Windows Server 2008 SP install problem

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Decided to run updates on my server and I just knew I would have problems. It installed a SP and I rebooted. It's been stuck with this on screen for hours. What do I do?

 

@BudMan?

 

 

[+BudMan MVC]

what server, what updates?

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Server 2008. I think it was SP2 but I don't recall for sure. I finally had to force shut it down and reboot. I booted off my OS CD and am at a command prompt right now. Every time I try to boot the server now it gets stuck on this screen on file w3core.mof. I found some post somewhere that said to try renaming the file and I followed the instructions but there is no file named w3core.mof in windows\system32

[sc302 Veteran]

you could try booting to a iso/cd and attempting to run the boot repair to see if that fixes it....it could be a corrupt hard drive/file corruption so chkdsk /r....it could be that the update fubar'd the file (unlikely but possible) and would have to go back to the last system restore....and if worse came to worse, hopefully you have a full image backup and could restore easily.

[patseguin Global Moderator]

I found the file and renamed it but now I get the same error but with a different file - 140/57647 (program_files_internet_explorer_a421d1bfaf...)

 

Is there any way to just revert to before I tried to install this sp? I can't do anything now but force shut down the server and then it just goes back to the same error.

 

If I boot of my server 2008 CD and select repair, I only get options for command prompt, complete pc restore from image, and windows memory diagnostic.

[sc302 Veteran]

see if you can get into safe mode.  other wise, you would be restoring from backup.

 

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Safe mode won't work either. got up to drivers\avgidshx.sys and it just stops. Also tried renaming the pending.xml file so try and cancel out the SP install. Looks like it is booting then before it gets to Windows logo screen goes black.

 

Can I reinstall Server 2008 right over my existing install and retain my settings and files?

[Mando]

18 minutes ago, patseguin said:

Safe mode won't work either. got up to drivers\avgidshx.sys and it just stops. Also tried renaming the pending.xml file so try and cancel out the SP install. Looks like it is booting then before it gets to Windows logo screen goes black.

 

Can I reinstall Server 2008 right over my existing install and retain my settings and files?

not really no.

 

Btw that safemode Drivers\avgisshx.sys is an AVG file, guide how to disable it to see if windows boots below.

https://support.avg.com/answers?id=906b0000000D4bAAAS

 

if that doesnt sort, did you say you got as far as repair/ command prompt from Os DVD?

 

do a checkdisk /r first then if that doesnt fix anything, you could try scanning windows OS files in offline mode via repair command prompt, with 2008 server.

it should then replace any "corrupted" or erroneous OS files it finds, from your sources dir. it was a feature introduced with Vista/2008.

 

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/askcore/2007/12/18/using-system-file-checker-sfc-to-fix-issues/

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2016 by Mando

[sc302 Veteran]

Files yes, settings no. 

 

Image it first so you can go back to it if needed. 

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Not sure how or why I would image if the system is stuck and won't boot.

 

I've tried the sfc /scannow command with the added arguments but it won't do it because it says some kind of file check is due to be done. I also made that AVG CD and it won't even boot.

 

I am trying everything I can just to get the system to boot at all but it always gets stuck on some file in the SP upgrade process.

 

It's looking like my only option left maybe to re-install Server 2008 over the top. Any tips for doing that?

[sc302 Veteran]

You image the system in the state that it is in right now so you have a point in time to go back to. If you have a commercial product, you can browse and extract things out of the image as you would a zip file or mapped network drive. It is a point in time capture in case your next step completely fubars the system to the point of no recovery.  

 

Tldr, make yourself a recovery point to you can recover something if something goes really bad. 

[patseguin Global Moderator]

How do I make a recovery point or image when I can't even boot into Windows? I'm running a chkdsk right now but I just know that when I reboot it's going to get stuck on the same file again. Safe mode gets stuck too.

 

 Now, I am thinking about trying to use a live Ubuntu CD or something to at least boot to some kind of system so I can copy some files.

 

I think it's starting to look like my only option is to do a re-install.

 

Added wrinkles are that I do have my server 2008 install media but I can't kind the product key for it. The server (Dell) originally came with Server 2003 which I'd be fine using but I can't find the install media for that.

 

Is there any way to find out what my server 2008 product key is from a command prompt booting off the install dvd?

[sc302 Veteran]

You use third party imaging tools like acronis, ghost, easesus, etc.  they have bootable images/ISO/USB creators. If nothing  else the free cloneziila. 

 

No the product key is lost.  

 

I would say you you just learned the hard way why documentation, full backups, and full system images are so important. 

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

have you looked to see if that 0xc code returns any results?

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Thanks sc302. I was able to boot off of a Symantec Recovery disk I created a while back. It has a file manager and I was able to navigate to my data partition and found the text file I made that has my Server 2008 product key. Lucky me haha.

 

I am currently installing the OS onto the 2nd partition and will update the thread in a little bit with how I did.

[patseguin Global Moderator]

I did a clean install of the OS. All is going fairly well except one issue (so far).

 

I use a SQL Server Express database hosted on the server. I created the UDL and tested it and it connects fine. I copied the UDL to my workstation (which previously used the database) and opened it but it doesn't connect. I can see all the instances in the dropdown but when I try to select the database I get a long pause and then the error message. See below. Could this be some kind of security setting somewhere? I already have Firewall disabled.

 

 

[sc302 Veteran]

antivirus causing issues?

[Circaflex]

On 1/25/2017 at 4:48 AM, Riva said:

Download a server 2008 ISO with SP2 integrated/slipstreamed and boot from it, select the option to ugprade. Thats the best solution i can think of without wiping the system clean

Yes, the old in-place upgrade to repair your install trick. Has come in handy more times than I can count.