windows 2000 server won't boot up

  • Thread starter Thread starter maxim2k
  • Start date Start date
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maxim2k

Hi,

I've a Windows 2000 Server (SP4 with Update Rollup 1 and all the latest
updates): it's an old Dell PowerEdge 1550 with a Adaptect AIC-7899 SCSI
controller and two SCSI disks, they are in mirror mode, i.e. Windows
2000 software RAID.

This morning I've applied the latest security updates (IIRC just an IE6
update) and deinstalled some old applications, then rebooted the server.

The server never came back: the Windows blue loading progress bar
completes, but the login window never comes up!

I've tried to reboot it several times, no luck.
I cannot get it to boot in Safe Mode either.

What could be the cause of problem? How can I identify and fix it?

Is it a good idea to boot the server with the Windows 2000 Server CD and
try to have it automatically repair the installation?

What about the software RAID? Is that going to cause any problem?

Thanks.
 
maxim2k said:
Hi,

I've a Windows 2000 Server (SP4 with Update Rollup 1 and all the latest
updates): it's an old Dell PowerEdge 1550 with a Adaptect AIC-7899 SCSI
controller and two SCSI disks, they are in mirror mode, i.e. Windows
2000 software RAID.

This morning I've applied the latest security updates (IIRC just an IE6
update) and deinstalled some old applications, then rebooted the server.

The server never came back: the Windows blue loading progress bar
completes, but the login window never comes up!

I've tried to reboot it several times, no luck.
I cannot get it to boot in Safe Mode either.

What could be the cause of problem? How can I identify and fix it?

Is it a good idea to boot the server with the Windows 2000 Server CD and
try to have it automatically repair the installation?

What about the software RAID? Is that going to cause any problem?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-UK;Q256194

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=836417

HTH?
 
maxim2k said:
Unfortunately the login screen is now even presented to me, so it looks
like the above articles won't help ...

Any other idea?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Have you tried rebooting and going into Safe Mode?
 
maxim2k said:
Unfortunately the login screen is now even presented to me, so it looks
like the above articles won't help ...

Any other idea?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Have you left it for a while to see if it comes up eventually (or even
disconnect the network cable for a short time to see if it comes up)
 
Have you left it for a while to see if it comes up eventually (or even
disconnect the network cable for a short time to see if it comes up)
Click to expand...

Yes, I've waited for half an hour or so, and it didn't come up, also no
disk activity according to the leds when it gets stuck.

Why should I disconnect the network cable?

Thanks.
 
maxim2k said:
Hi,

I've a Windows 2000 Server (SP4 with Update Rollup 1 and all the latest
updates): it's an old Dell PowerEdge 1550 with a Adaptect AIC-7899 SCSI
controller and two SCSI disks, they are in mirror mode, i.e. Windows
2000 software RAID.

This morning I've applied the latest security updates (IIRC just an IE6
update) and deinstalled some old applications, then rebooted the server.

The server never came back: the Windows blue loading progress bar
completes, but the login window never comes up!

I've tried to reboot it several times, no luck.
I cannot get it to boot in Safe Mode either.

What could be the cause of problem? How can I identify and fix it?

Is it a good idea to boot the server with the Windows 2000 Server CD and
try to have it automatically repair the installation?

What about the software RAID? Is that going to cause any problem?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

In such cases I have had an excellent success rate when
copying the most recent System registry file from the
Repair folder back to where it belongs (after saving
the original under a different name). This assumes, of
course, that the Repair directory is up-to-date.
 
maxim2k said:
Yes, I've waited for half an hour or so, and it didn't come up, also no
disk activity according to the leds when it gets stuck.

Why should I disconnect the network cable?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Just that sometimes they sit there in a loop looking for DNS or external
links pulling the cable can stop this as it recognises the connections not
there
 
In such cases I have had an excellent success rate when
copying the most recent System registry file from the
Repair folder back to where it belongs (after saving
the original under a different name).
Click to expand...

That sounds worth a try, how do I do it?

Thanks.
 
Just that sometimes they sit there in a loop looking for DNS or external
links pulling the cable can stop this as it recognises the connections not
there
Click to expand...

Since I cannot even boot it in Safe Mode, that shouldn't bring up
network interfaces at all, I think the problem may lay somewhere else.

Thanks.
 
maxim2k said:
That sounds worth a try, how do I do it?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

You first check the age of your registry files in the
%SystemRoot%\Repair folder. If they are recent,
boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD
(http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#download),
move the existing System and Software files
sideways, then replace them with their equivalents
from the Repair folder.
 
Actually should have been;

%SystemRoot%\Repair\Regback

%SystemRoot%\Repair
would always contain the as-installed copies of the registry hive files.



--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| You first check the age of your registry files in the
| %SystemRoot%\Repair folder. If they are recent,
| boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD
| (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#download),
| move the existing System and Software files
| sideways, then replace them with their equivalents
| from the Repair folder.
|
|
 
maxim2k said:
Since I cannot even boot it in Safe Mode, that shouldn't bring up
network interfaces at all, I think the problem may lay somewhere else.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Why? You said the loading bar completes, jsut the login does'nt come up, so
the machine may well be busy trying to access something it cannot find and
get stuck in a loop?
 
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