HEEELP - Main host server has just gone down

[TwistedHelixis]

Just clicked on windows backup to check our backups on our 2012r2 hyper-v host server and got a blur screen of death saying something about spaceport.sys

 

on reboot it has come up with

windows failed to boot to fix the problem insert windows cd and click repair.

 

Should I do this?

[cpjitservices]

spaceport.sys is a storage space driver, a inpage error means the driver requested access but the storage did not respond.

 

this could be caused by corrupted memory for the driver, or something prevented the driver from responding. Check the drives power, data cables. maybe put the data cables on a different SATA port or on a different controller. (many systems have two sata controllers)

 

if your system will boot, run a malwarebytes scan/virus scan.

if your drive is old, try running crystaldiskinfo.exe to read the smart error data from the drive.

if you suspect the drive is failing you might run a test utility like seatools. http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/item/seatools-...

 

to check your windows files for corruption run cmd.exe as an admin, then run

sfc.exe /scannow

 

if you have windows 8.x

you then run

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

 

windows 8.x will also attempt to make low level repairs of certain types of errors, but you have to leave the system idle for hours to allow the repairs. (turn off sleep and leave the system overnight)

 

Whack windows disk in and see if you can run an SFC /scannow from command prompt off of Disk

[TwistedHelixis]

Thanks for getting back to me. I have just contacted Dell and they are sending me some tools to run so they can see the logs. Will post back with more info.

[TwistedHelixis]

Dell util failed and they are not getting back to my emails so just tried running sfc.exe /scannow but get Windows resource protection could not perform operation.

[TwistedHelixis]

to check your windows files for corruption run cmd.exe as an admin, then run

sfc.exe /scannow

 

How do I run as admin if running cmd from boot cd?

[sted]

How do I run as admin if running cmd from boot cd?

as far as im aware you are always from windows pe it dosent have uac

[TwistedHelixis]

Thats what I thought

[cpjitservices]

open Command from DVD and type C: press enter, then try and run SFC /Scannow - that should do it! How are your drives looking ? Can you tell if any are failing ?

[pantscat]

If you're booting from a DVD you probably need to tell SFC where to look - try this:

 

sfc /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=c:\ /OFFWINDIR=c:\windows

 

Where "c:\windows" is your windows directory...

 

Ant

[TwistedHelixis]

OK, booting from DVD, choosing language etc, then repair computer, then choosing troubleshooting, then cmd.

if I type c: I get the system cannot find the drive specified.

 

How are your drives looking ? Can you tell if any are failing ?

The server was configured with Raid 10 but I am not getting options to enter raid during the boot.

 

Not a good day

[cpjitservices]

Seems like you might have a failing disk or something....

[pantscat]

When you boot from the DVD there should be a prompt that says something like "Press F6 to install third-party drivers"... you need to do this and supply the driver on a floppy (!) or usb stick...

[pantscat]

Another thought - Dell servers normally come with a Dell branded boot CD - something like "Open Manage Server Assistant", I think. Try booting from this to see if your RAID is healthy - it should have utilities in it.

 

You can download the ISO from the Dell support if required.

 

Ant

[sted]

Another thought - Dell servers normally come with a Dell branded boot CD - something like "Open Manage Server Assistant", I think. Try booting from this to see if your RAID is healthy - it should have utilities in it.

 

You can download the ISO from the Dell support if required.

 

Ant

the newer ones its built in f11 at bootup iirc will put into a diagnostic /setup mode where at the very least you can confirm your raid config

[pantscat]

the newer ones its built in f11 at bootup iirc will put into a diagnostic /setup mode where at the very least you can confirm your raid config

 

That's useful to know - not seen a newish Dell server!

[sted]

That's useful to know - not seen a newish Dell server!

its called lifecycle controller iirc and should pop up as a message at bootup and by newish i mean probably 3+ years its been there iirc

[TwistedHelixis]

I have been into lifecycle controller and finally found the raid adapter (F11, system setup, Hardware config, Device settings). All drives are listed as ready / OK and virtual disk is RAID 10 and ready / OK.

 

[pantscat]

That's reassuring then - did you have any luck with SFC?

[TwistedHelixis]

Dell have just got back to me and said that all the hardware and raid drives look good.

 

did you have any luck with SFC?

 

Not yet. Just about to have another go.

[TwistedHelixis]

Someone from Dell just called me back and asked me to run some more tests, so going to do that.

 

Would appreciate everyone checking in on me a bit later as I will probably be working later on this.

 

Thanks for all you help so far.

[TwistedHelixis]

Just planing ahead, if SFC does not work is there anything else I can try? or would it be a wipe, rebuild, restore?

[TwistedHelixis]

Also this hyper-v host holds the DC with all the roles and the data server. If I did manage to get the server to boot or did restore the Virtual machines today, how long is too long for a DC to be off the network before it would be better to do a non authoritative restore.

[rrrrr]

Just a note if it comes to it. As far as im aware it is never a good idea to restore dc snapshots due to syncing issues. Always do a system state restore if you cant get original vm going.

[TwistedHelixis]

Dell have said there are no hardware issues and closed the job.

 

Just ran sfc /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=c:\ /OFFWINDIR=c:\windows

but still get Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service.

[TwistedHelixis]

OK, if I just type in sfc /scannow it does scan and get to 100% and gives a slightly different error

Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation