# WARNING!!! Attention all Server 2003 Administrators



## CronoT (May 22, 2007)

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT run any critical windows updates or install Windows Internet Explorer 8 on any Windows Server 2003 OS. Yesterday, we suffered a nearly fatal crash of two of our servers running Server 2003 OS.

After installing the most recent critical updates and Windows Internet Explorer 8 on our Enterprise Anti-Virus Server and our Primary Active Domain/DHCP/DNS Server, both servers failed to fully come online. Everything will appear fine, but the Windows Logon Prompt will never appear, either in standard startup or in any version of Safe Mode.

If you run the updates and/or install IE8, and your system then displays this problem after rebooting, Boot from a Server 2003 Installation Disc, and then run the Recovery Console function from the Disc, NOT the server. This should fix the problem and prevent any possible data loss.

Mods, please examine this post and sticky it as per your own discretion.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

I donno if its I.E. 8.0 but I have a ton of currently patched to current critical updated without I.E. 8.0 that are doing just fine without login problems.

My question is why worry about updating the internet browser on a server OS?


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

If IE 8 caused the problem, why would you tell people not to install *any* critical updates? Not smart. I also question why you'd upgrade the web browser on a server.

Did this problem not occur during your normal patch testing procedures?


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## CronoT (May 22, 2007)

DoubleHelix said:


> If IE 8 caused the problem, why would you tell people not to install *any* critical updates? Not smart. I also question why you'd upgrade the web browser on a server.
> 
> Did this problem not occur during your normal patch testing procedures?


No, this occurred while running a simple windows update on both those servers.

As for my recommendations; do what you want, just make sure you have a current, up-to-date backup of your server. Otherwise, you're going to be flirting with disaster.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

So you didn't see these problems on your test servers?


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## avisitor (Jul 13, 2008)

I can't verify this report. I have a 2k3 machine with all updates including IE8 and it is functioning normally.


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