Hello and welcome to my new blog. I guess the name Kick the PC might confuse some of you ... but anyone out there who works as an IT Consultant will probably immediately relate.
You know, computers at their core are logical, completely logical. I mean each bit can only be a 0 or 1 (off or on), so surely you would expect troubleshooting to follow a logical pattern.
But too often it doesn't. And I'll give you a couple of examples ... and then you'll understand why I want to Kick the PC!
Example 1: Microsoft vs Dell
There's a little-documented problem with Dell PowerEdge 1900 Servers running Microsoft SBS (Small Business Server) 2003 R2, which causes the server to go into a never-ending reboot loop with the error message
You know, computers at their core are logical, completely logical. I mean each bit can only be a 0 or 1 (off or on), so surely you would expect troubleshooting to follow a logical pattern.
But too often it doesn't. And I'll give you a couple of examples ... and then you'll understand why I want to Kick the PC!
Example 1: Microsoft vs Dell
There's a little-documented problem with Dell PowerEdge 1900 Servers running Microsoft SBS (Small Business Server) 2003 R2, which causes the server to go into a never-ending reboot loop with the error message
"lsass. exe : When trying to update a password the return status indicates that the value provided as the current password is not correct"
This problem only happens with this make and model of server - but Dell won't take responsibility
This problem only happens with this version of a Microsoft Operating System - but Microsoft won't take responsibility
The only solution is a rebuild, which is great if you have the original setup disks with all the drivers for the SATA RAID array. But if you don't then you have to load up the drivers from a floppy drive. Er, a floppy drive? Does anyone have one of those anymore??
No worries, thought I, I have a USB floppy drive and I'm sure I can find an old Floppy disk. Except of course that the Dell won't allow you connect a USB floppy until Windows is set up.
Hmm, Microsoft only allow you to set it up with a floppy, Dell block you from using one.
Kick the PC. Well, actually I didn't ... there were clients watching!
After a little walk to calm down a little I hatched a plan. I would insert the 4 disk RAID5 array into a Netgear NAS caddie. Great. Inserted the disks ... and the Netgear NAS wouldn't recognise them.
More Googling revealed this was a common problem for disks formatted on a Windows Server and the suggestion was to remove one of the disks and put them back in.
Did that, the NAS started up. Yippee ... except that when I logged onto the Windows console it told me it was formatting the disks ... not what I wanted.
To cut a long story short, I put in an IDE disk, installed SBS on it, installed the SATA RAID array as a extended partition then made it primary and booted.
The Server was back with the client a couple of days later. I had no hair left. And because they were a charity I agreed to cap the charges for them (at the point where I thought it would take 4 instead of about 40 hours).
In this job, it's all about keeping your cool, thinking around the problem and at all times have a fall-back position.
The clients kept working through all this time, because whilst I worked on-site with the annoying server, our HelpDesk moved over all the data, registered a new domain name and rerouted their email. No loss of data, no downtime for the client.
***Mission accomplished***
If you have the same problem, please feel free to give me a call on 0845 900 2822, or visit our website: http://www.livingstonesolutions.co.uk/
One of the few places to list this problem on the web: http://www.winserverkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/windows-server-sbs/30821/lsass-exe-When-trying-to-update-a-password
This problem only happens with this version of a Microsoft Operating System - but Microsoft won't take responsibility
The only solution is a rebuild, which is great if you have the original setup disks with all the drivers for the SATA RAID array. But if you don't then you have to load up the drivers from a floppy drive. Er, a floppy drive? Does anyone have one of those anymore??
No worries, thought I, I have a USB floppy drive and I'm sure I can find an old Floppy disk. Except of course that the Dell won't allow you connect a USB floppy until Windows is set up.
Hmm, Microsoft only allow you to set it up with a floppy, Dell block you from using one.
Kick the PC. Well, actually I didn't ... there were clients watching!
After a little walk to calm down a little I hatched a plan. I would insert the 4 disk RAID5 array into a Netgear NAS caddie. Great. Inserted the disks ... and the Netgear NAS wouldn't recognise them.
More Googling revealed this was a common problem for disks formatted on a Windows Server and the suggestion was to remove one of the disks and put them back in.
Did that, the NAS started up. Yippee ... except that when I logged onto the Windows console it told me it was formatting the disks ... not what I wanted.
To cut a long story short, I put in an IDE disk, installed SBS on it, installed the SATA RAID array as a extended partition then made it primary and booted.
The Server was back with the client a couple of days later. I had no hair left. And because they were a charity I agreed to cap the charges for them (at the point where I thought it would take 4 instead of about 40 hours).
In this job, it's all about keeping your cool, thinking around the problem and at all times have a fall-back position.
The clients kept working through all this time, because whilst I worked on-site with the annoying server, our HelpDesk moved over all the data, registered a new domain name and rerouted their email. No loss of data, no downtime for the client.
***Mission accomplished***
If you have the same problem, please feel free to give me a call on 0845 900 2822, or visit our website: http://www.livingstonesolutions.co.uk/
One of the few places to list this problem on the web: http://www.winserverkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/windows-server-sbs/30821/lsass-exe-When-trying-to-update-a-password
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