Setup Requests DHCP IP Address Too Early (256177)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

This article was previously published under Q256177

SYMPTOMS

When you perform a clean installation of Windows 2000 (that is, you are not upgrading from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft Windows 95, or Microsoft Windows 98), Setup may request a DHCP (server assigned) IP address during GUI-mode Setup before you can choose between using a static IP address and using DHCP to obtain an IP address automatically.

Depending on your network configuration, this may cause a dynamic Domain Name System (DNS) server, which updates its records from the DHCP server, to retain an incorrect DNS-host-name-to-IP-address mapping.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because Setup incorrectly prompts for a DHCP address before you are prompted to choose between static IP addresses and server-assigned IP addresses.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the Setup Manager deployment tool from the Windows 2000 Resource Kit to create a Setup answer file (Winnt.sif) containing the static IP address you intend to use. Windows 2000 does not prompt for an IP address if you are running Setup from a Setup answer file unless you specify DHCP in the answer file.

To use the answer file that you create, rename the file from Unattend.txt to Winnt.sif, and then copy the file to a floppy disk.

Immediately after you press a key to boot from the CD-ROM, insert the floppy disk in drive A. This allows Windows 2000 Setup to read the file and use the answers supplied.

For additional information about using a Setup answer file, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

136153 Using an Answer File for an Unattended Installation

183245 Windows 2000 Unattended Setup Parameters

Or, see the Windows 2000 Resource Kit.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

This is not an issue in a Windows 2000 networking environment. Windows 2000 clients attempt to register their DNS host name and IP address directly with the DNS server. Windows 2000 DNS server supports dynamic updates. This is only an issue in cases in which the DNS server relies on a DHCP server to supply the computer names to map to IP addresses. In this case, because you can specify a static IP address after the DHCP IP address is issued, the server contains an incorrect host-name-to-IP-address mapping. This is not automatically adjusted at reboot because Windows 2000 will not issue a DHCP address request, so the DHCP server does not adjust the host records on the DNS server.

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	11/20/2003
Keywords:	kbenv kbprb kbsetup w2000setup KB256177