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So if I want to install having a .com domain suffix instead of default .local, I can apparently reinstall using a cfg.ini answer file?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2830511

I know I don't want to use my public .com domain (I own). Would it end up being SERVER.AD.MYDOMAIN.com or SERVER.MYDOMAIN.com (this is what I thought it should be) by filling in the following entries?

[InitialConfiguration]

Keyboard=0409:00000409

AcceptEula=true

CompanyName=MyCompany

ServerName=SERVER

NetbiosName=MYDOMAIN

DNSName=MYDOMAIN.com

UserName=

PlainTextPassword=

StdUserName=

StdUserPlainTextPassword=

Settings=None

EnableRWA=false

IPv4DNSForwarder=

IPv6DNSForwarder=

Not sure what to put here:

UserName=

StdUserName=

Should I use administrator or something like sysadmin, netadmin for UserName. What about StdUserName? can I leave these empty, or are they required.

same for:

IPv4DNSForwarder=

IPv6DNSForwarder=

can I leave these empty?

thank you.

* EXTRA USEFUL INFORMATION: In case anyone is wondering if you can just re-install and just change the internal domain name to whatever you want, the answer regrettably is NO. Not sure why Microsoft just couldn't give this as an option with a helpful explanation. They could have just persuaded novice users to use .local, and then professional users would be able to use what they needed.*

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Here is another option of just MYDOMAIN.COM. Sorry, NO GO. : (

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More info: http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/8/4/2849B97A-3E28-4518-89E6-B2BA975E4AAA/Windows%20Server%202012%20Essentials%20-%20Module%202%20-%20Install%20-%20Deploy.pptx

HERE IS WHAT FINALLY WORKED!!!! The Answer File cfg.ini did NOT work for R2. If you think it works then please clarify exactly how it did. http://www.em-soft.si/myblog/elvis/?p=403

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In case link disappears:

  1. The installation begins with a normal server installation from a media and after the server restarts, when the Configure Windows Server Essentials wizard will appear, you can see that you have no place to write your AD domain name.
  2. At this point, just close this wizard with cancel
  3. Open the PowerShell as Administrator and write the syntax: Start-WssConfigurationService -CompanyName “MyCompany” -DNSName “Internal.MyCompamny.com” -NetBiosName “MyCompany” -ComputerName “MyServer” –NewAdminCredential $cred -Setting All

The explanation of all used switches is available on TechNet. Enter your AD administrator credentials in the window that will appear. This will be the new administrator – the same as you configure it in the Essential server wizard (i.e. SysAdmin, not built-in Administrator that will be deactivated after finishing)

  1. When the system will prompt, if you want to continue the Essentials server configuration, just click Y (be patient and wait for prompts)
  2. Exit from PowerShell and the server will restart. After this, when you log in, you will see that the wizard Configure Windows Server Essentials will run. You have just to wait that it will finish. At this point the wizard has all the information it needs and you are not able to change them

ALL CREDIT TO Elvis!

timd1971
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    You do not want the domain name to be the same as your public domain name. Change the domain name to `ad.mydomain.com`, or some other unused subdomain, like `office.mydomain.com` or whatever. Most people tend to use `ad.mydomain.com`. – joeqwerty Jul 01 '15 at 20:45
  • ok, I follow you. I was thinking for some reason, by the entries above it would result as SERVER.MYDOMAIN.com. That it would just make it that for some reason like it did in my initial install, but instead it did SERVER.MYDOMAIN.local. (wizard just asks for server and domain (no suffix) name separately. and I got the .local surprise when done. I'll try what you said, and going to set up a VM with the trial and try before I do this again. Thank you! Much appreciated. – timd1971 Jul 01 '15 at 20:55
  • I'll try this in a VM to see first hand, but was curious during the wizard, when it asks for domain name, instead of just putting MYDOMAIN, maybe I should have put AD.MYDOMAIN.com? Or would it kick back as error or make it AD.MYDOMAIN.com.local? Then that would be a real problem. or maybe it would work and make it AD.MYDOMAIN.com? I have to see. – timd1971 Jul 01 '15 at 20:58
  • In the above entry for DNSName= can I put AD.MYDOMAIN.com and it will take? Or will it get kicked back and have to use MYDOMAIN.com and then somehow get "AD" added to it after? Not sure what will happen here. Also, the IPv4DNSForwarder= and IPv6DNSForwarder= entries, can I leave those BLANK like they are now in the cfg.ini file? Or will an error come up? Should I just remove them from the cfg.ini file? or do they require a entry? I don't think I need these, and do not know what purpose they serve? Thank you for the help. – timd1971 Jul 03 '15 at 19:17
  • So apparently this Microsoft so-called ANSWER FILE fix ONLY works for the NON-R2 version? I've tried reinstalling using a USB thumb drive (non A: or B:) and even added the cfg.ini to the root of the ISO file. Anyone else successful at using a ANSWER cfg.ini FILE? Is a XML file now used instead of a cfg.ini file for "R2 Essentials"? Any help please? thank you. – timd1971 Jul 03 '15 at 21:42
  • Little extra advice. Make sure your NETBIOS (and DOMAIN) entry is how you want it to appear case-wise, as will show as case sensitive (upper/lower case variations) at login. i.e. MyDomain\SysAdmin versus something like this MYDOMAIN\SysAdmin or mYdoMaIn\SysAdmin, etc. Once you set this, apparently not a good idea to change it later even if possible, apparently not supported and may cause problems. So what you choose at install, is what it needs to be. Or just reinstall the whole server again if you like. Hope all this helps! – timd1971 Jul 03 '15 at 23:11

1 Answers1

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Of all the hoops I had to jump through, this was the EASIEST SOLUTION by far:

http://www.em-soft.si/myblog/elvis/?p=403

Just install WS2012R2E, CANCEL the WIZARD, use the Powershell (run as admin), and enter the commands, HIT "Y" to continue (finish) WIZARD.... than VOILA! It's DONE! SIMPLE AS THAT. Why is something that should be SO simple so complicated WITHOUT this? I have NO idea. : (

Open the PowerShell as Administrator and write the syntax:

Start-WssConfigurationService -CompanyName "MyCompany" -DNSName "Internal.MyCompamny.com" -NetBiosName "MyCompany" -ComputerName "MyServer" -NewAdminCredential $cred -Setting All

The explanation of all used switches is available on TechNet. Enter your AD administrator credentials in the window that will appear. This will be the new administrator – the same as you configure it in the Essential server wizard.

CREDIT to Elvis!

Highly disappointed in Microsoft for this. : \

Michael Hampton
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timd1971
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