Windows Server 2003 acting weird and don´t know the reason ?!?!?

[picardbluenight]

Hi. I have following case:

Windows 2K3 Server, DC + Exchange (This also has McAffe GroupShield for
antivirus + GFI MailEssentials for anti-smap + DHCP) doing great. Upgrade to
SP2 nice (1 month ago or so)
Well...

Two days ago I had to restart the server. Then the POP3 and IMAP services
didn´t work ok... Well... After a first reboot (same happened) I set them
manually and restart again. Once server booted I start them manually and they
work... ok...

But I didn´t like the situation because if server had to restart (power
supply cuts, etc) it would be bad until I have the time to react and start
the POP3/IMAP services.
Well...
I install updates for GFI MailEssentials thinking this could be the problem

Then I restart the server and problems begins... Server acts real weird!!!
WHEN BOOTING, AT FIRST IT REPLIES TO PING REQUESTS, AND THEN WHEN IN SCREEN
APPEARS 'PREPARING NETWORK CONNECTIONS' IT STOPS ANSWERING.

After this situation is critical:
- It doesn´t allow to do almost anything, it doesn´t allow to check the
services mmc, the network connections on cpl... although with cmd command it
recognizes the adapter with the original IP...

I reinstall windows... Ok, working again... GFI MailEssentials not working
at all, but well...
After this I update to SP2 and... again the same weird symptons!???!??

I´m going totally nuts with this...
The server is a Dual-Xeon SuperMicro Server with an INTEL ESB2 RAID
controller and DUAL-Connexion Integrated LAN card TEAMED.

Any help or comment is greatly appreciated.

best regards from Spain,
Jose Manuel.

 

[Anteaus]

If a server starts misbehaving unexpectedly, first thing I'd suspect is the
RAM. Use a diagnostic utility to check it, or better, do a substitution test.
It would also be a good idea to run the server for a while with a bootable
Linux CD as the OS. This should reveal any hardware problems.

Other than that, I would check to see what software changes have taken place
recently, and roll them back.

 

[Oceana]

Hello Jose Manuel

Reply Below.......

"picardbluenight" wrote:
> Hi. I have following case:
> After this I update to SP2 and... again the same weird symptons!???!??
> I´m going totally nuts with this...
> Any help or comment is greatly appreciated.
> best regards from Spain,
> Jose Manuel.

Try looking at your Network Card.

I usually hit the Control Panel, Remove Hardware, and zap the Network Card
listed, then Reboot the Server, let it discover the new Hardware.

Do all this after you have Installed/Applied the SP2 Package.

Windows XP and Server 2000 had this same problem with Network Connections
after apply'n SP2 on them.

The problem was with the WinSock/TCP Setting in the Registry after the
application of SP2.

There was a program called WinSockXPFix that corrected this on the XP and 2K
boxes, don't know if it will work on Server 2003 though.

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,25701/description.html

Might be something to look into....

L8R

Oceana - in Cooolddd Vancouver BC Canada

 

[picardbluenight]

Anteaus, Oceana:

Thx for your feedback, it´s highly appreciated.

I finally solved the main problem: it was related to corrupted active
directory on the dc server was acting weird. The server itself denied the
permissions to active it´s own services after first reboot!

Finally I solved by demoting the DC Server to standalone server, then taking
out from the domain and then promoting again to DC Server via DCPromo.

The nightmare lasted three days, but now everything seems fine.

Best regards from Spain,
Jose Manuel.

"picardbluenight" wrote:

> Hi. I have following case:
>
> Windows 2K3 Server, DC + Exchange (This also has McAffe GroupShield for
> antivirus + GFI MailEssentials for anti-smap + DHCP) doing great. Upgrade to
> SP2 nice (1 month ago or so)
> Well...
>
> Two days ago I had to restart the server. Then the POP3 and IMAP services
> didn´t work ok... Well... After a first reboot (same happened) I set them
> manually and restart again. Once server booted I start them manually and they
> work... ok...
>
> But I didn´t like the situation because if server had to restart (power
> supply cuts, etc) it would be bad until I have the time to react and start
> the POP3/IMAP services.
> Well...
> I install updates for GFI MailEssentials thinking this could be the problem
>
> Then I restart the server and problems begins... Server acts real weird!!!
> WHEN BOOTING, AT FIRST IT REPLIES TO PING REQUESTS, AND THEN WHEN IN SCREEN
> APPEARS 'PREPARING NETWORK CONNECTIONS' IT STOPS ANSWERING.
>
> After this situation is critical:
> - It doesn´t allow to do almost anything, it doesn´t allow to check the
> services mmc, the network connections on cpl... although with cmd command it
> recognizes the adapter with the original IP...
>
> I reinstall windows... Ok, working again... GFI MailEssentials not working
> at all, but well...
> After this I update to SP2 and... again the same weird symptons!???!??
>
> I´m going totally nuts with this...
> The server is a Dual-Xeon SuperMicro Server with an INTEL ESB2 RAID
> controller and DUAL-Connexion Integrated LAN card TEAMED.
>
> Any help or comment is greatly appreciated.
>
> best regards from Spain,
> Jose Manuel.