Top Support Solutions for Windows Server 2012 R2
This is a collection of the top Microsoft Support solutions for the most common issues experienced when using Windows Server 2012 R2 (updated quarterly). Note that some content that applies to earlier versions of Windows Server is listed, because it can be also helpful with Windows Server 2012 R2 issues.
1. Solutions related to Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS):
- Available updates for Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
- Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) Wiki Articles
- AD FS Content Map – TechNet Articles
- FAQ on ADFS – Part 1 – Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms – Site Home – TechNet Blogs
- Important Announcement: AD FS 2.0 and MS13-066 – Ask the Directory Services Team – Site Home – TechNet Blogs
- How to Build Your ADFS Lab on Server 2012 Part 1 – Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms – Site Home – TechNet Blogs
- How to Build Your ADFS Lab on Server 2012, Part2: Web SSO – Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms – Site Home – TechNet Blogs
- How to Build Your ADFS Lab on Server 2012 Part 3: ADFS Proxy – Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms – Site Home – TechNet Blogs
- How to Build Your ADFS Lab Part4: Upgrading to Server 2012 R2 – Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms – Site Home – TechNet Blogs
- Introduction to Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) AlternateLoginID Feature – Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms – Site Home – TechNet Blogs
2. Solutions related to Active Directory replication:
- Troubleshooting Active Directory Replication Problems: Active Directory
- Download Active Directory Replication Status Tool from Official Microsoft Download Center
- e2e: How to troubleshoot common Active Directory replication errors
- Troubleshooting Active Directory Replication Problems: Active Directory
- AD replication fails with an RPC issue after you set a static port for NTDS in a Windows-based domain environment
- Troubleshooting AD Replication error 8606: "Insufficient attributes were given to create an object"
- After you re-add a member server to a DFS replication group in Windows Server 2003 R2, initial replication does not occur on the member server, and changes in the replicated folder are replicated unexpectedly to other replication partners
3. Solutions related to Bugchecks, Stop errors, and unexpected restarts:
- Troubleshoot "blue screen" or Stop error problems before you contact Microsoft Support
- Free Bluescreen/Bugcheck Diagnostic Tool
4. Solutions related to DNS:
- DNS server that has DNSSEC enabled does not validate signed zones in Windows Server 2012 R2
- Local IP address cannot be registered on DNS server after DNS Client service is restarted in Windows
- SERVFAIL error from a Windows Server 2012 R2-based DNS server that has DNSSEC enabled
- You cannot connect to a network printer by using the CNAME for the print server in a Windows Server 2012 R2 DNS environment
- Telephony equipment errors when the Internet telephony system runs on a Windows Server 2012 R2-based DNS server
- Computer cannot be registered in DNS when you renew the IP address in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- DNS queries fail on secondary DNS server running Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012
- DNS server crashes after you install update 2919355 for Windows Server 2012 R2.
- Incorrect CNAME records on a Windows Server 2012 R2-based DNS server
- DNS query fails if you use BIND DNS together with Windows DNS in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- Applications or services freeze when you monitor a DNS server in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- You cannot obtain the correct CNAME recordset on a computer that is running Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- Clearing the "Register this connection's addresses in DNS" option does not remove DNS records for Windows clients using static IP addresses
- Heavy network traffic occurs during an LDAP query by the DNS server in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012
- Windows DNS server incorrectly parses client computer records
- DNS record is deleted incorrectly after you disable DNS dynamic registration on a Windows 7 SP1-based or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1-based client
- Name Resolution Performance of Windows DNS Server 2012 R2 - Microsoft Enterprise Networking Team - Site Home - TechNet Blogs
5. Solutions related to Access to file shares (SMB):
- Slow file copy over network
- SMB Bandwidth Limit component breaks Offloaded Data Transfers (ODX) in Windows Server 2012 R2
- Connection delay until an error is reported when you access a nonexistent NFS share on a Windows Server-based computer
- SMB 3.0 Transparent Failover feature does not work after you disconnect a drive cable in Windows
- File or folder is not found or an error occurs when you configure SMB share properties in Windows RT 8.1 or Windows 8.1
- Can’t access an SMB share on a Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2-based file server
- Shared folder in Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows 8.1 cannot be accessed by using SMB version 1 protocol
- Error 58 when an application calls BackupRead function to back up files that are shared by using SMB in Windows
- Event 1002 when system file information folder is shared in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- VM goes offline for a while after you move the VM storage to another SMB storage in Windows 8.1 or Window Server 2012 R2
- VHDX virtual hard disk takes a long time to be created on an SMB share on a Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V host
- You cannot connect to virtual machines located on SMB-based storage in a Windows Server 2012 R2 cluster
- Cannot access shared files or folders on a drive in Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- "0x7e" Stop error when you run SMB direct stress in Windows Server 2012 R2
- Sizes of SMB event logs are too small in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
- Virtual hard disk cannot be created on an SMB server without resiliency support from a Windows computer
- List of currently available hotfixes for the File Services technologies in Windows Server 2012 and in Windows Server 2012 R2
- Delayed error message when you try to access a shared folder that no longer exists in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2012 R2
- SMB3 PowerShell changes in Windows Server 2012 R2: SMB1 can now be completely removed
- SMB3 PowerShell changes in Windows Server 2012 R2: SMB Delegation
- SMB3 PowerShell changes in Windows Server 2012 R2: SMB Multi-instance
- SMB3 PowerShell changes in Windows Server 2012 R2: SMB Bandwidth Limits
- SMB3 PowerShell changes in Windows Server 2012 R2: SMB Witness improvements
- SMB3 PowerShell changes in Windows Server 2012 R2: Scale-Out Rebalancing (per-share redirection)
- SMB3 PowerShell changes in Windows Server 2012 R2: Simpler setting of ACL for the folder behind a share
- Networking configurations for Hyper-V over SMB in Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows Server 2012 R2: Which version of the SMB protocol (SMB 1.0, SMB 2.0, SMB 2.1, SMB 3.0 or SMB 3.02) are you using?
- What’s new in SMB PowerShell in Windows Server 2012 R2 ...
- Migrating File Servers from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2
6. Solutions related to File Replication Technologies (FRS and DFSR):
- DFSR event ID 2213 in Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012
- DFS Replication: How to troubleshoot missing SYSVOL and Netlogon shares
- Common DFSR Configuration Mistakes and Oversights - Ask the Directory Services Team - Site Home - TechNet Blogs
- Understanding DFSR Debug Logging (Part 1: Logging Levels, Log Format, GUID’s) - Ask the Directory Services Team - Site Home - TechNet Blogs
- Top 10 Common Causes of Slow Replication with DFSR - Ask the ...
- DFS Replication Initial Sync in Windows Server 2012 R2: Attack of the Clones - The Storage Team at Microsoft - File Cabinet Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs
- DFS Replication Improvements in Windows Server 2012 - The Storage Team at Microsoft - File Cabinet Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs
- Microsoft TechNet: Troubleshooting File Replication Service
- Download File Replication Service Diagnostics Tool (FRSDiag.exe) from Official Microsoft Download Center
7. Solutions related to Installing Windows updates or hotfixes:
- Fix Windows Update errors by using the DISM or System Update Readiness tool
- Windows Server 2012 R2 Update: Availability of WSUS fix and revised servicing timing - Windows Server Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs
- Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 General Availability Update Rollup
- May 2014 servicing stack update for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
- April 2014 servicing stack update for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
- Update to fix restart problems after you install update rollup 2919355 in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- Fix restart problems after you install update rollup 2919355 in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
- You cannot uninstall IIS after you install KB2919355 in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2
8. Solutions related to TCP/IP communications:
- Incorrect TCP/IP path is selected and connection fails in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
- FIX: TCP connections that use ephemeral loopback addresses are dropped suddenly in Windows
- An application cannot establish a connection to its required destination services in Windows 8.1
- Domain controller promotion stops responding when NetBIOS over TCPIP is disabled in Windows Server 2012 R2
9. Solutions related to Deployment, configuration, and management of Remote Desktop Services infrastructure:
- Recommended hotfixes and updates for Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012 R2
- Remote Desktop Session Host - Hotfixes and Updates
- Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012: Remote Desktop Management Server
- Step by Step instructions for installing RDS Session Deployment using PowerShell in Windows Server 2012 R2
- Remote Desktop Services (RDS) 2012 Session Host deployment scenarios
- Remote Desktop Services (RDS) 2012 session deployment scenarios “Standard Deployment”
- Remote Desktop Services (RDS) 2012 session deployment scenarios "Server Role Deployment"
10. Solutions related to Remote Desktop Services (Terminal Services) licensing:
- Recommended hotfixes and updates for Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012 R2
- Remote Desktop Licensing - Hotfixes and Updates
- RD Licensing Configuration on Windows Server 2012
- https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/21180.rd-licensing-demystified-how-it-works.aspx
- https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/14988.rds-and-ts-cal-interoperability-matrix.aspx