My Windows Server 2008 SP2, Build 6002 machine has been rebooting every 2 hours since April 1, 2010 with the following message: This pre-release version of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise will expire in 0 hours The OS was installed February 1, 2009 using KB955430. Apparently, this is an evaluation copy which needs to be replaced with the official SP2 version that was release in July 2009. My question is will this require a complete rebuild of the OS or can I uninstall and reinstall SP2. The only Windows installs that I can find on the machine are KB955430 and KB958690 Mitchell Greess

Hi, Beta version of SP2 could be the cause. Please uninstall SP2 to test the result first. If the issue disappears, you can install the official copy of SP2. Tim Quan - MSFT

Hello Tim Quan, I have tried it by uninstalling the Windows 2008 SP2 but after uninstallation of SP2 my server is not booting in any mode e.g. Normal mode, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with command prompt, Safe mode with networking, Directory Service resotre mode. Hence i don't think its a right solution to uninstall the Windows 2008 SP2 to solve this issue. Cheers, Subhash Tiwari |MCA|MCSE|MCSA|MCDBA|MCTS|MCITP | Blog-> http://subhashtiwari.spaces.live.com

Hello, Thank you for the reply. Now you may need to backup important files and then reinstall the system. Tim Quan - MSFT

Hello Tim Quan, Due to your solution and Microsoft beta release of Windows 2008 SP2 my customer loss two working days becasue my whole domain controller get down and Remote desktop server get down and for the same we need to rebuild the same. Hence i would request you to please write down whatever things, first you test it on lab then go for live because you have mention that try to uninstall beta SP2 but i think you also don't know what will be impact after uninstallation of Windows 2008 beta SP2. So please whatever suggestion you provide here should be tested before giving any suggestion to customers. Because its not a best practice that you mention here the answer without testing. Hence forth i would strongly recommend to all Microsoft MSFT that please whatever answer you are giving here please first of all test it on your lab otherwise mention here that first test it on lab. Regards,Subhash Tiwari |MCA|MCSE|MCSA|MCDBA|MCTS|MCITP | Blog-> http://subhashtiwari.spaces.live.com

Dear Subhash Tiwari Orient, if because of an uninstall of a bete release of sp2 (in a production environment?) a domain controller and a remote desktop server failed... you should have given more information before accusing anyone. If you realley are a MCA,MCSE,MCDBA,MCTS,MCITP you probably know you always have backups inplace for such an action. Did you really did a unistall which the server online to cause a failure? You're customer lost 2 working days.. what happened with the other domain controllers? Tim Quan could not have been able to know your complete environment when giving you this advice. As a certified specialist you shouldhave known better than this. further more.. Tim Quan did not give you the solution. He only gave you an advice and.... who was the one who went in production with a beta release? Surely Tim did not gave you this advice. anyway.... what did the MAP toolkit provided you with? you forgot to mention the output. good luck.

Hello Louis, Thanks for your valuable response. Actually i don't want to heart any Microsoft MSFT but my major concern is that is that if any Microsoft MSFT giving the soulution then he should know the impact of that action because we are aware of Microsoft beta and so on and its product is from Microsoft and for the same if any microsoft engineer giving the solution to any one then it should be tested before. Because its a best practice and quality. Regarding my certification which you have mention here its not a matter on this topics. Yes i have really did the uninstallation of beta SP2 day before yesterday and afterward we have tried to up the server from backup and all few small settings but my customer concern is that why microsoft person is saying that you uninstall the beta SP2 meanwhile its impact totally different. Regarding the backup we have already taken the backup before doing this activity. But that backup also for beta SP2 and its already expires and rebooting that server within 2 hour and due to this reason we have gone through this article and tried to uninstall the SP2 but after the SP2 uninstallation my both server (Domain Controller and Additional Domain Controller and no any server customer have) not booting on any mode. So we have to rebild both the server from scratch and restore the backup. But installation of OS backup restoration and rest of another settings restoration time taken 2 working days. One more question with Microsoft if suppose that customer have enable the Automatic Windows Update and its downloading the beta component and those component are harmfull for production server then why Microsoft keeping it on Update Server meanwhile they know that its a beta SP2. Because i have discussed with my customer and he told me that he have updated the SP2 since 6 month back by Automatic Windows Update and afterward they are unaware of this issue that its beta SP2 and it will get expired. Any way we have successfull up both the server now. I am really sorry to heart MSFT and also Microsoft. Cheers,Subhash Tiwari |MCA|MCSE|MCSA|MCDBA|MCTS|MCITP | Blog-> http://subhashtiwari.spaces.live.com

Sorry Subhash Tiwari, I should have reminded you to backup your data first. Tim Quan - MSFT

Hello Louis, Thanks for your valuable response. Actually i don't want to heart any Microsoft MSFT but my major concern is that is that if any Microsoft MSFT giving the soulution then he should know the impact of that action because we are aware of Microsoft beta and so on and its product is from Microsoft and for the same if any microsoft engineer giving the solution to any one then it should be tested before. Because its a best practice and quality. Regarding my certification which you have mention here its not a matter on this topics. Yes i have really did the uninstallation of beta SP2 day before yesterday and afterward we have tried to up the server from backup and all few small settings but my customer concern is that why microsoft person is saying that you uninstall the beta SP2 meanwhile its impact totally different. Regarding the backup we have already taken the backup before doing this activity. But that backup also for beta SP2 and its already expires and rebooting that server within 2 hour and due to this reason we have gone through this article and tried to uninstall the SP2 but after the SP2 uninstallation my both server (Domain Controller and Additional Domain Controller and no any server customer have) not booting on any mode. So we have to rebild both the server from scratch and restore the backup. But installation of OS backup restoration and rest of another settings restoration time taken 2 working days. One more question with Microsoft if suppose that customer have enable the Automatic Windows Update and its downloading the beta component and those component are harmfull for production server then why Microsoft keeping it on Update Server meanwhile they know that its a beta SP2. Because i have discussed with my customer and he told me that he have updated the SP2 since 6 month back by Automatic Windows Update and afterward they are unaware of this issue that its beta SP2 and it will get expired. Any way we have successfull up both the server now. I am really sorry to heart MSFT and also Microsoft. Cheers, Subhash Tiwari |MCA|MCSE|MCSA|MCDBA|MCTS|MCITP | Blog-> http://subhashtiwari.spaces.live.com Subhash, This forum is intended to support / advice and engineers are not dedicated to work on your issue until it is resolved. In those cases where you find the problem is critical , please engage microsoft support engineers also you have an option of Premier Field Engineers who would visit the location and troubleshoot the things. I find that you are just releasing your frustration. The suggestions provided are based on experience , which may vary and its a thumb rule for any engineer to first a) evaluate the suggestion provided in forum b) if positive , test it on TEST ENVIRONMENT c) post back the results if it didnt resolve.