Esxi 4.1 2008R2 VM Shutting Down?

[TedAppleberry]

I am at a loss here. I just built a fresh 2008 R2 VM. For some reason it is simply unloading every hour or so. Nothing in the server logs and it comes back clean (doesn't indicate a crash). I have deployed a dozen other machines this same exact way. I figured this could be an ESXi thing and was hoping someone could shed some light.

I appreciate the help.

[Sawkat]

is there vmware tools installed, try uninstalling on one first and see how it goes from there... also you might have more clue in the system event logs of Windows itself... what does it read... any process initiating the shutdown... any particular user?

[a_p_]

This is the usual behavior if Windows has not been activated.

André

[TedAppleberry]

I believe you are correct, but this is a fresh install off of the MS ISO, less then a week old and yes it is definitley complaining about not being activated but I have operated this way for weeks if not months on other installs before activating.. What's different and how do I get his functioning until I activate.

Thanks..

[haiiampc]

There is no relation to VMware on this behavior.. I experienced this previously on standalone servers too..

Active Directory limits

In the Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation operating system,  the server must be a member of a workgroup or, if joined to a domain,  joined at the root of the forest as a member server or domain  controller.

You will receive a warning message if the server is not  joined to an Active Directory® domain at the root of the forest. If you  do not correct this, the server will restart approximately hourly. If  your server is not joined to the domain at the root of the forest,  disjoin the domain and then rejoin the domain at the root.

Fix on below link

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744832%28v=ws.10%29.aspx

Regards - Purna

[a_p_]

I can't tell you what's different with the one server, but you may want to take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948472/en-us for how to extend the evaluation period. The article is for Windows Server 2008, but I think it's the same for R2.

André

[TedAppleberry]

Oddly I could not reset trial period.. Maybe I used the wrong ISO from my datastore.

Sure enough, when I take it off the domain the server remains on, rejoin it goes offline. I am joining at the root of the forest per the MS KB. Of course this machine has to be a domain member so having it stand alone does me no good.

Any other suggestions for getting this on the domain without shutting down?? I may just rebuild. I have done this dozens of other times on this domain without issue.

Thanks guys..

[TedAppleberry]

Actually it unloads when not part of a domain.. There goes that theory..