Exchange 2010 install

Question

In our lab I’m trying to install an Exchange 2010, on a W2k8 r2 64bit (physical hardware). I would like to join it to our Exchange 2003 Org.
Lab settings:
Single DC, this is the FSMO server, also the domain exchange account is in Enterprise and Schema Admins groups.
Two Exchange 2003 servers with 600 mailboxes.
On the new Exc2010 server prerequistes have been installed:
.Net 3.5.1
Office Filter Pack
NetTcp port set to auto
Import-Module ServerManager and Add-WindowsFeatures installed.
I’ve tried both Typical and Custon Installations, the Readiness Checks runs.
Organization Prereqs, Completed with a Yellow !
Warning:
Setup is goimng tp prepare for Exchange 2010 by using Setup /PrepareAD. No Exchange 2007 server roles have been detected….
This looks like a standard msg.
The next three completed successfully with Green checks
Mailbox role Prereq: Completed with Yellow !
Warning:
If MS Outlook 2003 is in use, you should replicate free and busy….
Again, this looks like a non-show stopper.
Continued with the Install. It stops at the Org Preparation, with error msg.
·                                 Error:
The following error was generated when "$error.Clear(); install-ExchangeSchema -LdapFileName ($roleInstallPath + "Setup\Data\"+$RoleSchemaPrefix + "schema0.ldf")" was run: "There was an error while running 'ldifde.exe' to import the schema file 'C:\Windows\Temp\ExchangeSetup\Setup\Data\PostWindows2003_schema0.ldf'. The error code is: 8206. More details can be found in the error file: 'C:\Users\administrator.TKA\AppData\Local\Temp\ldif.err'".
There was an error while running 'ldifde.exe' to import the schema file 'C:\Windows\Temp\ExchangeSetup\Setup\Data\PostWindows2003_schema0.ldf'. The error code is: 8206. More details can be found in the error file: 'C:\Users\administrator.TKA\AppData\Local\Temp\ldif.err'
Thanks, Tony

Answer 1

I was having a very similar problem and none of the above recommendations or solutions were working for me.  I was able to install Exchange2007, but NOT 2010  I had extracted the ISO, (*exchange2010sp1), local to the member server I was going to
be installing to and was consistently failing on 'setup /PrepareSchema', with this error:
Extending Active Directory schema                         FAILED
     The following error was generated when "$error.Clear();
        install-ExchangeSchema -LdapFileName ($roleInstallPath + "Setup\Data\"+$
RoleSchemaPrefix + "schema0.ldf")
" was run: "There was an error while running 'ldifde.exe' to import the schema f
ile 'C:\Windows\Temp\ExchangeSetup\Setup\Data\PostWindows2003_schema0.ldf'. The
error code is: 31. More details can be found in the error file: 'C:\Users\Admini
strator.HBA-AD-DC01\AppData\Local\Temp\2\ldif.err'"
The failure logs reported this:
Connecting to "HBA-AD-DC1.HBA-AD-BRM.com"
Logging in as current user using SSPI
Importing directory from file "C:\Windows\Temp\ExchangeSetup\Setup\Data\PostWindows2003_schema0.ldf"
Loading entries
There is a syntax error in the input file
Failed on line 0. The last token starts with '1'.
0 entries modified successfully.
An error has occurred in the program
second one:
There is a syntax error in the input file
Failed on line 0. The last token starts with '1'.
An error has occurred in the program
What worked for me was one of our IT guys had an MSDN subscription and downloaded Exchange 2010sp2, which I guess was just recently released.  I read in another post someone, also experiencing this issue, was able to install the RTM Exchange2010
and  then apply the SP, so this most likely would have worked for me as well.  The ISO with SP1 failed to install for me in 3 different Active Directory Test Lab environments, with different hardware, different versions of Windows for the Domain
controllers, different AD Levels and on both physical and Virtual member servers.   I've included all of the failure text above in the hopes that anyone searching on this, will come up with my post and save a few brain cells in getting this resovled
because it really shouldn't be this difficult to find an answer that would appear to be something simple to report accurate on in a log or failure entry.
Good luck, and take care
Steve