Common Window NT Problems

Q: I can't select the option to upgrade my current NT 3.x installation. Why?

To do a clean upgrade to a new directory, you must have a retail release of the NT 3.x CD-ROM. NT 4.0 looks for a valid path to the software hive and loads the software hive for version number and product ID. The ARC path in the boot.ini must be correct and point to the current installation of NT 3.x. You must have a valid system and system32 subdirectory, and the ntoskrnl.exe and ntdll.dll files must be present.

Your inability to upgrade can be the result of one of the following:

1. If an application or the user has altered the software hive version or Product ID, NT will not find a valid upgrade path.

2. If the software or system hives are corrupt, NT will not find a valid installation and require a clean installation.

3. If NT does not find a valid install, make certain the boot drive is using the same disk controller as the system drive. A retired driver or a controller driver that is not detected might control one drive. If so, press F6 during the hardware detection phase of setup and select the correct controller driver from the list.

4. Upgrade to a clean directory will not work with floppy disk installation sets. You must have an NT 3.x CD-ROM.

5. NT 4.0 will not upgrade NT 3.51 that is running the Shell update.

6. NT will not upgrade Server to Workstation. Make certain the system you're upgrading is not a member server.

7. NT has no back door to fool Setup for upgrade purposes.

If an upgrade fails during the GUI portion of setup because of lack of disk space or misconfiguration of hardware, exit Setup and reboot. The GUI portion of setup will automatically restart.

Q: What conditions cause the error messages for 0x0000007b and 0x4, 0,0,0?

The 0x4, 0,0,0 message is usually a virus because that message is the result of a mismatch of the boot record through an initial int13 query and the mapping through the ARC path. If the setupldr and bootldr cannot rectify a sector comparison, the result is a 0x0000007b error message. This error can result from an incorrectly configured controller, a failing controller or drive, a retired driver controlling the boot drive, or a virus on a second drive that causes the ARC path search engine to fail.

You usually see the 0x0000007b message only on systems with two drives. If you have only one drive, the error is probably a configuration problem.

Q: When I reboot from character-based to GUI-based setup, the screen shows that NTOSKRNL is loading. Then, before or at the version screen, I get one of two stop codes: 0x0000000A or 0x0000001E. Why?

This problem can signify the presence of a third-party driver at the system level that is incompatible with the version of NT you are upgrading to. Or perhaps you have a corrupted driver that did not copy correctly during the text-mode portion of setup.

Try installing NT into a clean directory. If it installs correctly, try to access the first tree and replace the corrupted file or remove the files associated with any suspect third-party drivers.

If you are unable to install NT into a separate tree, check all essential hardware, including adapter cards and drive controllers. If you have nonessential adapter cards in the system, remove them and try the installation again. Also verify that the essential hardware in use is NT certified and has up-to-date firmware.

Q: I'm looking for a driver for my printer. What's the best way to get updated printer drivers?

Microsoft has had several print driver releases for NT 3.51 and NT 4.0. The best information about these drivers is in Knowledge Base articles, Q142643, "Windows NT 4.0 Driver Library"; and Q100654, "Windows NT 3.51 Driver Library."

Point your Web browser to http://
www.microsoft.com. Click Support, click Search the Knowledge Base, and select the product. Enter the applicable ID number, and click Retrieve Article.

Q: How do I set up TCP/IP printing services for NT?

NT uses the Line Print Daemon (LPD) server service and the Line Print Remote (LPR) client application for TCP/IP print services. Configuring these services can be challenging because they often interact with third-party print providers and UNIX hosts. The best source for Installation instructions is the NT 4.0 Server CD-ROM at \Support\Books\ Book_cp.hlp, Chapter 5, "Setting Up Print Servers," or NT 3.51 Server CD-ROM at \Support\Books\ Concepts.hlp, Chapter 6, "Sharing Printers." If problems continue, consult Microsoft's Knowledge Base. Table 1 lists relevant Knowledge Base articles.

Q: How do I configure print sharing with NT 4.0?

You can share a printer you've just installed with the Sharing tab in the Printer Properties dialog box. Click Printers in the Settings group on the Start menu to add printers, share printers, install printer drivers, configure printer ports, set printer properties, and set permissions.

For information about setting up and sharing printers, and printer permissions, see Chapter 5, "Setting Up Print Servers," on the NT 4.0 Server CD-ROM at \Support\Books\ Book_cp.hlp. For information about managing printer sharing, see "To set up a new printer," "To share your printer with other people," "To use a shared network printer," and "To stop sharing your printer" in Windows NT Help. Also, consult Microsoft's Knowledge Base if problems occur. Table 2 lists relevant articles from Microsoft's Knowledge Base.