follow the instructions till the Install Now screen and then Click Repair your computer.

c) Click Advanced Options.

d) Click Troubleshoot.

e) Click Automatic Repair.

f) Follow the on screen instructions.

3. Try safe mode or last known good. Then boot Windows was by booting with the option “Disable drivers signature enforcement“.

4. Perform a System Restore from Safe Mode

1) After your computer restarts for a few times, you should see Boot Options screen. From that screen choose Troubleshoot.

2) Next click on Advanced Options > Startup Settings.Click the restart button and wait for your computer to restart.

3) When your computer restarts you’ll be presented with the list of options. Press F4, F5 or F6 to enter into Safe Mode.

4) When Safe Mode starts type system restore into the search bar and run System Restore tool.

Please view the step by step video:

Run Windows System Restore to restore your system to an earlier state

5. Run Windows repair and select command. The restore backup registry files. That fixes the problem. The step by step procedure can be find here:

How to recover a Windows system that does not start because of corruption in the registry

Active Directory on this domain controller does not contain Windows Server 2016 ADOREP /FORESTPREP update

Situation: When upgrading Windows Server 2016 in a Windows 2012 R2 domain Controller, you may receive this message:

Active Directory on this domain controller does not contain Windows Server 2-16 ADOREP /FORESTPREP update


Resolution: Load Windows Server 2016 DVD. run these two commands on \support\adprep folder: Adprep /forestprep and Adprep /domainprep

D:\support\adprep>Adprep /forestprep

ADPREP WARNING:

Before running adprep, all Windows Active Directory Domain Controllers in the fo
rest must run Windows Server 2003 or later.

You are about to upgrade the schema for the Active Directory forest named ‘test.
local’, using the Active Directory domain controller (schema master) ‘TestSvr.te
st.local’.
This operation cannot be reversed after it completes.

[User Action]
If all domain controllers in the forest run Windows Server 2003 or later and you
want to upgrade the schema, confirm by typing ‘C’ and then press ENTER to conti
nue. Otherwise, type any other key and press ENTER to quit.

c

Current Schema Version is 69

Upgrading schema to version 87

Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch70.ldf”
Loading entries……
5 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch71.ldf”
Loading entries……..
12 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch72.ldf”
Loading entries……
17 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch73.ldf”
Loading entries……
22 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch74.ldf”
Loading entries……………
36 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch75.ldf”
Loading entries…….
42 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch76.ldf”
Loading entries……….
51 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch77.ldf”
Loading entries………….
63 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch78.ldf”
Loading entries……..
70 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch79.ldf”
Loading entries….
73 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch80.ldf”
Loading entries……..
80 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch81.ldf”
Loading entries…..
84 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch82.ldf”
Loading entries……..
91 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch83.ldf”
Loading entries……
96 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch84.ldf”
Loading entries……..
103 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch85.ldf”
Loading entries…….
109 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch86.ldf”
Loading entries……
114 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Verifying file signature
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\sch87.ldf”
Loading entries……….
123 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Connecting to “TestSvr.test.local”
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file “D:\support\adprep\PAS.ldf”
Loading entries………………..
142 entries modified successfully.

The command has completed successfully
Adprep successfully updated the forest-wide information.

D:\support\adprep>Adprep /domainprep
Adprep successfully updated the domain-wide information.

D:\support\adprep>

AadSyncService Health service data is not up to date

Situation: The client is use Microsoft azure AadSyncService. They get this warning: The Health Agent(s) running on one or more servers is not connected to the Health Service and the Health Service is not receiving the latest data from this server. The last data processed by the Health Service is older than 2 Hours.

Troubleshooting:

Ensure that the health agents have outbound connectivity to the following service end points. It is possible that your firewall rules are blocking this connectivity.

  1. *.servicebus.windows.net(Port 5671)
  2. https://*.blob.core.windows.net
  3. https://*.queue.core.windows.net
  4. https://*.adhybridhealth.azure.com/
  5. https://*.table.core.windows.net/
  6. https://policykeyservice.dc.ad.msft.net/
  7. https://login.windows.net
  8. https://login.microsoftonline.com
  9. https://secure.aadcdn.microsoftonline-p.com

If you use HTTP Proxy servers for outbound traffic, you can configure Azure AD Connect Health agents to use HTTP Proxy settings.

If outbound connectivity is not blocked, restart the following services on each server:

  1. Azure AD Connect Health Sync Monitoring Service
  2. Azure AD Connect Health Sync Insights Service

 

“Adobe Acrobat has encountered and unidentified error” when merging files into Acrobat

Situation: When the user tried to combine two Excel files into PDF, “Adobe Acrobat has encountered and unidentified error”.

Troubleshooting: 1. Install the Adobe Acrobat update or install latest version.

2. Make sure you r Acrobat license is activated.

3. Repair Installation.

4. I’m running into a similar problem and believe I have narrowed it down to the length of the file path.  It is not maxing out the OS file path length.  193 character file path will bomb, yet a file in the same location very similar file name except slight shorter, approximately 160 characters, will load combine without error.