Failed raid drive replacement

[terrytech]

Thanks for the great forum! I found you while working on a big problem, hoping to get some help to avert a disaster...

I have an entry level white box tower server, running SBS 2003 as an app file and printing server for about 12 users. It was built about 16 months ago with all new parts. (Intel Xeon Quad Core 3200, 4G RAM, 2 500 G Seagate Baracuda SATA Drives, RAID 1, not hot-swappable).

The machine has been running well, lightly loaded, without issues until about 2 weeks ago. The server started spontaneous reboots about once or twice a day, and a check of the log errors (I have logs with delayed write errors on the drive) leads me to suspect SATA Drive 1 may be failing.

I acquired a new drive, to attempt replacement. Unplugged existing drive 1, plugged in, initialized & formatted the new drive using the through the BIOS RAID and SATA drive setup. Both spindles (old drive 0 and new drive 1) recognized and no errors. I then attempted to start the server booting into SBS. The machine boots like SBS 2003 is going to start, but before the login screen comes up, throws "One or more services failed to start..." error. Click ok, Windows Login screen comes up, but Administrator password doesn't work.

I backed out of the hardware change, (disconnected the new, reconnected the old) and was able to get in to SBS again - (note: the whole start-up process on the old drive is as much as 7 minutes longer than when the new drive was connected.)

We're now running crippled on the old system, till I figure this out. Can anyone provide some pointers or maybe direct me to a good step by step to replace the RAID Drive 1? I can attach a log file, if it helps.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

 

[thiggins]

Before you do ANYTHING, get a backup of whichever files you don't want to lose.

Then try:
http://www.securitycameraworld.com/...leshooting-RAID-with-Intel-Matrix-Storage.pdf

 

[terrytech]

Thank you for the response

Before you do ANYTHING, get a backup of whichever files you don't want to lose.

Then try:
http://www.securitycameraworld.com/...leshooting-RAID-with-Intel-Matrix-Storage.pdf

I needed this instruction, and it confirms what I have done so far. I expected that when I put the new disk online, it would rebuild the mirror after I logged in. This instuction doesn't tell me why I can't login unless I put the old disk back in.
The server is running now, so I will definately back up again, before re-trying to swap the bad disk out. Is there something else I need to do to the array before I shut it down to make the change? I can't figure out why the administrator password won't work when the new drive is put online...

Thanks again for your help!
-T

 

[thiggins]

The only reason that I can think of for your not being able to log is is that credentials were changed at some point after the RAID array failed and the info didn't get properly copied over.

You should just be able to plug in the replacement drive and the array will rebuild.

 

[terrytech]

Thanks for all the help, suggestions and resources

Sorry for the delayed response!

I really appreciate your help and suggestions... The problem was that one disk in the raid failed, became out of synch and it appears to have corrupted windows files for SBS on the good drive. I was not able to do an image to image to a new disk to create a working copy of SBS, because of the SAM file issue not allowing me to log in. I was able to extract files and data off the good drive.

Fortunately, I was able to use an older server box to get the business up and running. I am going to try taking the faulty machine into intensive care. I am going to try reinstall/repair of SBS on the good drive. If that works, I will then get a clone to a brand new drive, and hopefully put this crisis to bed.

I'm very glad I found this forum, and I really appreciate all the good threads for research.

Thanks again!
-T