windows server 2003 DC dead

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Hi, I have a problem with a windows server 2003 DC. Now it just boots up and displays a black screen. I tried to use chkdsk /f /r and it did not solve the problem. Formatting the hard drive and installing a fresh copy of windows is a disaster because it's the only DC in that environment. I would like to ask about the typical windows server 2003 repair procedure. At least to know what is the source of the problem because everything was working fine until I shutdown the server (normal shutdown) and then stated it up the next day.


Note: No hardware issues. Processor, RAM, and MOBO are working fine.

 

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Are you able to boot into safe mode? Its hard to fix something if we don't know what the problem is exactly. Also do you happen to have a backup of the system state of your DC? If you do, you could always restore.

 

What theprof said but that shouldn't be a problem cause you create a daily backup of the dc right! If it is hosed and its the only dc and there is no backup you are essentially screwed you'll have to build the domain again from your own memory. if you can get into safe mode then you might be able to take a system state backup and copy it off the dc and rebuild it from there.

 

Restore from back up and if you don't have a backup then you will have to do it from scratch. You should of backed the server up and if your company hasn't then they aren't doing their jobs right. Backups are probably the most important task to do correctly in IT period.

 

Unforetunatley, the one resposible for backup did not make any backups for that server. According to the responses I got on the forums, the server is screwed up . Anyway, I'd like to know how to make a backup of the system state. It's not my job but I'd like to do it myself next time not to depend on somebody else.

Thanks for your help

 

Heh...yeah, it seems that the sever is screwed up. I cannot even get boot menu (pressing F to get into safe mode.

 

last thing, what is the best reliable software that I can use to take an image of sever OS. I have tried both Norton Ghost and Acronis True image with client computers. But I am not sure if it'll work fine with servers.

 

You can back up the sys state with windows backup, its saved my ass on a number of occasions.

 

This is the best Acronis product I found so far. But I'll download the trial and see if it works fine with a virtual machine

Backup windows server using Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 Server for Windows

DC is screwed up. Noway to fix

 

I read about system state backup while researching. I haven't done it before as I am not the one responsible for backup. But it's worth a try. Thanks for your help

 

This is our old domain. It has only a file and print server and 100 client computers. I'll just get them out of the domain and rejoin them again after I install and configure a fresh copy of windows on the DC.

 

Acronis True Image 20xx can and 'does' take images of servers if you're using a USB drive to boot from, obviously the software that you would install onto the server for backup purposes may not work but I know 'someone' who may well have used Acronis True Image 2011 to perhaps maybe move a server between hardware by going down this particular route.

Obviously if asked said person wouldn't openly admit to it in a public forum but I have it on good authority that it worked a treat (all the program cares about at that stage is copying the data across, it doesn't care what that data is, infact I have even used it to take backup images of my Iomega IX4 NAS drives before).

At £20 ish pounds for that version you may be better off exploring that instead of the full blown server edition if all you want to do is image the drive before rebuilding, obviously if you're intending to use it for future back up purposes then go for the full blown server edition but as I own a copy of the software (including the powerpack) that I update annually it's saved my bacon more than once.