Guest r. wales Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 I have a file server that has become unresponsive to ctrl-alt-del. It is functioning normally in all other aspects. I could not connect using remote desktops, but I do not usually log in this way so I am not sure if it is set up to allow it. I came in this morning and hit ctrl-alt-del as usual. The screen saver stopped but the log in window never appeared. How can I get back into this machine? I do not want to have to use the reset button if I can possibly avoid it. Thanks in advance.
Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server r. wales <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > I have a file server that has become unresponsive to ctrl-alt-del. > It is functioning normally in all other aspects. I could not connect > using remote desktops, but I do not usually log in this way so I am > not sure if it is set up to allow it. You might test . What version of Windows server? > I came in this morning and hit > ctrl-alt-del as usual. The screen saver stopped but the log in > window never appeared. How can I get back into this machine? I do > not want to have to use the reset button if I can possibly avoid it. > > Thanks in advance. Try remote desktop. Try to manage the server remotely from a working computer. Try connecting to the event viewer across the network.
Guest r. wales Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote: > r. wales <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > I have a file server that has become unresponsive to ctrl-alt-del. > > It is functioning normally in all other aspects. I could not connect > > using remote desktops, but I do not usually log in this way so I am > > not sure if it is set up to allow it. > > You might test . What version of Windows server? > > > I came in this morning and hit > > ctrl-alt-del as usual. The screen saver stopped but the log in > > window never appeared. How can I get back into this machine? I do > > not want to have to use the reset button if I can possibly avoid it. > > > > Thanks in advance. > > Try remote desktop. Try to manage the server remotely from a working > computer. Try connecting to the event viewer across the network. > > I tried to remote desktop in. It says connecting for a while then goes to disconnected. Obviously it is not excepting remote connections. The version is 2003 sp2. I am able to view the event logs, shares, services, etc using computer management on my workstation. All drives mapped to the file server are functioning. I have left it sit for a while thinking if the screen saver were to kick in again I could try ctrl-alt-del again, but the screen saver is not coming back on.
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server "r. wales" <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:F03A0E6A-1334-4B35-BBE1-F531B31B1280@microsoft.com... >I have a file server that has become unresponsive to ctrl-alt-del. It is > functioning normally in all other aspects. I could not connect using > remote > desktops, but I do not usually log in this way so I am not sure if it is > set > up to allow it. I came in this morning and hit ctrl-alt-del as usual. > The > screen saver stopped but the log in window never appeared. How can I get > back into this machine? I do not want to have to use the reset button if > I > can possibly avoid it. > > Thanks in advance. > Here are a couple of options: - Use shutdown.exe to shut the machine down remotely. - Use psexec.exe (http://www.sysinternals.com) to start a console session on that server, then do whatever you like.
Guest r. wales Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote: > > "r. wales" <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message ---no login window--- > > Here are a couple of options: > - Use shutdown.exe to shut the machine down remotely. > - Use psexec.exe (http://www.sysinternals.com) to start a console > session on that server, then do whatever you like. > > Thanks for the tip Pegasus. I dowloaded pstools and tested psexec using the ipconfig command and it did return the proper data. As the server is acting normally otherwise and the event logs don't look suspicious I will wait until after business hours to try to restart it using psexec. Hopefully the boot process will restore the log in window. Any other ideas? Any idea why it might be acting this way? Nothing unusual appears to have happened either last night or this morning. Thanks again.
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server "r. wales" <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:4094BB46-5BF1-460F-8957-156D3DF99713@microsoft.com... > > > "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote: > >> >> "r. wales" <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > ---no login window--- >> >> Here are a couple of options: >> - Use shutdown.exe to shut the machine down remotely. >> - Use psexec.exe (http://www.sysinternals.com) to start a console >> session on that server, then do whatever you like. >> >> > Thanks for the tip Pegasus. I dowloaded pstools and tested psexec using > the > ipconfig command and it did return the proper data. As the server is > acting > normally otherwise and the event logs don't look suspicious I will wait > until > after business hours to try to restart it using psexec. Hopefully the > boot > process will restore the log in window. Any other ideas? > > Any idea why it might be acting this way? Nothing unusual appears to have > happened either last night or this morning. > > Thanks again. The first step in such cases is usually to examine the Event Logger, which you can do from any networked machine.
Guest r. wales Posted March 11, 2008 Posted March 11, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server > > The first step in such cases is usually to examine the Event Logger, > which you can do from any networked machine. > > > That I did right away this morning. Everything looks normal, I even looked back a couple of days to make sure nothing out of the ordinary was logged. I also used pslist in task manager mode to make sure no unusual processes were running or nothing was using an unusual amount of cpu. Everything looks ok. The only thing I can think to do now is wait until later this evening and reboot the machine.
Guest r. wales Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote: > > "r. wales" <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:F03A0E6A-1334-4B35-BBE1-F531B31B1280@microsoft.com... > >I have a file server that has become unresponsive to ctrl-alt-del. It is > > functioning normally in all other aspects. I could not connect using > > remote > > desktops, but I do not usually log in this way so I am not sure if it is > > set > > up to allow it. I came in this morning and hit ctrl-alt-del as usual. > > The > > screen saver stopped but the log in window never appeared. How can I get > > back into this machine? I do not want to have to use the reset button if > > I > > can possibly avoid it. > > > > Thanks in advance. > > > > Here are a couple of options: > - Use shutdown.exe to shut the machine down remotely. > - Use psexec.exe (http://www.sysinternals.com) to start a console > session on that server, then do whatever you like. > > Thanks again for your help and suggestions. Sadly, neither of the above options shutdown my server. I was forced to push the reset button. I did learn alot from looking into the things you suggested though, so not a total waste. There are some very good tools there. Thanks again. I will mark this as a useful answer because even though it did not fix my problem, I can see where it may help others dealing with a similar issue.
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Re: Unable to log into file server "r. wales" <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:92DBDD7B-3C74-4F81-A89A-50C4F57C7FF1@microsoft.com... > > > "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote: > >> >> "r. wales" <rwales@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:F03A0E6A-1334-4B35-BBE1-F531B31B1280@microsoft.com... >> >I have a file server that has become unresponsive to ctrl-alt-del. It >> >is >> > functioning normally in all other aspects. I could not connect using >> > remote >> > desktops, but I do not usually log in this way so I am not sure if it >> > is >> > set >> > up to allow it. I came in this morning and hit ctrl-alt-del as usual. >> > The >> > screen saver stopped but the log in window never appeared. How can I >> > get >> > back into this machine? I do not want to have to use the reset button >> > if >> > I >> > can possibly avoid it. >> > >> > Thanks in advance. >> > >> >> Here are a couple of options: >> - Use shutdown.exe to shut the machine down remotely. >> - Use psexec.exe (http://www.sysinternals.com) to start a console >> session on that server, then do whatever you like. >> >> > Thanks again for your help and suggestions. Sadly, neither of the above > options shutdown my server. I was forced to push the reset button. I did > learn alot from looking into the things you suggested though, so not a > total > waste. There are some very good tools there. Thanks again. I will mark > this as a useful answer because even though it did not fix my problem, I > can > see where it may help others dealing with a similar issue. Thanks for the feedback.
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