Unexpected shutdown..

[Guest Hassan]

We have Windows 2003 x64 and our server just go through a restart and the

only thing in the eventlog worth a highlight is

 

"The previous system shutdown at 2:09:10 AM on 12/16/2007 was unexpected. "

 

There are no memory dumps as well.

 

How do we go about finding out whats causing our servers to go through this

unexpected shutdown. No one says they have done anything and its been like 4

times now. They reside in the data center.

 

I guess I wanted to know what can contribute to such shutdowns. I would

think some bugcheck or something would be out there, but its clean.

 

Any other possible causes and if not, any other way to trap it the next time

it happens ? Can a power surge do it ? Please let me know.

 

Thanks

[Guest MrHusy]

RE: Unexpected shutdown..

 

Hi Hassan

What brand is your server? You can use the server software to check the

logs. For example HP Insight manager contains critical logs that are helpful

for determining these kind of errors.

 

Regards

 

"Hassan" wrote:

> We have Windows 2003 x64 and our server just go through a restart and the

> only thing in the eventlog worth a highlight is

>

> "The previous system shutdown at 2:09:10 AM on 12/16/2007 was unexpected. "

>

> There are no memory dumps as well.

>

> How do we go about finding out whats causing our servers to go through this

> unexpected shutdown. No one says they have done anything and its been like 4

> times now. They reside in the data center.

>

> I guess I wanted to know what can contribute to such shutdowns. I would

> think some bugcheck or something would be out there, but its clean.

>

> Any other possible causes and if not, any other way to trap it the next time

> it happens ? Can a power surge do it ? Please let me know.

>

> Thanks

>

>

[Guest Hassan]

Re: Unexpected shutdown..

 

Its Homegrown :(

 

"MrHusy" <MrHusy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:10AB98AC-EDA2-49BD-9AF4-4F83E2AE39E9@microsoft.com...

> Hi Hassan

> What brand is your server? You can use the server software to check the

> logs. For example HP Insight manager contains critical logs that are

> helpful

> for determining these kind of errors.

>

> Regards

>

> "Hassan" wrote:

>

>> We have Windows 2003 x64 and our server just go through a restart and the

>> only thing in the eventlog worth a highlight is

>>

>> "The previous system shutdown at 2:09:10 AM on 12/16/2007 was unexpected.

>> "

>>

>> There are no memory dumps as well.

>>

>> How do we go about finding out whats causing our servers to go through

>> this

>> unexpected shutdown. No one says they have done anything and its been

>> like 4

>> times now. They reside in the data center.

>>

>> I guess I wanted to know what can contribute to such shutdowns. I would

>> think some bugcheck or something would be out there, but its clean.

>>

>> Any other possible causes and if not, any other way to trap it the next

>> time

>> it happens ? Can a power surge do it ? Please let me know.

>>

>> Thanks

>>

>>

[Guest John Toner [MVP]]

Re: Unexpected shutdown..

 

Adjust your recovery settings. Uncheck the "Automatically Reboot" option.

 

Regards,

John

 

Visit my blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/jtoner

 

"Hassan" <hassan@test.com> wrote in message

news:OA4GUFUQIHA.4740@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> We have Windows 2003 x64 and our server just go through a restart and the

> only thing in the eventlog worth a highlight is

>

> "The previous system shutdown at 2:09:10 AM on 12/16/2007 was unexpected.

"

>

> There are no memory dumps as well.

>

> How do we go about finding out whats causing our servers to go through

this

> unexpected shutdown. No one says they have done anything and its been like

4

> times now. They reside in the data center.

>

> I guess I wanted to know what can contribute to such shutdowns. I would

> think some bugcheck or something would be out there, but its clean.

>

> Any other possible causes and if not, any other way to trap it the next

time

> it happens ? Can a power surge do it ? Please let me know.

>

> Thanks

>

[Guest MrHusy]

Re: Unexpected shutdown..

 

You say that no dumps exist. First make sure Server is set to create dumps.

*Right-click My Computer>Properties>Advanced>Startup And

recovery>Write dumps

Is server HP? HP has Insight manager software which reads the events of

Server box, not the Operating system events. Would be usefull for you in this

case.

This can also be a Disk/RAID configuration issue. Is it RAID5? Do you see

any Warning logs about "Disk" event in eventlogs? (Event ids maybe with 34 3x

something as I remember from a previous similar experience of mine)

Or can be related to power. There are only a few reasons for shutdowns

that do not leave any logs/traces/dumps and strongest one is power surge.

Better check the Insight manager logs. It will also inform you if it was a

power surge or not

 

Regards

 

"Hassan" wrote:

> Its Homegrown :(

>

> "MrHusy" <MrHusy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:10AB98AC-EDA2-49BD-9AF4-4F83E2AE39E9@microsoft.com...

> > Hi Hassan

> > What brand is your server? You can use the server software to check the

> > logs. For example HP Insight manager contains critical logs that are

> > helpful

> > for determining these kind of errors.

> >

> > Regards

> >

> > "Hassan" wrote:

> >

> >> We have Windows 2003 x64 and our server just go through a restart and the

> >> only thing in the eventlog worth a highlight is

> >>

> >> "The previous system shutdown at 2:09:10 AM on 12/16/2007 was unexpected.

> >> "

> >>

> >> There are no memory dumps as well.

> >>

> >> How do we go about finding out whats causing our servers to go through

> >> this

> >> unexpected shutdown. No one says they have done anything and its been

> >> like 4

> >> times now. They reside in the data center.

> >>

> >> I guess I wanted to know what can contribute to such shutdowns. I would

> >> think some bugcheck or something would be out there, but its clean.

> >>

> >> Any other possible causes and if not, any other way to trap it the next

> >> time

> >> it happens ? Can a power surge do it ? Please let me know.

> >>

> >> Thanks

> >>

> >>

>

>

[Guest w_tom]

Re: Unexpected shutdown..

 

On Dec 18, 12:37 pm, "Hassan" <has...@test.com> wrote:

> Its Homegrown :(

> ...

>>> I guess I wanted to know what can contribute to such shutdowns. I would

>>> think some bugcheck or something would be out there, but its clean.

 

List of hardware suspects that can cause a complete restart is

shorter - limited by how the OS works. That list includes sound card,

video controller, CPU, memory, power supply 'subsystem', and some

motherboard functions.

 

To break the problem into parts, use tools such as comprehensive

hardware diagnostics (that responsible computer manufacturers provide

for free), 3.5 digit multimeter (a tool so complex that only a Kmart

shopper can understand it), and heat. Heat is a diagnostic tool to

find defective (marginal) hardware.

 

If your computer manufacturer is not so responsible, then download

third party or component manufacturer diagnostics for the above list

of suspects. IOW the objective is to move each component or subsystem

from 'unknown' to 'definitively good' or 'definitively bad'.

 

For example, does a memory problem exist? Do logic ones stored all

around one memory location change that location from logic zero to

logic one? Memtst86 is one third party diagnostic. But the testing

is not complete until memory is also tested when at elevated (normal)

temperatures. Heat that memory with a hair dryer on highest heat so

that memory is uncomfortable to touch but does not leave skin. If

memory also passes diagnostics while under high (normal) heat, then

conclude 'definitively good'. Move on.

 

One that can make anything else to appear defective is a power

supply system. This 'system' should be verified first. A 'system'

where the power supply is only one component. A computer can boot

and mostly work just fine with a defective supply. But using the

multimeter in this two minute procedure can identify a defective

supply 'system' OR put move the system to 'definitively good'. Move

it using two minutes and "When your computer dies without

warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp

at:

http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

 

Once each hardware suspect is no longer 'unknown' (diagnostics pass

even with heat), then move on to software suspects startng with the

OS. No application software should cause your symptoms. However

perverted drivers for 'suspect' hardware might cause an abrupt

shutdown.