ML350 G5 server hangs on restart

[Barish_1]

The above server installed with Windows Server 2003 and SQL 2000 hangs on restart. You can power down server and start it and it works fine, but do a restart from within windows and it just hangs and never resets itself. Using a single hard drive.

I tried various configurations of the hard drives and different drives and different G5 servers (all are new from the box) and same results for all, even the rack G5's. Anyone have any ideas besides calling HP support (case now escalated to 2nd Line as no solution found) Any help would be most appreciated.

[gabbar]

Where exactly does it hang.. is it able to go pass the HP logo??? and windows spash screen???

[Barish_1]

Hi

It hangs on the windows logo splash screen, its posts OK, starts loading Windows Server and at the very last stage, just before it should start windows the bar stops and doesnt move again. This happens a lot with 2 hard drives in raid 0 (seperate configuration) and raid 1+0. If we use a single drive and install to that one, whenever a new application is installed or maybe a NIC introduced, and you restart the system from within windows, it will just hang on the windows splash screen. You power off the server (5 second hold) and restart and there is no problem.

The issue here is that we require remote access to off site servers which need a restart from time to time and this current situation means that it is possible that when we restart a server after installing something it will not come back online which is costly to say the least.

Any help appreciated.

ps - Please dont advise a firmware update as this and the bios already flashed as advised by HP support. No change.

[Ryan Goff]

If you goto Safe Mode with Networking, and request Windows to restart, does it restart ok?

[GB Tek]

Update all firmware first since you probably don't have a hardware error if all is well after a cold boot. Use the Proliant firmware maintenance cd to do this. You may find it here:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/serveroptions/us/download/22492.html

[GB Tek]

Sorry I gave you a link for version 7.1. The latest version is 7.8.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/serveroptions/us/download/27225.html

[GB Tek]

I see your note regarding....
ps - Please dont advise a firmware update as this and the bios already flashed as advised by HP support. No change.

With the maintnenace cd it will update more everything in the system that can be flashed including hdds.

[Barish_1]

Ok thanks for the suggestions. I already have the 7.8 firmware update and have already run it. I will do a fresh copy of windows on a new hard drive in a out of the box server and run the firmware update again to be sure and then start installing the apps. Will advise on progress.

Many thanks for your suggestions so far.

[KarloChacon]

use your w2003 again load into server and try to repair your w2003 installation, watch out!!
repair not set up

follow this well is for XP but it's the same

http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic8356.html


regards

[Barish_1]

Tried all mentioned above still not working as intended and still have crashes when restartign through windows. HP support still useless and no solution offered.