Help to find shutdown reason

[Manuel Gómez González]

Hi all:

We´ve got a Windows2003 server running on a Compaq Proliant machine.

System shutdown yesterday without known reason.

Shutdown Event Tracker utility shows following information:

...
Description: The process Explorer.EXE has initiated the shutdown of computer computername on behalf of user domain\username for the following reason:
Hardware: Maintenance (Planned)
...

does anyone knows why Explorer.EXE initiated the shutdown? Could it be related with power faults or peaks?

Thanks for your help.

Manu

[Ron Kinner]

Definitely not a power issue.

Do you perhaps have Automatic Updates turned on? I'm thinking it may have gotten an update from Microsoft that required it to reboot. If that is the case there is probably a .log down in Winnt with that date.

Of course, there is a more sinister possibility and that is that some worm or virus has taken up residence in your system. Again search the C:\ and subfolders for all files from that date and see if you have any .exe or .dll files that were modified that day. Make sure you can see hidden and system files and extensions.

The write up on the program says that it can also shutdown a remote computer so it is possible I guess that some other computer was shutdown and took the server with it.

http://www.petri.co.il/what's_shutdown_event_tracker_on_windows_server_2003.htm

Finally, it could be that Explorer just crashed tho it should have said unplanned. Are there any log in the Event Viewer for System or Application for that time period?

Ron

[Dexter Filmore]

Might be worth scanning for viruses and spyware etc in case there is something nasty on your system.

[Prashant (I am Back)]

Hi,

fiest check the event log for the server and please pass on the Event ID for the same.
At the same time when shutdown was initiated by explorer.exe check the IML for the server also for any hardware error or not.
Run Online Hardware scan to validate your hardware then check with the OS part for validation.

Regards,
Prashant S.