We have deployed Exchange 2013 RTM with no issues, upgraded from Exchange 2007 SP3 and Exchange 2010 SP3.
I am currently attempting to install Exchange 2013 SP1 but getting a very vague error - Object reference not set to an instance of an object. From researching, most users are getting this error from /PREPAREAD, but I had no problem there.
Here is a copy of ExchangeSetup:
[04/03/2014 08:37:54.0767] [0] **********************************************
[04/03/2014 08:37:54.0798] [0] Starting Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Service Pack 1 Setup
[04/03/2014 08:37:54.0798] [0] **********************************************
[04/03/2014 08:37:54.0798] [0] Local time zone: (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
[04/03/2014 08:37:54.0798] [0] Operating system version: Microsoft Windows NT 6.2.9200.0.
[04/03/2014 08:37:54.0814] [0] Setup version: 15.0.847.32.
[04/03/2014 08:37:54.0814] [0] Logged on user: ****.
[04/03/2014 08:37:55.0002] [0] Command Line Parameter Name='sourcedir', Value='C:\Users\**\Downloads\E2013SP1'.
[04/03/2014 08:37:55.0002] [0] Command Line Parameter Name='mode', Value='Upgrade'.
[04/03/2014 08:37:55.0017] [0] RuntimeAssembly was started with the following command: '/sourcedir:C:\Users\**\Downloads\E2013SP1 /mode:Upgrade'.
[04/03/2014 08:37:55.0752] [0] The following roles are installed: BridgeheadRole ClientAccessRole MailboxRole UnifiedMessagingRole FrontendTransportRole AdminToolsRole CafeRole
[04/03/2014 08:37:56.0220] [0] Finished loading screen CheckForUpdatesPage.
[04/03/2014 08:38:00.0486] [0] Finished loading screen UpdatesDownloadsPage.
[04/03/2014 08:38:02.0642] [0] Starting file's copying...
[04/03/2014 08:38:02.0658] [0] Setup copy files from 'C:\Users\**\Downloads\E2013SP1\Setup\ServerRoles\Common' to 'C:\Windows\Temp\ExchangeSetup'
[04/03/2014 08:38:02.0736] [0] Disk space required: 1826493368 bytes.
[04/03/2014 08:38:02.0736] [0] Disk space available: 19240181760 bytes.
[04/03/2014 08:38:02.0845] [0] Finished loading screen CopyFilesPage.
[04/03/2014 08:38:22.0892] [0] File's copying finished.
[04/03/2014 08:38:23.0095] [0] Finished loading screen InitializingSetupPage.
[04/03/2014 08:38:32.0752] [0] Setup is choosing the domain controller to use
[04/03/2014 08:38:33.0627] [0] The MSExchangeADTopology has a persisted domain controller: **DC4.AIT.LOCAL
[04/03/2014 08:38:38.0877] [0] PrepareAD has been run, and has replicated to this domain controller; so setup will use *DC4.AIT.LOCAL
[04/03/2014 08:38:38.0877] [0] Setup is choosing a global catalog...
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0002] [0] Setup has chosen the global catalog server **DC4.AIT.LOCAL.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0049] [0] Setup will use the domain controller '**DC4.AIT.LOCAL'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0049] [0] Setup will use the global catalog '**DC4.AIT.LOCAL'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0049] [0] Exchange configuration container for the organization is 'CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=AIT,DC=LOCAL'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0064] [0] Exchange organization container for the organization is 'CN=**,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=AIT,DC=LOCAL'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0142] [0] Setup will search for an Exchange Server object for the local machine with name 'AITTWMAIL'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0580] [0] Exchange Server object found : 'CN=AITTWMAIL,CN=Servers,CN=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT),CN=Administrative Groups,CN=**,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=AIT,DC=LOCAL'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0611] [0] The following roles have been unpacked: BridgeheadRole ClientAccessRole MailboxRole UnifiedMessagingRole FrontendTransportRole AdminToolsRole CafeRole
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0627] [0] The following datacenter roles are unpacked:
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0627] [0] The following roles are installed: BridgeheadRole ClientAccessRole MailboxRole UnifiedMessagingRole FrontendTransportRole AdminToolsRole CafeRole
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0627] [0] The local server has some Exchange files installed.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0674] [0] Server Name=AITTWMAIL
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0799] [0] Setup will use the path 'C:\Users\**\Downloads\E2013SP1' for installing Exchange.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0814] [0] Setup will discover the installed roles from server object 'CN=AITTWMAIL,CN=Servers,CN=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT),CN=Administrative Groups,CN=**,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=AIT,DC=LOCAL'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0814] [0] 'BridgeheadRole' is installed on the server object.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0814] [0] 'ClientAccessRole' is installed on the server object.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0814] [0] 'MailboxRole' is installed on the server object.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0814] [0] 'UnifiedMessagingRole' is installed on the server object.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0814] [0] 'CafeRole' is installed on the server object.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0814] [0] 'FrontendTransportRole' is installed on the server object.
[04/03/2014 08:38:39.0924] [0] The installation mode is set to: 'BuildToBuildUpgrade'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0767] [0] An Exchange organization with name '**' was found in this forest.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0767] [0] Active Directory Initialization status : 'True'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0767] [0] Schema Update Required Status : 'False'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0767] [0] Organization Configuration Update Required Status : 'False'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0767] [0] Domain Configuration Update Required Status : 'False'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0767] [0] The locally installed version is 15.0.516.32.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0767] [0] Exchange Installation Directory : 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15'.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0892] [0] Setup is determining what organization-level operations to perform.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0892] [0] Because the value was specified, setup is setting the argument OrganizationName to the value AcumenIT.
[04/03/2014 08:38:41.0970] [0] RootDataHandler has 1 DataHandlers
[04/03/2014 08:38:42.0002] [0] Validating options for the 7 requested roles
[04/03/2014 08:38:42.0002] [0] UpgradeModeDataHandler has 17 handlers and 17 work units
[04/03/2014 08:38:42.0345] [0] CurrentResult launcherbase.maincore:90: 0
[04/03/2014 08:38:42.0564] [0] Finished loading screen WelcomePage.
[04/03/2014 08:38:50.0002] [0] Finished loading screen EULAPage.
[04/03/2014 08:38:52.0314] [0] **************
[04/03/2014 08:38:52.0314] [0] Setup will run the task 'Start-PreConfiguration'
[04/03/2014 08:38:52.0345] [1] Setup launched task 'Start-PreConfiguration -Mode 'BuildToBuildUpgrade' -Roles 'LanguagePacks','BridgeheadRole','FrontendTransportRole','ClientAccessRole','UnifiedMessagingRole','MailboxRole','AdminToolsRole','CafeRole''
[04/03/2014 08:38:52.0392] [1] Finished loading screen PreCheckPage.
[04/03/2014 08:38:54.0908] [1] [ERROR] Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
[04/03/2014 08:38:54.0908] [1] [WARNING] An unexpected error has occurred and a Watson dump is being generated: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Can anyone point me in the right direction? I have also noticed other articles about deleting Exchange groups, but the articles do not appear to apply and I really don't want to go around removing groups that explicitly state "Do Not Remove".
Thanks in advance!
Working to live ...