Day: June 16, 2015

Fixing Server Manager Error 0x800706BE: The Missing MUM/CAT Mystery | Lazy Admin Blog

Posted on June 16, 2015 Updated on March 23, 2026

If your Server Manager is blank, showing a yellow bang, or refusing to refresh with a “Remote Procedure Call Failed” error, you aren’t looking at a network issue—you’re looking at a corrupted Windows Update store.

When Windows cannot validate the files in the C:\Windows\Servicing\Packages directory, the Server Manager discovery process crashes. Here is how to perform manual surgery on the CBS store to fix it.

The Symptom

Error Code: 0x800706BE
Event ID: 1601 (Microsoft-Windows-ServerManager/Operational)
Message: Could not discover the state of the system.

Step 1: The Diagnostics (CheckSUR)

First, we need to know exactly which files are broken.

Download and run the System Update Readiness Tool (CheckSUR) (KB947821) or, on newer versions of Windows Server, run: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
Once finished, open the log file: %Systemroot%\Logs\CBS\Checksur.log
Look for lines starting with (f) CBS MUM Corrupt or (f) CBS MUM Missing. These are your “targets.”

Step 2: Gain Control of the Packages Folder

By default, even an Administrator cannot write to the Servicing folder. You must take ownership:

DOS

			
takeown /F C:\Windows\Servicing\Packages /D y /R
icacls C:\Windows\Servicing\Packages /save %temp%\AclFile /T
icacls C:\Windows\Servicing\Packages /grant %username%:F /T

Step 3: Extract and Replace the “Grafts”

Now you need to “borrow” healthy files from the original Update files to replace your corrupt ones.

Download the KB: Download the .msu file for the KB number listed as corrupt in your log.
Expand the MSU: expand -F:* Windows6.1-KB978601-x64.msu C:\Repair
Expand the CAB: Inside that folder, find the .cab file and expand it too: expand -F:* Windows6.1-KB978601-x64.cab C:\Repair\CAB
The Extraction: Inside the CAB folder, find update.mum and update.cat.

Step 4: The Rename and Replace

This is where precision matters. You must rename those generic files to match the exact long string found in your Checksur.log.

Example Rename:
- From: update.mum
- To: Package_for_KB978601~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.1.0.mum
Move: Copy these renamed files into C:\Windows\Servicing\Packages.

Step 5: Verify the Fix

Close and reopen Server Manager. It should now trigger a fresh discovery without the RPC error. If it still fails, check the Checksur.log again—you likely have more missing packages to replace!

Lazy Admin Tip 💡

If you have another server running the exact same OS and patch level, you can often just copy the healthy .mum and .cat files from the “Good” server’s C:\Windows\Servicing\Packages folder to the “Bad” one. It’s much faster than manually expanding CAB files!

#WindowsServer #SysAdmin #ServerManager #Troubleshooting #ITOps #Microsoft #TechSupport #LazyAdmin #WindowsUpdate

This entry was posted in Windows and tagged 0x800706BE, CBS, CheckSUR, IT Support, Server Manager, SysAdmin Tips, Troubleshooting, Windows Server, Windows Update.

The Ultimate Robocopy Command for Large-Scale Migrations | Lazy Admin Blog

Posted on June 16, 2015 Updated on March 23, 2026

If you need to move huge files while keeping a close eye on progress, this is the syntax you want. It includes logging, multi-threading for speed, and the ability to resume if the network drops.

The “Power User” Command

DOS

			
robocopy "D:\Source_Data" "E:\Destination_Data" /s /e /z /mt:32 /tee /log+:"C:\Logs\MigrationLog.txt"

Switch Breakdown: Why We Use Them

Switch	What it does
/s /e	Copies all subdirectories, including empty ones.
/z	Restart Mode: If the connection drops mid-file, Robocopy can resume from where it left off instead of starting the file over. Essential for 100GB+ files!
/mt:32	Multi-Threading: Uses 32 threads to copy multiple files simultaneously. (Default is 8). Adjust based on your CPU/Disk speed.
/tee	Writes the status to the console window and the log file at the same time.
/log+:	Creates a log file. Using the `+` appends to an existing log rather than overwriting it—perfect for multi-day migrations.

How to Monitor Progress in Real-Time

Because we used the /tee and /log+ switches, you have two ways to monitor the status:

The Console: You’ll see a rolling percentage for each file directly in your Command Prompt.
Tail the Log: Since the log is being updated live, you can “tail” it from another window (or even remotely) to see the progress without touching the active copy session.

Lazy Admin Tip (PowerShell):

Open a PowerShell window and run this command to watch your Robocopy log update in real-time as files move:

Get-Content "C:\Logs\MigrationLog.txt" -Wait

Important Notes for Huge Files

Disk Quotas: Robocopy doesn’t check destination space before starting. Use dir or df (if using Linux targets) to ensure you have enough room.
Permissions: If you need to copy NTFS permissions (ACLs), add the /copyall switch.
Bandwidth: Running /mt:128 (the max) can saturate a 1Gbps link. If you’re copying over a live production network, stick to /mt:8 or /mt:16.

#WindowsServer #Robocopy #DataMigration #SysAdmin #ITInfrastructure #StorageAdmin #TechTips #LazyAdmin #CloudMigration

This entry was posted in Windows and tagged Data Center, File Transfer, IT Operations, Migration, Networking, PowerShell, Robocopy, Storage, SysAdmin Tools, Windows.

HPE ProLiant Diagnostics: How to Generate a Survey Log (Online & Offline) | Lazy Admin Blog

Posted on June 16, 2015 Updated on March 23, 2026

An HPE Survey Log provides a deep-dive look at your server’s hardware configuration, firmware levels, and error counts. Depending on whether your OS is healthy or the server is “down,” you have two ways to get this data.

Method 1: The Offline Approach (Non-Booting Servers)

Use this method if the OS is corrupted or you need to test the hardware in a “clean” state using the SmartStart CD (Gen8 and older) or Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP).

Boot the server using the SmartStart CD or SPP ISO.
Navigate: From the homepage, click Maintenance > HP Insight Diagnostics.
Default View: The Survey tab will open by default.
The “Pro” Settings: * Change Category from ‘Overview’ to ‘All’.
- Change View Level from ‘Summary’ to ‘Advanced’.
Save: Click Save. Note that you will need a USB flash drive plugged in to export the .html or .txt log file.

Method 2: The Online Approach (Live Production)

If the server is running Windows or Linux, you can pull the logs without a reboot by using the HP Insight Diagnostics Online Edition.

For Windows Admins:

Via Start Menu: Go to Start > All Programs > HP System Tools > HP Insight Diagnostics.
Via Web Browser: Open the HP System Management Homepage (SMH), click Webapps, and select HP Insight Diagnostics.

For Linux Admins:

Open your browser and navigate to: https://localhost:2381
Log in with root credentials.
Click Webapps > HP Insight Diagnostics.

Exporting the Online Log:

Once the interface opens, follow the same “Advanced” steps:

Set Category to ‘All’.
Set View Level to ‘Advanced’.
Click Save to download the file directly to your workstation.

How to Install Online Diagnostics (If Missing)

If the tool isn’t installed, you’ll need the HPE Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP):

Mount the SPP ISO.
Navigate to /hp/swpackages and run hpsum.exe (Windows) or ./hpsum (Linux).
Select Localhost as the target and ensure HP Insight Diagnostics Online Edition is checked for installation.

Lazy Admin Tip 💡

For modern Gen9, Gen10, and Gen11 servers, you can bypass these tools entirely by using the iLO (Integrated Lights-Out). Simply log into the iLO web interface and download the Active Health System (AHS) log. It’s the modern replacement for the Survey log and is much faster to collect!

#HPE #ProLiant #ServerAdmin #SysAdmin #ITOps #HardwareTroubleshooting #iLO #DataCenter #LazyAdmin #TechTips

This entry was posted in HP Enterprise Servers, Windows and tagged Hardware Diagnostics, HPE, iLO, IT Infrastructure, ProLiant, Server Maintenance, SmartStart, SPP, SysAdmin, Troubleshooting.