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Harddrive failed due to water leak! RRS feed

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    Hi

    Got a problem with my server.

    My marine tank auto top up unit decided not to switch off and leaked salt water into my server. I know that keeping my server under a large body of salt water was stupid....

    Anyway. Only one SCSI drive has been fried the rest of the server is (luckily) ok. Unfortunately it was the drive that the OS was installed to so I cannot boot the server. I get "NTLDR is missing" when the server passes all post test.

    I know that WHS uses a kinda JBOD arrangement with some redunantcy and I hoping that my data will be safe on the other 3 SCSI drives.

    The server had 4 x 146GB SCSI U360 drives in it( it was a old compac G3 server)

    What is the best way to ensure I get my data back?

    Can I replace the fried drive with a new one and re-install WHS without it formatting the other 3 drives?

    Any help you can offer on the best way to recover my system would be greatluy apprieciated.


    • Edited by Boomsling Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:58 PM
    Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:57 PM

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    Hi,

    You should be able to do a Server Re-Installation. You can install the new drive, (you will need the appropriate drivers as it's SCI ), and then boot from the Server DVD. All being well, you will have two options, NewInstall and Re-Install; selecting the re-install will wipe the C: partition and just install the operating system. Towards the end, it might appear to be frozen, it isn't, it's just rebuilding all the pointers to all your data. Afterwards, you will need to re-add your Clients, any Add-Ins you were using, and any customisations you may have had.

    If you don't get the re-install option, it is still possible to retain all your data, but it's a longer process. It means disconnecting your data drives and just doing the Install to your system drive. Once this is complete and the server is up-to-date, then re-attach a data drive, but DO NOT accept the add to storage pool, or use as backup. Once running, just copy off your files from the Shared Folders on this drive, to the 'new' Shared Folders on your server. Once complete, you can then add this drive to the storage pool, and repeat with your other drives.

    Colin




    If anyone answers your query successfully, please mark it as 'Helpful', to guide other users.
    Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:30 PM
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    Hmm. gives a whole new meaning to the term "storage pool"...

    I am going to make a recommendation that I'm sure you don't want to hear. If your server was soaked with salt water, you should replace everything. The lifetime of electronics that have been exposed to salt water, and then not cleaned meticulously, is typically measured in weeks. The damage is usually done within a few minutes, though it takes some time for the hardware to fail.

    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Tuesday, October 28, 2008 6:36 PM
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    Oh, I forgot to add that I have bough a PCI SCSI controller to add to my main system i hope that I'll be able to get the data off them.

    Will this work?
    Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:02 PM
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    Hi,

    You should be able to do a Server Re-Installation. You can install the new drive, (you will need the appropriate drivers as it's SCI ), and then boot from the Server DVD. All being well, you will have two options, NewInstall and Re-Install; selecting the re-install will wipe the C: partition and just install the operating system. Towards the end, it might appear to be frozen, it isn't, it's just rebuilding all the pointers to all your data. Afterwards, you will need to re-add your Clients, any Add-Ins you were using, and any customisations you may have had.

    If you don't get the re-install option, it is still possible to retain all your data, but it's a longer process. It means disconnecting your data drives and just doing the Install to your system drive. Once this is complete and the server is up-to-date, then re-attach a data drive, but DO NOT accept the add to storage pool, or use as backup. Once running, just copy off your files from the Shared Folders on this drive, to the 'new' Shared Folders on your server. Once complete, you can then add this drive to the storage pool, and repeat with your other drives.

    Colin




    If anyone answers your query successfully, please mark it as 'Helpful', to guide other users.
    Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:30 PM
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    Hmm. gives a whole new meaning to the term "storage pool"...

    I am going to make a recommendation that I'm sure you don't want to hear. If your server was soaked with salt water, you should replace everything. The lifetime of electronics that have been exposed to salt water, and then not cleaned meticulously, is typically measured in weeks. The damage is usually done within a few minutes, though it takes some time for the hardware to fail.

    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Tuesday, October 28, 2008 6:36 PM
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    Ken Warren said:

    Hmm. gives a whole new meaning to the term "storage pool"...

    LOL.  That's the best line I've heard in ages. :)


    Ken Warren said:

    I am going to make a recommendation that I'm sure you don't want to hear. If your server was soaked with salt water, you should replace everything. The lifetime of electronics that have been exposed to salt water, and then not cleaned meticulously, is typically measured in weeks. The damage is usually done within a few minutes, though it takes some time for the hardware to fail.


    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)



    I agree with Ken.  Attempting to use your now water-soaked equipment is doing yourself a great disservice.  Would you really trust your data to a server that has been hit with salt water?  Think of it this way:  your banking institution gets hit by a flood, hitting all of their servers.  What would you think if they came out and said, "Yeah, our servers got drenched, but they are running for the moment so we are going to continue using them and hopefully your personal data on our servers isn't lost at some point due to the water damage caused by the flood."?
    Wednesday, October 29, 2008 3:30 AM
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    Thanks for the posts. Seems all is not lost.

    I have a old Prescott P4 PC which Im going to use as the new server and bin the old Compac Server.

    From what you have posed then I should be able to do a fresh install on the new server. Install the SCSI PCI card after the server has installed and updated. Install the drivers for the SCSI card and then attached each scsi drive and not add them to the storage pool (lol) or as a back up. I should then be able to copy off my old data.

    I'l,l  let you know how it goes.

    I've just got to buy a 1TB drive now to add to the new server so there's enough space to copy my old files too.


    Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:23 AM
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    Boomsling said:

    Thanks for the posts. Seems all is not lost.

    I have a old Prescott P4 PC which Im going to use as the new server and bin the old Compac Server.

    From what you have posed then I should be able to do a fresh install on the new server. Install the SCSI PCI card after the server has installed and updated. Install the drivers for the SCSI card and then attached each scsi drive and not add them to the storage pool (lol) or as a back up. I should then be able to copy off my old data.

    Sounds about right to me. :)

    Boomsling said:

    I'l,l  let you know how it goes.

    I've just got to buy a 1TB drive now to add to the new server so there's enough space to copy my old files too.


    Wednesday, October 29, 2008 10:31 PM
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