Determine the cause of a pause or failure during GUI-mode Setup

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To determine the cause of a pause or failure during GUI-mode Setup

To determine the reason for a pause or failure during a GUI-mode Setup on a remote computer, use the ch command in the Special Administration Console (SAC), or press ESC+TAB. You can use either of these methods to view one of the three setup logging channels.
If GUI-mode Setup pauses, use the cmd command in SAC to open a command-prompt channel. You can then use this command-line environment to navigate the system, and, if necessary, repair the $winnt$.sif file located in the systemroot\System32 folder.

Notes

When you are using GUI-mode Setup, you must perform an unattended Setup. You can then respond from your local computer when the remote computer prompts you for input during setup. If you do not perform an unattended Setup, GUI-mode Setup will fail.
If setup fails, but the remote computer is still responding, there might be a problem with the setup files.
If you examine the setup log channels and are still unable to determine the reason for the pause or failure of GUI-mode Setup, you might need to monitor a local display to determine the cause.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.