Win2K server down

HW_Hack

Crappy end to my week -- on Friday afternoons I get a reminder to check backups on our server. I'm using a backup app to just backup user data every evening - and I'm using the built-in MS backup tool to do their total system backup every weekend (from what I understand this is a full image backup). Running Win2K with SVC PAK 4.

All backups go to a separate 360GB hard drive --- I had the OS (C drive) and some net based scholastic apps ( D drive) all on a separate 80GB drive.

So I check the backups -- all looks fine --- I then think .... this thing has been up and running for about 5 months --- so knowing MS products - I think it probably needs a reboot. I initiate a restart -- I then get messages from the antivirus that it can't stop its tray agent - and another tray agent complains. So I force them to quit (I'm now committed) -- the system sits for 5 minutes doing nothing and I force a HW shutdown (hold in power button) ..... (My guess now is those agents and other services were unable to neatly shut-down cuz the primary HD was not working / responding)

On the power up the system seemed kind of baulky and slow - this eventually revealed itself to be the primary HD not responding and eventually the system tried to boot off of the network. However - on my last boot attempt the system the primary HD did apparently to the BIOS config as it showed up on the boot list menu .. when I chose to boot off of it I got the always depressing "NTLDR Not Found". So at this point I'm assuming the primary HD (C: / D:) is toast or nearly so.

Things in my favor (hopefully):
- I have both data and a system backup
- I few weeks ago I created an Emergency Floppy using the Win2K utility (however its not bootable)


So Before I go in on Tuesday morning - I'm looking for guidance / input on how to get this bi-atch up - running - and recovered ASAP and with the most safety concerning the backups on the internal HD.

I've got some other win2K clients -- can they make that Emergency floppy bootable ?

Are there any recommended recovery applications that might help out ?

THANKS IN ADVANCE !!!!!

kryyst

Depends on how much time you have to piss around trying things. If the server absolutely must be backup asap. You need to throw in a new harddrive and rebuild it. Odds are though you'll have to install the OS from scratch if you don't have working backup recovery disks that you can image off of. Once you get it back up and running to a point install your backup software and recover from your disks.

Meanwhile, on another machine I'd hook up the failing drive and ghost it to another drive, it could failing, but not dead. Then do a repair install on the imaged drive. That in all likeliness will fix it assuming it ghosts successfully.

HW_Hack

Quick note - Came in after the weekend and hit the power button ... booted just fine. Did several nice orderly shutdowns/restarts. Has been running and providing SW license services etc. just fine

System log file is sprinkled with clusters of errors / warnings --- been aware of this but pretty well swamped. All of these deal with a few various services and or the anti-virus SW having a conflict with the browser version.

Sooo most likely I need to go in and clear these up to avoid a repeat in the future

primesuspect

I would, if I were you, IMMEDIATELY get a second domain controller installed and connected so that you have your catalog on another box if that one dies for real.

HW_Hack

primesuspect wrote:

I would, if I were you, IMMEDIATELY get a second domain controller installed and connected so that you have your catalog on another box if that one dies for real.

If it were only that simple --- currently central district IT does not allow or support separate domains / active directory etc. Pretty backwards but thats the way it is.

Current plan is to clean up the server services etc. and then setup a process to do a monthly disk image of the primary C: / D: partitions on the primary boot disk

Muddling on as usual ........