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bhodge10

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SBS 2011 lots of issues

Hello, I've taken on a new client that runs SBS2011. Whoever set it up didn't do a very good job at it. I've run the "Fix My Network" and came up with a bunch of issues (see attached pictures). So my question, would it be better to try and resolve the issues one by one or do I just tell the client that I need to wipe the server and reinstall SBS2011. I'm comfortable  doing it either way but don't know if it'll be less painful (for me and client) to do one way or another.  Just looking for some opinions. Thanks
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Avatar of CompProbSolv
CompProbSolv
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I would push you toward fixing the specific issues, but I certainly recognize the wisdom of starting over with something that you know to be stable and proper.

I didn't see anything in the attachments that looked particularly difficult to fix.  I'd try to fix them.

There is certainly another school of thought (especially here) to "backup, wipe, reinstall, and restore".  I find that there are more significant configuration parameters to capture than is usually done.  I like to preserve what is there.

With that said, when you walk into a mess that someone else has created, it is difficult to say that you've really put it in order.

So... the "safe" answer is to back up everything (image the hard drive), start over, and recreate what is needed.  The "expedient" answer (which takes the risk of not actually being expedient if it fails) is to repair the specific issues.  I tend toward the second approach.
The first image is largely fixable and should be fairly easily.  The second may have more complex issues.

That said, do you know what group policies were changed / setup?  Are the users setup properly.  If the customer is amenable, I would prefer the reload - make it your network and do it right according to best practices unless there's a GOOD reason you can't.

How long such a procedure would take would be debatable based on your knowledge and experience. But one advantage, you could (should) virtualize the install.
One factor in your decision is how many users and workstations there are, and what else may be in the domain (a file server?  Terminal Server? an app running on the SBS?)  

The more connectivity you have to the server the stronger the case is for repairing it instead of redoing it.

FYI, my complete consulting practice for the better part of 3 years was devoted to repairing poor SBS installations.  I've done at least 30 or 40 of them and I can tell you from experience, that wipe/reinstall is rarely easier unless you have only a couple of workstations and nothing extra beyond the default install of SBS.
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