[URGENT] Server has died...

[game_over]

I come into work today with no internet access...

so i head down to the server all is OK... try to remote into the firewall.. it failed..

i hooked a screen up to the firewall only to find a BSOD.. INACCESABLE_BOOT_DEVICE

i tried some standard methods to get it running again but i just cant.

the thing is, this server was here before i came and the previous technician was careless and there are no recovery disks, windows disks to be found..

so i'm left with nothing... i cant boot into dos, or safe mode. i guess i dropped the ball a little because i'm not prepared for this sort of problem.

can anyone offer me any assistance, its sort of an emergency, i have no windows recovery disk.

it's windows server 2000

luckily our main server is fine so we can still access network resources.. but our ISA server seems dead. its an SCSI device

thanks.

[jshimmy3]

Well, you could always look around a few certain sites and get yourself a Server 2000 disk ISO, burn it & use it...

[Lilrich]

Well, you could always look around a few certain sites and get yourself a Server 2000 disk ISO, burn it & use it...

Is that actually a serious suggestion?

I suppose you could maybe try a disk recovery utility and copy the contents of the disk to a new hard drive?

Rich

[Guest]

doesit BOSD everytime you try to boot or does it no get past BIOS stadge?

You could use a w2k disc and repair the install..?

Or boot off a Live CD and try to trouble shoot.

If all you have is no internet setup a quick gateway for the users using smoothwall or a proxy on a desktop to get them running then fix the server

[kazuyette]

...

I suppose you could maybe try a disk recovery utility and copy the contents of the disk to a new hard drive?

Rich

Yep ! You should download a live CD of a linux distro and use the recovery tools included.

[timmmay]

+1 for live cd recovery of sorts

It shouldn't be too hard for you to reconfigure the network to bypass the proxy...

[jingarelho]

doesit BOSD everytime you try to boot or does it no get past BIOS stadge?

You could use a w2k disc and repair the install..?

Or boot off a Live CD and try to trouble shoot.

If all you have is no internet setup a quick gateway for the users using smoothwall or a proxy on a desktop to get them running then fix the server

+1

if you dont like smoothwall, there is always the ipcop for a temp solution until you can recover the server.

btw: this is why backups are not a wast of disk space.

[ahhell]

i cant boot into dos

Uh..DOS? Really?

Maybe you should call in someone to look at it.

[garethevans1986]

Get IPCop running on a spare server.....

[Sophism]

restore from backu.... ohh wait..

What kind of server is this ISA server? What kind of warranty do you have?

Even if you don't have a backup of the entire server you at least have a recent backup of the ISA rules correct?

IF you have absolutely no backups at all then try getting IPCop running on a spare server while you rebuild/repair the ISA Server.

Let this be a lesson that Backups are UBER important. As a sys admin (I am guessing that you are the sys admin at your work) you should ensure not only that backups are done, but also restore said backups occasionally to spare equipment and verify that they are working.

[Japlabot]

buy a router instead.

[game_over]

I suppose you could maybe try a disk recovery utility and copy the contents of the disk to a new hard drive?

Rich

can you reccomend a live CD? something like BartPE ?

doesit BOSD everytime you try to boot or does it no get past BIOS stadge?

You could use a w2k disc and repair the install..?

Or boot off a Live CD and try to trouble shoot.

If all you have is no internet setup a quick gateway for the users using smoothwall or a proxy on a desktop to get them running then fix the server

i get to the windows 2000 loading screen, it alst about 5 seconds before it BSODS'

It shouldn't be too hard for you to reconfigure the network to bypass the proxy...

you would think, our network is a nightmare to get your head around.. however, it works so we leave it.. i'll try your suggestion though thanks.

Uh..DOS? Really?

Maybe you should call in someone to look at it.

i tried command prompt from the F8 options but that BSOD's as well... i downloaded some windows 2000 boot disks off bootdisk.com .. i am in the process of running the repair methods on that.

restore from backu.... ohh wait..

What kind of server is this ISA server? What kind of warranty do you have?

Even if you don't have a backup of the entire server you at least have a recent backup of the ISA rules correct?

IF you have absolutely no backups at all then try getting IPCop running on a spare server while you rebuild/repair the ISA Server.

Let this be a lesson that Backups are UBER important. As a sys admin (I am guessing that you are the sys admin at your work) you should ensure not only that backups are done, but also restore said backups occasionally to spare equipment and verify that they are working.

its an old HP thing, it just runs as our firewall and is not used for much else.. but no we dont have our access rules backed up so i cant afford to lose this drive :(

will give IPCop a go. thanks. and yes lesson learned, we do have a backup system it's just so out of date.

buy a router instead.

what

?

[Lilrich]

Windows Ultimate Boot CD? I am trying to think if that would be any good. Ubuntu may allow u to copy over the volume :)

[kimsland]

The ultimate bootcd for Windows, requires a valid XP or 2003 licence, and you have to build it first (before your system has corrupted (or you can use your original Windows discs.

The Ultimate BootCD (just UBCD) will work though.

I think Ubuntu live boot disc would be best.

[ANON86364]

It reallys sounds like there is so much more than your backups being out of date. Maybe after this disaster situation your management or whoever is responsible will realize where some extra money needs to go...

Obviously if you are getting any sort of BSOD you are past the BIOS post...some people really should stay out before they cause more harm than good.

Do you have a RAID on this server? If you do, right after BIOS post you should see a BIOS for the RAID controller...does it show the RAID as degraded?

Also, the most obvious question: has anything been done to this server, particularly last night?

[Lilrich]

It reallys sounds like there is so much more than your backups being out of date. Maybe after this disaster situation your management or whoever is responsible will realize where some extra money needs to go...

Obviously if you are getting any sort of BSOD you are past the BIOS post...some people really should stay out before they cause more harm than good.

Do you have a RAID on this server? If you do, right after BIOS post you should see a BIOS for the RAID controller...does it show the RAID as degraded?

Also, the most obvious question: has anything been done to this server, particularly last night?

How Rude!

[neufuse Veteran]

buy a router instead.

Uh? Good answer?.... what would a router do? ISA is a firewall for most people only, more then likely they have a router before it if it is coming in through a T1 or other high end business class line... all our networks ISA sits behind a Cisco router before you get to the actual network...

and for not having your filter rules backed up, wow... one of the first things you should do once you got the rules set up is back it up... its just a small XML file you can put on a USB flash drive......

[kimsland]

If it has Raid, it will be very difficult to backup (depending upon which Raid > impossible to backup using a boot cd)

Does it have Raid?

[ANON86364]

How Rude!

hah The rude comment was directed at whoever even asked if he gets the BSOD everytime and does it pass the BIOS post in the same question.

If it has Raid, it will be very difficult to backup (depending upon which Raid > impossible to backup using a boot cd)

Does it have Raid?

Please explain? You can use any Boot CD or Windows Recovery Console as long as you install the correct RAID driver...As far as what kind of RAID it is, the only type of RAID that would be difficult to recover - I'm assuming you mean recover/repair and not backup - would be a RAID0. God help him if he has a server running on a RAID0.

[kimsland]

Here's the explanation

Raid is not the best system to be used when trying to recover data. (not just Raid0)

Anyway... (waiting.)

[sc302 Veteran]

Here's the explanation

Raid is not the best system to be used when trying to recover data. (not just Raid0)

Anyway... (waiting.)

why isn't it? If the raid hasn't failed and it was just the os that failed, you can use acronis to backup the drive, you can use a pe enviornment to boot up with the proper raid drivers and back up the enviornment, you can use a erd commander disk with the proper raid drivers to try to recover and/or backup the enviornment. I have had to do this before (with acronis).

[ANON86364]

why isn't it? If the raid hasn't failed and it was just the os that failed, you can use acronis to backup the drive, you can use a pe enviornment to boot up with the proper raid drivers and back up the enviornment, you can use a erd commander disk with the proper raid drivers to try to recover and/or backup the enviornment. I have had to do this before (with acronis).

You are correct. In my experience a RAID is not an obstacle when repairing a system.

[kimsland]

I've had another look: http://www.acnc.com/04_01_00.html

Lets just say not Raid0 then (as you said) You can forget everything else I posted :D

[Max Veteran]

It just sounds like you need to get to a command prompt and run chkdsk,that seems to resolve the boot volume error.

[Joel]

If it has Raid, it will be very difficult to backup (depending upon which Raid > impossible to backup using a boot cd)

Does it have Raid?

Here's the explanation

Raid is not the best system to be used when trying to recover data. (not just Raid0)

Anyway... (waiting.)

Speak not of what you don't understand. That's the most ridiculous nonsense I've read in a while.