H
Hamer E
Ok, so the problem is as follows.
Environment:
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Retail Edition. In addition to a basic installation, the server only has the Hyper-V Role installed with 2 virtual machines locally deployed, and 5 virtual machines replicated there on a daily basis. There are no other services that are deployed or in use.
Hardware:
Dell PowerEdge R630. All firmware was updated during my troubleshooting process according to these steps: Dell Instructions: How to Update PowerEdge Servers with Platform Specific Bootable ISO
Problem Description:
After applying the March 2020 updates to the server on 3/17/20, a reboot was required. I rebooted after-hours, and the only thing that came back was the Windows logo, but without any dots underneath indicating progress. It was just the black background with the blue Windows logo on it. I left it there for 8 hours. The following morning, it was still unresponsive. So I forced a shutdown with the power button and rebooted it. Still got the same result.
Initial Diagnosis:
It is my understanding that it is failing at the Windows NT OS Kernel load phase of the bootup process, according to this article: Advanced Troubleshooting Boot Problems. After several unsuccessful attempts to boot the server, I was able to enter Safe Mode using the Advanced Startup Repair menu that came up after three failed boots. I therefore went down the route of attempting to repair the image with:
sfc /scannow and dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth.
SFC indicated errors, but was unable to fix them. DISM gave me an error about being unable to locate the source file. So then I created an installation media from Microsoft's Visual Studio Subscription portal for the same edition of Windows Server 2016. I flashed it to the USB using Rufus, and came back to the server to try and use the image on the USB as my source, following the instructions laid out here, using Method 2: Using Alternative Source. The altered command was the following:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:WIM:X:\sources\install.wim:IndexNumber /LimitAccess,
where 'X' represented my USB drive and Index was 4, for Window Server 2016 Datacenter Edition (with GUI). This also failed with a source error (0x800f081f). I then attempted to export the image locally:
DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:E:sources\install.wim /SourceIndex:4 /DestinationImageFile:C:\install.wim /Compress:max /CheckIntegrity
The export worked, and then I issued the following command pointing to the local source instead of the USB:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:WIM:C:\install.wim:1 /LimitAccess
It failed once again with the source error.
According to these instructions, my image is repairable. This was checked using:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
and
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Any ideas?
P.S. - In safe mode I tried removing the most recent updates, KB4534307 and KB4540723, but they keep coming back. It's like they're failing to uninstall sucessfully. Upon reboot, the server never boots correctly, and after three tries it goes to Advanced Startup Repair. Only upon entering safe mode do I get a blue update screen saying "Unable to complete updates. Undoing changes."
Continue reading...
Environment:
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Retail Edition. In addition to a basic installation, the server only has the Hyper-V Role installed with 2 virtual machines locally deployed, and 5 virtual machines replicated there on a daily basis. There are no other services that are deployed or in use.
Hardware:
Dell PowerEdge R630. All firmware was updated during my troubleshooting process according to these steps: Dell Instructions: How to Update PowerEdge Servers with Platform Specific Bootable ISO
Problem Description:
After applying the March 2020 updates to the server on 3/17/20, a reboot was required. I rebooted after-hours, and the only thing that came back was the Windows logo, but without any dots underneath indicating progress. It was just the black background with the blue Windows logo on it. I left it there for 8 hours. The following morning, it was still unresponsive. So I forced a shutdown with the power button and rebooted it. Still got the same result.
Initial Diagnosis:
It is my understanding that it is failing at the Windows NT OS Kernel load phase of the bootup process, according to this article: Advanced Troubleshooting Boot Problems. After several unsuccessful attempts to boot the server, I was able to enter Safe Mode using the Advanced Startup Repair menu that came up after three failed boots. I therefore went down the route of attempting to repair the image with:
sfc /scannow and dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth.
SFC indicated errors, but was unable to fix them. DISM gave me an error about being unable to locate the source file. So then I created an installation media from Microsoft's Visual Studio Subscription portal for the same edition of Windows Server 2016. I flashed it to the USB using Rufus, and came back to the server to try and use the image on the USB as my source, following the instructions laid out here, using Method 2: Using Alternative Source. The altered command was the following:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:WIM:X:\sources\install.wim:IndexNumber /LimitAccess,
where 'X' represented my USB drive and Index was 4, for Window Server 2016 Datacenter Edition (with GUI). This also failed with a source error (0x800f081f). I then attempted to export the image locally:
DISM /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:E:sources\install.wim /SourceIndex:4 /DestinationImageFile:C:\install.wim /Compress:max /CheckIntegrity
The export worked, and then I issued the following command pointing to the local source instead of the USB:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:WIM:C:\install.wim:1 /LimitAccess
It failed once again with the source error.
According to these instructions, my image is repairable. This was checked using:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
and
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Any ideas?
P.S. - In safe mode I tried removing the most recent updates, KB4534307 and KB4540723, but they keep coming back. It's like they're failing to uninstall sucessfully. Upon reboot, the server never boots correctly, and after three tries it goes to Advanced Startup Repair. Only upon entering safe mode do I get a blue update screen saying "Unable to complete updates. Undoing changes."
Continue reading...