INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE during Win 2000 bootup

[Gus Kwong]

Appreciate for all comments.

When error occurs, Server Spec as follows: DL380g3, dual3.2GHz Xeon, 4x72GB SCSI U320, 4GB RAM, SmartArray5i, Win2000ServerSP4, Firmware previous version (dated 25Jul03), SmartArray Firmware not the latest (v.2.36).


In short --- The failure happened after upgrading Disk0 to Dynamic Disk in Windows2000 Server, causing corruption to NTFS partitions.


Here is the description:
========================
{This paragraph may not be relavent} Before that, a RAID5 ARRAY expansion has been done on the only Logical Drive from 3x72GB drives to 4x72GB. It took 5 days to finish but 100% success, and Disk0 was previously showing 146GB but now show 216GB in MSWindows Disk Management, confirmed the expansion completion in both MSWindows Event Viewer and Insight Manager.

The ARRAY is setup with ONE logical drive of 216GB using RAID5 configuration (over 4x72GB SCSI U320 drives). The MSWindows Disk Management shows ONE Logical Drive previously and partitioned as C Drive 8GB, D Drive 146GB, and 60GB Free Disk Space. Disk0 has been initially setup as BASIC DISK.

I was trying to increase D drive size using the remaining 60GB free space. But MSWindows Disk Management would not offer disk expansion, so I thought I'll see if Dynamic Disk would help. I have then upgraded the DISK0 to Dynamic Disk. It asks for a reboot, so I did.

This is the point when the error occurs --- it would come up to Windows Boot Menu, but choosing any option will result in Blue Screen Crash with the error message 0x0000007B Inaccessible Boot Device. I was also surprised that it managed to boot up all the way to both "Windows Starting" screen and "Windows Startup" screen with the little progree bar before it crashed into Blue Screen.


Diagnostics done:
1) Tried Smartstart CD for Diagnostic... no help, but then again I believe it is not the Array set causing troubles.

2) Windows's Bootup Menu appears, I was able to pick the option of safe-mode/VGA/CommandPrompt BUT of course none of them would work and they will just cause the Blue Screen crash (0x0000007B).

3) Booted up in Recovery Console (it didn't even ask for password to get in!!). DISKPART.exe sees all the damaged partitions (8GB,127GB,67GB) --- I don't think FIXMBR.exe will help but if I am wrong please please correct me!

4) fixmbr did say error found (tempted to use fixmbr /device/harddisk0 but not sure this is a good idea)

5) The MAP.exe shows the following (BUT no C Drive?!)...
? 0MB \Device\HardDisk0\Partition0
? 8196MB \Device\HardDisk0\Partition1
? 130719MB \Device\HardDisk0\Partition2
? 69464MB \Device\HardDisk0\Partition0
A: \Device\Floppy0
D: \Device\Cdrom0

6) No firmware updated yet.

I have noticed the 69464MB partition is same as the first one?! It was also quite upsetting when I saw MAP.exe was not showing C: at all.

Thanks in advance for any idea!

Gus

[Eric_76]

did you cancel the check disk when it rebooted. if so then that is the problem..
we did not try to fix this ""just rebuilt the whole thing" "well just the OS part"". sorry...

[Eric_76]

or try to get back to recover console and run chkdsk /r..
goodluck..

[Gus Kwong]

Thanks, Eric. Unfortunately, the chkdsk cannot see drive letters at the moment.

As shown in the previous message, in Recovery Console environment MAP.exe shows question-marks for all partitions (it usually shows the drive letters where they are allocated).

Just repeating myself that the Windows would boots up quite far before the Blue Screen--- I've got a funny feeling that it crashes because it was trying accessing disks using Logical path (like C:\Winnt), but the boot up still works because it is accessed using Device Name, like \Device\HardDisk0\Partition1.

Does anyone know if there is a built-in tool (or 3rd party tool) to modify these settings?

Gus

[Omar Senussi]

Hi Gus,
Apart from viral infevtion, the most common cause of this error is incorrect controller identification. If the native drivers are not in the OS disk, you need to have the W2K driver on floppy when you are installing.. at the install screen, you are invited to press F6 (think) to specify a third party driver.. DO IT! and offer the driver on floppy.. should fix your problem.

[Omar Senussi]

Sory Gus,
Should have read your post all the way through.. clearly getting late!
You may be able to do a repair booting from the W2K CD? If that fails, Might be an idea to upgrade the controller firmware? and/or see if there is a later driver for your controller?