WHS sys drive failing

D

drgnfang

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
1,085
So, WHS is reporting that my system drive is failing, what are my options?
 
You could try using DD to a new drive or advance shipped warranty replacement using a Linux Live CD. An imaging program like Acronis TrueImage or Norton Ghost may also work.

WHS should allow you to do a clean install to a new drive and add the data drives back in to the storage pool, although I have never done this myself.
 
Get a new drive ASAP

Try to image it....you have nothing to lose by doing this, but Im not sure if it will work....never had to do it.
Or/If the image does not work, then you can install the new drive, and insert your WHS cd.
There SHOULD be an option for reinstall, this will maintain your storage pool. If you do a new install it will format all your drives.
 
So options seem to be:
1) Attempt a reinstall and hope it doesn't foobar the data drives.
2) Pull the data drives, do a clean install, manually copy the data back over.
3) Attempt to image the drive.

As for the replacement drive, the only thing I have on hand is an Intel X25M (80g, G1). I was saving it for a reinstall of my daily box sometime next month, but I could use it for this. I know that some people do not like using small drives for the WHS OS drive, but there shouldn't be any technical reason not to do this, yes?
 
Yeah I have, I even posted to the thread at some point...

Big drive or small drive doesn't matter for reinstalling. Your goal should always be to have zero actual data on the OS drive (not partition, but drive). Cause when the OS drive fails you want to worry about reinstalling, not about recovering data off the drive.

"Now if you have a case that holds 20 drives then i guess it doesnt really matter, but if you have a case that holds 6 drives or similar are you really gonna waste that on a 80gb drive?" - Yeah, I have a Norco.
 
I've installed/reinstalled 4 or 5 times and have never gotten a reinstall option unless there was a previous install on the same drive.

The only way for me to be sure that everything was going to work, and work well, was a bare bones install including reloading all the data.

Luckily I only have 1.5 TB but it's still a 6-7 hr PITA.

I'm hoping you try an image transfer and it works, but I've never read of a successful install without reloading all the data done this way.

Good luck and please keep us advised on your progress and conclusion.
 
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I tried to image my 500gb WHS OS disk to a 1tb drive last weekend with Acronis True Image and it failed to complete (first time I had a failure with Acronis in about 25-30 images I've done).

ymmv
 
i have done a reinstall using a new system and halfway through it said i had an error and that that setups was going to have to start over.... so i did and all the data on the storage pool drives were gone

:( that was with PP1 installed.... dont know if PP2 did anything to help...

i have a RAID 5 array in my WHS and i only use the storage pool with 2 drives for other PC backups. I have everything else on my RAID 5 array.

since WHS doesnt do incremental backups of file native to the WHS having them in the stroage pool doesnt do anything anyways.

All my movies, pictures and music are on my RAID 5 array..... important pics and documents are on the Storage pool and the RAID 5 and are synced on the 2 desktops and 2 laptops we own....
 
[LYL]Homer;1034541592 said:
I tried to image my 500gb WHS OS disk to a 1tb drive last weekend with Acronis True Image and it failed to complete (first time I had a failure with Acronis in about 25-30 images I've done).

ymmv
Click to expand...

Bummer.

Just out of curiosity, what version of Acronis were you using?
 
I had to do a rebuild last year due to a bad motherboard I had to replace. I just popped in the WHS CD and it installed on the correct drive, and it then found all my data automatically. The only thing you lose is any software you've installed in WHS, but the data should remain intact.
 
[LYL]Homer;1034542761 said:
Acronis®XTrueXImageXHome® version 11.0 (buildX8,101)
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Thanks, I appreciate the info.

I'm using V. 11 but build 8053.

I doubt a newer version would make any difference for this task.
 
jvrobert said:
I had to do a rebuild last year due to a bad motherboard I had to replace. I just popped in the WHS CD and it installed on the correct drive, and it then found all my data automatically. The only thing you lose is any software you've installed in WHS, but the data should remain intact.
Click to expand...

Major difference between a MB and a system drive replacement but I'm gonna file your experience for future reference. :)
 
Old Hippie said:
Major difference between a MB and a system drive replacement but I'm gonna file your experience for future reference. :)
Click to expand...

Not really.. It was a from-scratch reinstall, I think even on a completely different disk. Shouldn't be any difference. New OS on a new drive with existing data disks in the system.
 
New OS on a new drive with existing data disks in the system.
Click to expand...

So you had a new drive on a new MB and you reinstalled with no problem?

My friend, if I believed you, you would be the luckiest man alive! :)

But from my experience, I'm calling shens.
 
Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna risk that. I have almost 11TB of data on this system.

I'm gonna do a fresh install and migrate the data over... I just hope the drive lasts until I can get everything I need (need a new "starter" data pool drive, as all of mine are more or less full) to do it.

As far as reliability goes, what would be better for the new OS drive - the X25M I have on hand, or a new WD RE3 drive (probably 250g or 320g)?
 
Sounds like a good opportunity to use a reliable SSD drive for your OS!
 
Old Hippie said:
So you had a new drive on a new MB and you reinstalled with no problem?

My friend, if I believed you, you would be the luckiest man alive! :)

But from my experience, I'm calling shens.
Click to expand...

Shrug. I'm not sure why you'd doubt the documented functionality of the system. You do a server reinstall, it finds your data disks, and after some (well, quite a bit of) time you're back in business minus users, add-ins, and some other stuff but your data's back.

WHS sees a signature on the drives in the system and should offer you a from-scratch "Server Reinstall".

http://social.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/whssoftware/thread/51755858-4b64-400d-8a94-af9c10cd651e

Do a search for "WHS system drive" on the WHS forums.

That's how it works unless you were silly enough to RAID your WHS drives and install your SYS drive to the same RAID as your data. RAID + WHS silly enough in the first place but doing your system on the same raid as your data would just be retarded.
 
jvrobert said:
Shrug. I'm not sure why you'd doubt the documented functionality of the system. You do a server reinstall, it finds your data disks, and after some (well, quite a bit of) time you're back in business minus users, add-ins, and some other stuff but your data's back.

WHS sees a signature on the drives in the system and should offer you a from-scratch "Server Reinstall".

http://social.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/whssoftware/thread/51755858-4b64-400d-8a94-af9c10cd651e

Do a search for "WHS system drive" on the WHS forums.

That's how it works unless you were silly enough to RAID your WHS drives and install your SYS drive to the same RAID as your data. RAID + WHS silly enough in the first place but doing your system on the same raid as your data would just be retarded.
Click to expand...

Have you seen some of the recaps of people trying to do server reinstalls? I've seen a lot more unsuccessful stories than successful. Sure, I know that people generally don't comment when something works as designed. I also know that in the world of computers, just because a manufacturer advertises something, that does not mean it actually works that way in real life. I only make this comment because I'm probably going to have to do a reinstall pretty soon, and I got to say that I'm more than a little nervous about it borking my box. I'm getting my backup solution solidified first.
 
epimetheus said:
Have you seen some of the recaps of people trying to do server reinstalls? I've seen a lot more unsuccessful stories than successful. Sure, I know that people generally don't comment when something works as designed. I also know that in the world of computers, just because a manufacturer advertises something, that does not mean it actually works that way in real life. I only make this comment because I'm probably going to have to do a reinstall pretty soon, and I got to say that I'm more than a little nervous about it borking my box. I'm getting my backup solution solidified first.
Click to expand...

I agree there. It worked for me and it probably "usually" works but it may not always work and a good backup strategy is always a good idea. I would backup my data, do the server reinstall and hope for the best, and if it doesn't work you will have planned for the worst and will still have your data.

I would just boot it up and try by unplugging your system drive and plugging in a new drive - if it gives you the server reinstall option, it will _probably_ work.
 
I'm not sure why you'd doubt the documented functionality of the system.
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:D:D:D:D

Maybe because I've been using WHS since Feb. and have had to do 3 complete installs when I wasn't offered a reinstall using the exact same set-up?

And you change a MB and system drive with no problem?

I'm thinking that might have something to do with the shens remark. :)

BTW, no RAID or any other silly things.....
 
[LYL]Homer;1034558062 said:
Maybe you're just doing it wrong Old HIppie. :p
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Could be, I can fork shit up in a heart beat with the best of 'um! :D

I was a millwright in a steel mill for 30 yrs and they had to to tear some machinery out after I was done fixin' it! :D:D
 
I'm just about to build a WHS and this whole thread has me a little concerned.

So if my drive with the OS fails, it is very hard to get up and running again with the existing data drives?
 
Dutch said:
I'm just about to build a WHS and this whole thread has me a little concerned.

So if my drive with the OS fails, it is very hard to get up and running again with the existing data drives?
Click to expand...

50/50

I have had reinstalls work, and other times bork it all.

Loss of 5TB and a week to recover, etc.
 
So WHS is great until you have to replace your OS drive? Doesn't the whole point of having a server go out the window when you can't reliably restore the OS drive?
 
Dutch said:
I'm just about to build a WHS and this whole thread has me a little concerned.

So if my drive with the OS fails, it is very hard to get up and running again with the existing data drives?
Click to expand...

Test it out, especially if you're building from scratch. Install WHS, dump some data on it (with duplication turned on), and then simulate a rebuild by popping out your system drive and reinstalling on another.

In my experience it was very easy to get it back up and running, but maybe I was just lucky.

Whatever you do, I'd never trust any system to be perfect. I backup my important data to Amazon's S3 using the Jungle Disk add-in for WHS.
 
[LYL]Homer;1034559569 said:
My next iteration of WHS may run RAID 1 on the OS drive.
Click to expand...

I did this on my last WHS but now I just have Acronis make an image every now and then to an external due to lack of a viable raid option with my new hardware.
 
What version of Acronis are you using? I've got 11.0 Home and it didn't work for me.
 
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