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Maintenance and troubleshooting tools and options

  • Article

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

Maintenance and troubleshooting tools and options

You can control whether Remote Installation Services (RIS) offers certain types of maintenance and troubleshooting tools at the beginning of a remote installation. Although the client computer's hard disk might be empty prior to installing the operating system, the computer can still be managed with these maintenance and troubleshooting tools. The tools can therefore be useful not only to users, but also to administrators and technical support staff.

The maintenance and troubleshooting tools also give administrators an easy way to update a client computer system--for example, by the flashing of the basic input/output system (BIOS)--before or after the operating system installation.

If tools are provided to you by an independent software vendor (ISV) or original equipment manufacturer (OEM), you can control whether users are able to use these tools. You do this with the Tools tab of Advanced settings in RIS. (ISVs and OEMs make the tools available through external setup programs.) The tools appear in the list on the Tools tab and become available to administrators and users when they run the Client Installation Wizard. For information about viewing the Tools tab of Advanced settings in RIS, see Manage troubleshooting tools.

You can also make the Recovery Console available to a user of a RIS client computer if the client computer is configured to support it. When the Recovery Console is available to a user, it is displayed in the Client Installation Wizard under "Maintenance and Troubleshooting." For information on using RIS to start the Recovery Console, see Remote Installation Services Resources.

The Remote Installation Services (RIS) tools feature includes the following options:

  • Remove

    Removes the template setup information file (.sif) associated with the currently selected tool. The .sif file contains the friendly description text, which explains the tool's purpose to the users of a RIS client computer. If you choose the Remove option, the template file is deleted, and, although the tool remains on the disk, it is not offered to RIS clients when they run the Client Installation Wizard.

    Important

    • If you want to make a tool temporarily unavailable, or you want to make it available only to certain users, do not remove it; doing so deletes the .sif file associated with the tool. Instead, use the Properties option and restrict permissions on the .sif file associated with the tool (Read and Read & Execute permissions are required by tool users).

  • Properties

    Provides access to property information for the selected tool. Use this option to change the friendly description text and to retrieve specific details about the selected tool. You can also use this option to change permissions for the tool.

  • Refresh

    Refreshes the contents of the display window.

Note

  • This topic does not apply to Windows Server 2003, Web Edition.