Admin Server Dead - move hdd?

[Phybert]

This is my first post in a new job (2nd week) at a local school. Got called in today as the Admin server has done down - turns out the Mobo has failed (as far as I can established), HDD seems ok and I can access the data on it.

 

Now as this is a new job I've not yet had a chance to even logon to the Admin server and see how its configured, all I'm aware of its that its Server 2003, its not a DC and the admin workstations are not on a domain, no AD etc and it appears that the server is just performing a file server role. The previous Tech left no documentation or was there any hand-over, so I'm in at the deep end.

 

Ideally I'd like to put the Admin Server HDD into a spare server that we have, however as its different hardware the 'new' server blue screens when loading the OS. I'm thinking of running a repair on the OS, although not sure that this will resolve the issue. Pressure is on to get Admin their server back asap, so I'd rather not have to re-install the OS from scratch especially as I'm unsure as to what was on it and how it was configured.

 

Can anyone offer any advice? Thanks

[Admiral208]

might be a silly question but arent there any backups?? Cant you reinstall windows and then restore the data and setup?

[Phybert]

might be a silly question but arent there any backups?? Cant you reinstall windows and then restore the data and setup?

No backups i'm afraid

[Jamman960]

What sort of admin setup/data are we talking about? do the clients have client software(sims/fms/cmis etc) installed?

 

If you could for instance tell us it has sims installed we could offer further advice more specific to the software. If you have a support agreement in place with the LEA/Capita or whoever I'd start following that up for disaster recovery instructions.

 

If its purely data I'd just setup a new server, copy the data accross and figure out what shares the clients are expecting by inspecting one of the workstations.

 

edit: running an install repair should get it more or less up and running - you'd just need to tweak a few drivers here and there etc etc

Edited June 16, 2011 by Jamman960

[ronnoco]

Hi,

 

Have you had a search online to see if you could acquire the same brand of motherboard? This would be the easiest fix.

 

If this is not an option, is it a single drive? If so, what type? If it was for example a SATA drive, the first thing I would do is put that in a caddy or another computer and get a copy of all the data.

 

Another option might be to boot from a CD that allows you to access the hard drive. You could then copy all the data to an external drive, etc.

 

If it's a single drive, you could possibly use cloning software to take an image.

 

Once you know you have a copy of the data, you could put that hard drive in a different server and try a Windows repair/install depending on what's best for the situation. Repair/over the top install might be messy but if there lots of software installed and configured on this old server, might be the best way.

 

Hope this helps.

[K.C.Leblanc]

however as its different hardware the 'new' server blue screens when loading the OS. I'm thinking of running a repair on the OS, although not sure that this will resolve the issue. Pressure is on to get Admin their server back asap, so I'd rather not have to re-install the OS from scratch especially as I'm unsure as to what was on it and how it was configured.

 

Can anyone offer any advice? Thanks

 

If it's just a fine server then probably the easiest way is to install it as a second drive. You'll have to reshare the files of course, but they should all be there.

 

Also make the most of this as an opportunity to point out how you've been hindered because best practice has not been followed.