Domino Trial crashes on startup

I have tried to install the Domino Server 90 day trial on both Windows 2000 Adv Serv SP4 and Windows NT SP6a with the same result. When I try to start the Service, it stops almost immediately after. I cannot find anything in the Event Logs, as well I do not find any logs written to disk, does anyone know what is causing this? Thank you.

Subject: Domino Trial crashes on startup

Domino can start as a service but does not write to the Windows event logs.

Do you ever see the Domino console window appear? (if you’ve never seen it before it basically looks like a DOS window)

If you have not actually set up Domino yet, it should say “Launching the setup wizard” and a GUI will appear. Try launching Domino from the PROGRAMS menu and the setup GUI should run.

Subject: RE: Domino Trial crashes on startup

No I do not see a console window.When I launch the Domino Server from the PROGRAMS menu I get a dialog asking me to run as a Service or a Regular Application, then when I click on OK the dialog disapears and nothing else is shown (looks like the process ends).

This is a clean Windows 2000 Adv Server box with SP4 installed.

I have tried the exact same installer on a Windows NT box and the same thing happens.

Subject: RE: Domino Trial crashes on startup

Did you have administrative access to the workstation when you installed the server?

Is a dump produced? (Check for notes “rip” file)

Good Luck,

Chris Stoneley

Subject: Sorry no more RIP files. Domino now uses NSD_…log files.

You can find them in the IBM_TECHNICAL_SUPPORT directory underneath your Data directory.

Subject: RE: Sorry no more RIP files. Domino now uses NSD_…log files.

Yes I am installing Domino as an administrator on the machines.The IBM_TECHNICAL_SUPPORT directory contains only 2 files. One file called ‘Semdebug.txt’ and one file called ‘console.log’, both files only contain one line of text in them.

Console.log contains:

console_nt4_2003_10_14@09_40_28.log

Semdebug.txt contains:

SEMDEBUG_NT4_2003_10_14@09_40_28.TXT

So far I have tried and got the same result on 2 NT machines and 2 2000 boxes.

Thank you for your help.

Subject: RE: Sorry no more RIP files. Domino now uses NSD_…log files.

I just tried 6.0.3 trial and the same thing happens.I do have 2 extra files though in the IBM_TECHNICAL_SUPPORT directory. The 2 extra files are nSERVER.adr and nservice.adr .

Subject: Thoughts …

The 2 adr files indicate that the service process and the server process are starting. The lack of an NSD file may mean that the server isn’t actually crashing.

Have you tried starting the server NOT as a service?

Subject: Configuration

Yes I have tried running it as an Application and the same thing happens.

I also just noticed that there is a process running in the task manager called “serversetup.exe”, but no GUI is showing.

To give you an idea of the config, both machines I have tried it on are clean machines with fresh installs of Windows 2000 Adv Serv and NT Server and the latest service packs installed. Both machines are part of a Windows 2000 domain and have only VNC installed.

Subject: RE: Configuration

I’ll grasp at straws here. Copy your notes.ini file (ie, notes.ini.bak) and edit the notes.ini file. Delete everything except the lines:

[Notes]

Directory=

KitType=2

This should force the setup to run.

Subject: RE: Configuration

Hi Jim, thanks for you help.That didn’t work, still the same problem, any other ideas? Still nothing in the log files.

I think I will try re-installing Windows 2000 Adv Serv, with Service Pack 2 since that is the recommended service pack in the Release Notes.

Subject: No more ideas

I had thought that you didn’t have the checkbox enabled on the service properties to allow UI, but since it doesn’t work as a regular app that can’t be it.

Renstalling w2K may help, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Subject: One more idea

Somebody suggested to try to put the server setup in listen mode and then set the server up remotely.

Here’s the info from the Admin help:

http://www-12.lotus.com/ldd/doc/domino_notes/Rnext/help6_admin.nsf/0/4b50b1100495666b85256c1d003906fb?OpenDocument

Subject: RE: One more idea

Jim, thanks again for you help.I tried this method, unfortunately when I try to start the server in listen mode it doesn’t start.

I type “nserver -listen” and it just returns to the promtp immediately and the process ends.

I have tried 6.5 trial now as well and it does the same thing.

Subject: Found the problem

The serversetup just hangs if the display is set to 16 colors and 800x600, no setup ui is shown.

Subject: Ouch!

I let the setup people know