Recent Discussions
Server 2022 KMS host key bug; Can't activate Win10 Enterprise LTSB/LTSC
We recently dropped our new Server 2022 KMS host key onto our KMS server. After the necessary update to accept the 2022 key and activating the new 2022 host key, we were able to activate our most common OS types in a quick test afterward -- Win10 Education 21H1, Server 2022, Server 2019, etc. In the next few days, and even more today, we've been getting reports that Win10 Enterprise LTSB/LTSC across some signage devices and laboratory machines stopped activating. Sure enough, I could reproduce the issue from a known good network. Just this morning I spun up entirely fresh VMs and verified all the above is still reproducible with the following results: Windows Server 2022 = Successfully activated Windows Server 2019 = Successfully activated Windows Server 2016 = Successfully activated Windows 10 Education 21H1 = Successfully activated Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 = FAILED ACTIVATION (0xC004F074: License server reported that the computer could not be activated.) Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 = FAILED ACTIVATION (0xC004F074: License server reported that the computer could not be activated.) Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB = FAILED ACTIVATION (0xC004F074: License server reported that the computer could not be activated.) Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB = Successfully activated (odd, after the previous two) Windows 8.1 Enterprise = Successfully activated Windows 7 Enterprise = Successfully activated Anyone else seeing this or could possibly test and confirm? I feel like this **has** to be a bug with 2022 host keys, but it's so new that I can't find anyone else in the same boat. I have a Premier ticket open for this.
Server 2025 Core ADDS DC, Network Profile Showing as "Public" and not as "DomainAuthenticated"
OS: Windows Server 20225 Standard Core (no GUI), build 26085.1 Role: ADDS, DNS ForestMode: Windows2025Forest DomainMode: Windows2025Domain Platform: Hyper-V guest When standing up a clean Windows Server 2025 using server core and configuring it as a domain controller, the network category (profile) always shows as "public." A clean load of Windows Server 2022 with server core as a domain controller has the same behavior. However, in Server 2022, the fix is to add DNS as a required service to the nlasvc (Network Location Awareness) service. Once that is done, the network category reflects "DomainAuthenticed" and persists between reboots. In Server 2025, the nlasvc service does not have the same requiredservices as Windows Server 2022, and it does not start automatically. Even after configuring the nlasvc service the same way it is in Server 2022 and adding DNS as a required service, the network category still reflects "public." The only way to get the network category to properly reflect the "DomainAuthenticated" status is to disable and reenable the network adapter after each reboot.
Start menu layout cannot be changed
Having just installed an evaluation copy of Windows Server 2019, I cannot make any changes to the start menu layout. For example; unchecking "Show app list in Start menu" from the Start menu settings does nothing. Attempting to choose which folders appear on the start menu does nothing also. Any changes to the tiles lasts until the next reboot where it's reset. Tiles will become unresponsive when attempting to drag them and then become "ghost" tiles that cannot be clicked on or moved/unpinned. This is a completely default and less than hour old install - absolutely no changes have been made thus far.Cluster Update asking to enable CredSSP
I installed Windows Admin Center, its great and working fine, but one of the things it advises me to do is to turn off CredSSP on servers, but when I use the Updates link on cluster page, it tells me that it needs to turn on CredSSP, is this a must? Or there is another way?
Problem to setup DNS server on Windows Server 2016
Hello, I have problem to setup my DNS server on Windows Server 2016 Standard. But from beginning. I have installed Hyper-V 2016, on this I create Virtual Machine, and setup there Windows Server 2016. My ActiveDirectory works fine, and I want to add DNS server. I follow many tutorials on YouTube, and everyone have more folders/files in DNS Manager, on forward zone to be exactly. I have attached 2 screens: One is from YouTube where files and folders are visible. Second is from my server where I dont see this files/folders. Can I ask for help? Because I can't figure it out. I dont have ideas. I was reinstalling AD, DNS and nothing. Thank You in advance, Greetings. Jacob.HOW-TO: Import Out of Band Updates to WSUS using Microsoft Edge Chromium IE Mode and PowerShell
----- I recommend using https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/Import-WSUSUpdate Full instructions to install the module are located here - https://www.ajtek.ca/blog/the-new-way-to-import-updates-into-wsus/ ----- History: 09/12/2023 - adding PowerShell method to the OP 07/30/2023 - please follow the latest comments for the updated approach using PowerShell. The method in the OP has become obsolete 01/13/2022 - update links and clarification to prevent an error "This update cannot be imported into Windows Server Update Services, because it is not compatible with your version of WSUS", added Troubleshooting and Q&A section. 02/11/2021 - initial version PREREQUISITES: Windows 10 / 11 / Windows Server 2016 or later with WSUS RSAT Tool installed. latest Microsoft Edge installed, version 97 as of time of writing. Internet Explorer (mode) is installed in Settings > Apps > Optional Features or equivalent location in Windows 11 HOW-TO: - Open Edge 97 or later - Open Microsoft Edge Options > Default Browser - Change "Allow Sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer Mode" to 'Allow' - Add links to add to Microsoft Edge IE Mode - Remove all other links in the scope of *.catalog.update.microsoft.com, only these shall remain for the catalog.update.microsoft.com page. https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/ https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx see screenshots below for better illustration. - Close Edge and all catalog tabs if there were any open, especially if you use "Open tabs from the previous session" feature - Open WSUS MMC and right click Updates from the tree > Import Updates - The link in Edge should open in IE mode, there are several indicators on this the open tab to point to https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx?SKU=WSUS&Version=10.0.xxxxx.xxxx&ServerName=YOURSERVER.CONTOSO.LOCAL&PortNumber=8531&Ssl=True&Protocol=1.20 NOTES 1.When the link opened in importing updates from WSUS MMC does not contain the "v7/site/" part or does contain a https://www.update instead of https://catalog.update your configuration is wrong. 2. The "Default" setting will not be sufficient to allow the installation and use of the ActiveX plugin. Go back to your update catalog tab, Install the ActiveX if you have not done on this box already. Check if you have not setup restrictions to execute or install ActiveX plugins in IE directly or via group policy. 3. Edge now has the ability to an IE Mode button. Also it has a new feature to automatically add pages to the exception list. Do not use this ability as shown in the picture for this use case as it might add wrong exceptions to the list. 4. When there are wrong exceptions in the exception list for IE mode it might not work correctly and cause a missing but very important redirection, which ultimately cause the import to fail. More troubleshooting assistance below. LINKS STARTING FROM DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022: Links to add to Microsoft Edge IE Mode https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/ https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx TROUBLESHOOTING: Q 1: Microsoft Edge does not allow me to configure any IE Site Mode links (greyed out). A: Either you have not enabled "Allow Sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer Mode" to 'Allow', or your enterprise has set policies to prevent that. This should be clearly indicated by a lock and message in the Edge settings tab. Q 2: I have followed this guide or a previous version. I can see the cart to import into WSUS but cannot import any or just specific updates. Others fail with a message "This update cannot be imported into Windows Server Update Services, because it is not compatible with your version of WSUS". A: This is a "known" issue and the guide has been updated to reflect this issue and a potential change on the server-side. Please make sure only the two links are included in your IE mode list. They may not include www in the link name. You need to include both links, not just one or the other as in the previous version of this guide. Q 3: May I use the new Edge feature in Settings > Appearance > Internet Explorer Mode button A: I would recommend to refrain using this feature, as the mechanism between WSUS update import and the browser is extremly picky. It would not work if you just copy the same link into a browser tab. The feature of the cart to import into WSUS will be likely missing and you can just download to the Download folder instead. Q 4: Edge offers me to restart this tab in IE mode next time. A: you should not receive this message, otherwise the exceptions as stated in the guide are invalid or you have more than the stated links in place. Go through the guide again and double-check. Do not use this otherwise nice feature. It will cause to add more catalog links to the exception list which will cause an issue to import updates to WSUS, as described in Q #2. Thanks for the hint Eric_VanAelstyn, thanks to abbodi1406 for additional hints after this guide got invalid a redirection change in December 2021 / January 2022. cc AriaUpdated MissyQ cc for the other teams as I did not want to repost it in Edge and Servicing communities, unless you insist 🙂Accessing trials and kits for Windows Server
Updated May 20, 2022: This issue is now resolved. Please visit the Microsoft Evaluation Center at www.microsoft.com/EvalCenter for access to the latest trials and evaluations for Windows client, Windows Server, and other Microsoft products and kits. As you may have noticed, the Microsoft Evaluation Center is temporarily unavailable. While work is underway to restore this valuable service, you can access Windows Server and Windows client trials, evaluations, and related kits at the links below. Windows Server 180-day evaluations Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2019 de-de: ISO de-de: ISO en-us: ISO en-us: ISO en-us: VHD en-us: VHD en-us: LOF - ISO en-us: FOD - ISO es-es: ISO es-es: ISO fr-fr: ISO fr-fr: ISO it-it: ISO it-it: ISO ja-jp: ISO ja-jp: ISO ru-ru: ISO ru-ru: ISO zh-cn: ISO zh-cn: ISO Windows Server on Azure Windows Server on Azure Create a Windows Server VM in Azure LOF = language packs and optional features FOD = features on demand Windows Virtual Hardware Lab Kit (VHLK) VHD version VHLK for Windows 11 VHLK for Windows Server 2022 VHLK for Windows 10, version 2004 Windows client 90-day evaluations Windows 11 Enterprise Windows 10 Enterprise Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC de-de: x64 de-de: x64 | x86 de-de: x64 | x86 en-gb: x64 en-gb: x64 | x86 en-gb: x64 | x86 en-us: x64 en-us: x64 | x86 en-us: x64 | x86 es-es: x64 es-es: x64 | x86 es-es: x64 | x86 fr-fr: x64 fr-fr: x64 | x86 fr-fr: x64 | x86 it-it: x64 it-it: x64 | x86 it-it: x64 | x86 ja-jp: x64 ja-jp: x64 | x86 ja-jp: x64 | x86 ko-kr: x64 ko-kr: x64 | x86 ko-kr: x64 | x86 pt-br: x64 pt-br: x64 | x86 pt-br: x64 | x86 zh-cn: x64 zh-cn: x64 | x86 zh-cn: x64 | x86 zh-tw: x64 zh-tw: x64 | x86 zh-tw: x64 | x86 Deployment lab kits Lab kit Windows 11 and Office 365 Deployment Lab Kit (+ lab guides) Windows 10 and Office 365 Deployment Lab Kit (+ lab guides) Note: The Deployment Lab Kits include the 90-day evaluations of Windows 11 or Windows 10 listed above. They are updated every 90 days with a fresh version of the 90-day evaluation software. As a result, please note that the Windows 10 deployment lab kit will be refreshed by May 16 th with a new 90-day evaluation of Windows 10 Enterprise.[ISSUE] b20251 b20257 b20262 b20270 b20282 b20287 Formatting a volume fails
affected builds (tested): b20251,b20257,b20262,b20270,b20282 remotely via Server Manager from b20201 initializing as GPT / reset / clean works fine. creating partition works fine formatting volume fails repro steps: reset disk new volume fs refs or ntfs, default settings format will fail (see diskpart and Server Manager) if server manager is used, update cache will run eternally until wizard is closed
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