tools fail

[dave Admin]

I have some issues to troubleshoot and tried to run dcdiag and netdiag.
Error messages on the WIN2000 server indicated these tools were not located.
I went to MS site and downloaded and INSTALLED them with no install errors
but when I try to run them I get the same errors as before. what's the
trick to getting these important tools to actually work??

daveM

 

[Steven L Umbach]

They are not installed in a path that can execute from anywhere. You need to
go to the directory where they are installed and run them from there or you
could try copying them to the \winnt folder. If not sure where they are
installed do a search for them. I believe they are in the \program
files\support tools or \program files\resource kit folder. Also if you go
to start/programs - Windows support tools, there should be a command prompt
available that will take you to the correct folder via a command prompt. ---
Steve

 

[Herb Martin]

They are not installed in a path that can execute from anywhere. You need to
go to the directory where they are installed and run them from there or you
could try copying them to the \winnt folder.

Please don't encourage people to make a mess of their
system folders but rather please teach them to adjust
the path to the (proper) location.

If not sure where they are installed do a search for them.
I believe they are in the \program files\support tools

That is the default for Support Tools.

or \program files\resource kit folder.

That is probably right (I always put it in %ProgramFiles%\Reskit
but that probably isn't the default.)

Also if you go
to start/programs - Windows support tools, there should be a command prompt
available that will take you to the correct folder via a command

prompt. ---

Or just Start->Run: CMD

Then cd with one of these:

CD /d %programfiles%\res*kit
CD /d %programfiles%\support*tools


(The /d takes care of changing DRIVE and directory
if necesary.)

If neither works, use these:

CD /d %programfiles%
dir /ad /od

(/ad = directories /od = order by date)

So you get the Directories only showing the ones
you most recently created at the bottom.

Path can be change in the System Control Panel->
Advanced->Environment variables.

Separate each with a semi-colon (add on on the end
to add a new path element). You need to restart
any RUNNING CMD prompt if you change it.

 

[dave Admin]

Steve,

Thanks,

Moving to the install directory works for netdiag but not dcdiag. I have
copied it to the WINNT folder and tried to run but get the same error.

I do not have a Windows Support Tools option under Start\Programs. Should
some type of generic install for support tools be installed before dcdiag??
Am I missing something even simpler here??

daveM

 

[Steven L Umbach]

Since you did not install the support tools as a set, I am not sure where
dcdiag would be installed. Do a search for it and run it from the folder
where it was installed. Usually I install all the support tools from the
install disk in the support/tools folder where you need to run the setup to
install the set of them. Read Herb's post also and he brings up a good point
that it is generally not a good idea to copy files to the \winnt folder as
it can cause problems down the road when troubleshooting when trying to
decide if a file is legitimate or malware, particualry when someone else is
looking at the computer. I usually modify the path to include the folder
that I want to run tools from or create a folder called tools in the program
files folder and modify the path to include that folder and copy my favorite
"stand a lone" tools to that folder. --- Steve

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000549.htm --- how to modify path.

 

[Steven L Umbach]

Good point. Generally I create a tools folder in the program files folder
and modify the path to include that folder. That makes it easier when
unzipping/installing tools to just specify that folder and would be the
right way to do such. --- Steve

 

[Herb Martin]

Good point. Generally I create a tools folder in the program files folder
and modify the path to include that folder. That makes it easier when
unzipping/installing tools to just specify that folder and would be the
right way to do such. --- Steve

Me too.

I also have a few "well-known directories" (by me and
some of my friends at least) which have different categories
of tools in them and are already on the path.

C:\bin == old DOS tools I still use (only a handful left <sigh>)
C:\util == generally more modern assorted tools
C:\bat == my CMD and other batch files
D:\Unx == the UnixTools download and anything that seems
to fit best there as a Unx derivative tool
D:\Perl == mostly I keep this pristine (same as Perl install) though

Reskit and SupportTools are also in the path (usually under
%ProgramFiles%, as are the exe's for the MS Studio compilers,
linker, etc. (which are so deep under Program Files that I have
to look it up to find them.)

Also, I habitual build Reparse points from C:\Programs (name
without spaces) and maybe D:\Programs to the REAL
%program files% sudirectory (on whatever drive it really lives).

And since ProgramFiles is seldom on the C: drive here, I
have a link from the C:\Program Files to the real physical location.
(LinkD creates these reparse points aka junction points.)

Drive letters may vary from machine to machine but the
above it pretty common for me.