2008 server: repair boot environment - how?

[Guest Alwin]

Hi all,

 

I admit, I messed up a quite important server. Originally it was

Windows 2008, for some testing / cloned its system partition (Norton

Ghost) and installed Windows 2003. Some time later I restored Windws

2008 over 2003, and since then the server does not boot any more.

 

Strange: if I insert any OS CD (tried some: 2003 Server, 2000 Server,

even XP ...) and boot, the server boots the CD, displays the normal

"Press any key to boot from the CD" prompt, and if I do *not* press

any key it will after some time skip the CD boot and - boot Windows

2008 server from the Harddisk.

 

I'd prefer it to boot without the helping CD, of course :-)

 

Questions:

 

* what does the boot process "borrow" from the CD?

* how do I fix the boot envireonment on the harddrive? Under 2003 I'd

have given the emergency console (fixboot/fixmbr) a chance, but I

could not find the console in 2008.

 

Any clues welcome ...

 

Alwin.

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: 2008 server: repair boot environment - how?

 

 

"Alwin" <SimCity70@web.de> wrote in message

news:lpare45d0ra048t29d7kgk3t5fllaq9fn9@4ax.com...

> Hi all,

>

> I admit, I messed up a quite important server. Originally it was

> Windows 2008, for some testing / cloned its system partition (Norton

> Ghost) and installed Windows 2003. Some time later I restored Windws

> 2008 over 2003, and since then the server does not boot any more.

>

> Strange: if I insert any OS CD (tried some: 2003 Server, 2000 Server,

> even XP ...) and boot, the server boots the CD, displays the normal

> "Press any key to boot from the CD" prompt, and if I do *not* press

> any key it will after some time skip the CD boot and - boot Windows

> 2008 server from the Harddisk.

>

> I'd prefer it to boot without the helping CD, of course :-)

>

> Questions:

>

> * what does the boot process "borrow" from the CD?

> * how do I fix the boot envireonment on the harddrive? Under 2003 I'd

> have given the emergency console (fixboot/fixmbr) a chance, but I

> could not find the console in 2008.

>

> Any clues welcome ...

>

> Alwin.

 

A good starting point would be to describe what exactly happens when you

attempt to boot normally.

[Guest Meinolf Weber]

Re: 2008 server: repair boot environment - how?

 

Hello Alwin,

 

You can try to start form the original 2008 disk and choose the "Repair"

option instead of installation.

 

Best regards

 

Meinolf Weber

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> Hi all,

>

> I admit, I messed up a quite important server. Originally it was

> Windows 2008, for some testing / cloned its system partition (Norton

> Ghost) and installed Windows 2003. Some time later I restored Windws

> 2008 over 2003, and since then the server does not boot any more.

>

> Strange: if I insert any OS CD (tried some: 2003 Server, 2000 Server,

> even XP ...) and boot, the server boots the CD, displays the normal

> "Press any key to boot from the CD" prompt, and if I do *not* press

> any key it will after some time skip the CD boot and - boot Windows

> 2008 server from the Harddisk.

>

> I'd prefer it to boot without the helping CD, of course :-)

>

> Questions:

>

> * what does the boot process "borrow" from the CD?

> * how do I fix the boot envireonment on the harddrive? Under 2003 I'd

> have given the emergency console (fixboot/fixmbr) a chance, but I

> could not find the console in 2008.

> Any clues welcome ...

>

> Alwin.

>

[Guest Alwin]

Re: 2008 server: repair boot environment - how?

 

Hi Pegasus,

>A good starting point would be to describe what exactly happens when you

>attempt to boot normally.

 

Sorry, forgot to mention this :-)

 

If I take the "helping" CD out of the CD-ROM drive and boot, I get a

"DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER" message.

 

If I just press enter the message keeps reappering. If I insert any

bootable Microsoft OS CD the boot process starts from the CD, and if I

do not press any key when prompted by the CD the server boots from its

harddrive, and works.

 

....Alwin.

[Guest Dusko Savatovic]

Re: 2008 server: repair boot environment - how?

 

Hi Alwin,

 

Boot mechanism changed in Vista/WS2008.

 

You may need to recreate your boot code with bootset.exe command.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749177.aspx

 

You may also find this little freeware helpfull.

http://www.vistabootpro.org/

 

 

"Alwin" <SimCity70@web.de> wrote in message

news:lpare45d0ra048t29d7kgk3t5fllaq9fn9@4ax.com...

> Hi all,

>

> I admit, I messed up a quite important server. Originally it was

> Windows 2008, for some testing / cloned its system partition (Norton

> Ghost) and installed Windows 2003. Some time later I restored Windws

> 2008 over 2003, and since then the server does not boot any more.

>

> Strange: if I insert any OS CD (tried some: 2003 Server, 2000 Server,

> even XP ...) and boot, the server boots the CD, displays the normal

> "Press any key to boot from the CD" prompt, and if I do *not* press

> any key it will after some time skip the CD boot and - boot Windows

> 2008 server from the Harddisk.

>

> I'd prefer it to boot without the helping CD, of course :-)

>

> Questions:

>

> * what does the boot process "borrow" from the CD?

> * how do I fix the boot envireonment on the harddrive? Under 2003 I'd

> have given the emergency console (fixboot/fixmbr) a chance, but I

> could not find the console in 2008.

>

> Any clues welcome ...

>

> Alwin.

[Guest Alwin]

Re: 2008 server: repair boot environment - how?

 

Hi Meinolf,

>You can try to start form the original 2008 disk and choose the "Repair"

>option instead of installation.

 

Already tried. If I do so I am prompted for the RAID drivers, provide

them, repair finds and displays my operating system partition, I

select it, and then I get the options to ...

 

* Completely restore Windows from backup

* Run Memory Disgnostics tool

* Open a command prompt.

 

All three choices do not seem to be helpful in my situation ...

 

....Alwin.

[Guest Alwin]

Re: 2008 server: repair boot environment - how?

 

Hi Dusko

>You may need to recreate your boot code with bootset.exe command.

>http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749177.aspx

>

 

Worked right away!

 

Thanks very much, you saved my day :-)

 

....Alwin.