Knowledge Base

You cannot install a RIS image on a PXE client computer when your RIS server is also a DHCP server in Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003

Article ID: 842608

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you try to install an operating system on a Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) client computer by using Remote Installation Services (RIS), you may receive an error message that is similar to the following:

No reply from server.

The client installation process does not continue past the initial Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) stage. If you perform a network trace, the trace indicates that the DHCP Offer message from the RIS server does not contain RIS-specific information. The PXEClient information in the Client Identifier DHCP option is missing. Therefore, you cannot continue the installation. Additionally, if you open Task Manager on the RIS server, you notice that two instances of the Tcpsvcs.exe process are running.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur if all the following conditions are true:

The RIS server is also configured as a DHCP server.
The Boot Information Negotiation Layer service (BINLSVC) is running in Full Debug mode. The debug output is sent to a Microsoft NT Symbolic Debugger (NTSD) console.
DHCP is not running in Debug mode.

In this case, the BINL service and DHCP Server may not be running in the same instance of the Tcpsvcs.exe process. If two concurrent instances of the Tcpsvcs.exe process exist on the server that is running DHCP Server and BINLSVC, DHCP Server cannot successfully hand over the DHCP packet to BINLSVC. Therefore, BINLSVC cannot add its RIS-specific information to the DHCP Offer message.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, use either of the following methods:

Method 1 - Set the BINLSVC service to Normal Debug mode
Method 2 - Turn off RIS Debug mode

Method 1 - Set the BINLSVC service to Normal Debug mode

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Stop the BINLSVC service, the DHCP Server service, and the DHCP Client service. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press ENTER after you type each command:
1. net stop binlsvc
2. net stop dhcpserver
3. net stop dhcp
Start Registry Editor. To do this, click Start, point to Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\BINLSVC\Parameters
In the right pane, right-click the Debug entry, and then click Modify.
In the Value data box, type the hexadecimal value 80FFFFFF, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\BINLSVC
Right-click the ImagePath entry, and then click Modify.
Change the value of the ImagePath entry to its default path. In the Value data box, type the following, and then click OK.

%SystemRoot%\System32\tcpsvcs.exe
Quit Registry Editor.
Using the Computer Management snap-in, expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
Allow the service to interact with the desktop:
- If you are using a Microsoft Windows 2000-based RIS server, double-click the Boot Information Negotiation Layer service, click the Log On tab, click to clear the Allow service to interact with desktop check box, and then click OK.
  
  Note The display name for the BINLSVC service is Boot Information Negotiation Layer.
- If you are using a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based RIS server, double-click the Remote Installation service, click the Log On tab, click to clear the Allow service to interact with desktop check box, and then click OK.
  
  Note The display name for the BINLSVC service is Remote Installation.
Start the BINLSVC service, the DHCP Server service, and the DHCP Client service. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press ENTER after you type each command:
1. net start binlsvc
2. net start dhcpserver
3. net start dhcp

Method 2 - Turn off RIS Debug mode

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Stop the Binlsvc service, the DHCP Server service, and the DHCP Client service.To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press ENTER after you type each command:
1. net stop binlsvc
2. net stop dhcpserver
3. net stop dhcp
Start Registry Editor. To do this, click Start, point to Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\BINLSVC\Parameters
In the right pane, right-click the Debug entry, and then click Delete. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\BINLSVC
Right-click the ImagePath entry, and then click Modify.
Change the value of the ImagePath entry back to its default path. In the Value data box, type the following, and then click OK.

%SystemRoot%\System32\tcpsvcs.exe
Quit Registry Editor.
Using the Computer Management snap-in, expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
Allow the service to interact with the desktop:
- If you are using a Windows 2000-based RIS server, double-click the Boot Information Negotiation Layer service, click the Log On tab, click to clear the Allow service to interact with desktop check box, and then click OK.
- If you are using a Windows Server 2003-based RIS server, double-click the Remote Installation service, click the Log On tab, click to clear the Allow service to interact with desktop check box, and then click OK.
Start the BINLSVC service, the DHCP Server service, and the DHCP Client service. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press ENTER after you type each command:
1. net start binlsvc
2. net start dhcpserver
3. net start dhcp

Using Full Debug mode

If you have to use Full Debug mode for BINLSVC to debug an issue on a server that is running RIS and DHCP Server, you can also turn on Debug mode for DHCP. If both BINLSVC and DHCP are in Full Debug mode where the debug output is sent to a Microsoft NT Symbolic Debugger (NTSD) console, BINLSVC can add its RIS-specific information to the DHCP OFFER message.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about RIS Debug mode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

236033 How to enable debug mode for Remote Install servers

For additional information about PXE interaction with RIS and DHCP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

244036 Description of PXE Interaction Among PXE Client, DHCP, and RIS Server

Additional query words: 64bit preboot

Keywords: kbwinservsetup kbtshoot kbprb KB842608

Microsoft KB Archive/842608

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