My Home Server has died

[Ray]

The reason that I wasn't around much was that my Home server decided to fail, when I booted up my main PC in the morning I found my Home Server wasn't connected to the network. On investigating the server I find it has hung on the BIOS screen with the hard disc controller complaining about being unable to initialise the device and that the BIOS wasn't installed and was therefore unable to boot the operating system.

After much investigation such as resetting the BIOS, restoring it and removing and checking hard disks I came to the conclusion that the HD controller on the MB has died.  As the board is around 5 years old now and is an AMD socket 939 board with an AGP graphics slot a replacement board, cpu, memory  and graphics card is now on order. 

I am using the following as replacement components: -

Asus M2N68 AM2 board

AMD64 X2 5200+ low energy cpu

2Gb Crucial ram

256Mb GeForce PCI-E graphics card, total cost £145, lesson learned don't use old second components to build a Server. 

[Rik]

Tough luck, Ray.

[Ray]

Tough luck, Ray.

Thanks, Rik, at least I haven't lost any of my data that's all backed up to separate external USB drives as well, though I have almost certainly lost all my computer backups, so I've had to reinstall Ghost 14 onto my main PC to back up to a USB drive until the server is up and running again. 

[Rik]

Computers am a pain.

[Ray]

Computers am a pain.

They certainly are, Rik, and you usually get a run of problems when they start, I've had a few in the last 6 months or so. 

[Rik]

It's around that point when you begin to think a pen and ink looks an attractive option, isn't it.

[Ray]

It's around that point when you begin to think a pen and ink looks an attractive option, isn't it.

This is true, Rik. 

[Sebby]

Sorry to hear this, Ray. Motherboard failures are quite rare in my experience - perhaps cooling wasn't ample?

[Lance]

lesson learned don't use old second components to build a Server. 

That's why I don't have a WHS yet!

[Rik]

The plans are well advanced though, from the sound of it, Lance.

[Lance]

Unfortunately the bank balance isn't though 

Paypal contributions accepted! 

[Rik]

I can spare a couple of quid.

[Steve]

Sorry to hear that Ray.However I get the impression that the WHS can also be hard on HDDs as well presumably due perhaps to the media server activity. Have you thought about backing up the backup database? I know there is an addin that claims to do it

[Ray]

Well I've received the new components to repair my Home Server and started work on installing them only to find I've been stuffed by the fickle finger of fate, my power supply has only got a 20 pin power connector and the MB requires a 24 pin connector  . I'm now awaiting delivery of a new power supply.

[Steve]

Will it not accept a 20 pin with a 4pin ATX connected? but I suppose its not worth the hassle as you will only want to change it when the new power supply arrives.

[David]

Sorry to hear this Ray I had wondered where you had got to.......look cheer up I'm on my way 


Where did I leave that screwdriver 


Good luck with it Ray and hurry back........Rik says he needs some intelligent conversation,but that I would do  I will fix this for Ray,how do you get in again ?

[Rik]

I'm now awaiting delivery of a new power supply.

Like so many jobs, once you start, it seems everything conspires against you Ray.

[Ray]

Will it not accept a 20 pin with a 4pin ATX connected? but I suppose its not worth the hassle as you will only want to change it when the new power supply arrives.

It will accept a 20 pin, Steve, unfortunately the power supply hasn't got a spare 4 pin connector. 

[Rik]

A few Duracells and a little ingenuity, Ray?

[Ray]

Sorry to hear this Ray I had wondered where you had got to.......look cheer up I'm on my way 


Where did I leave that screwdriver 


Good luck with it Ray and hurry back........Rik says he needs some intelligent conversation,but that I would do  I will fix this for Ray,how do you get in again ?

It's ok thanks, David,   it's all back together now just waiting for the new power supply to arrive hopefully tomorrow.  

[Ray]

Like so many jobs, once you start, it seems everything conspires against you Ray.

That's very true, Rik,  the new one should arrive tomorrow and I've also gone for a 450 watt version as the replacement, I've now got a 350 watt Antec power supply going spare. 

[Ray]

A few Duracells and a little ingenuity, Ray?

 

[Rik]

 

No sense of adventure, the youth of today.

[Steve]

It will accept a 20 pin, Steve, unfortunately the power supply hasn't got a spare 4 pin connector. 

Does it have an 8 pin connector that splits into 2? One for the cpu and one for the 20+4. Unlikely I suppose because if it did it would probably also have a 24 pin MB connector

[Ray]

No sense of adventure, the youth of today.

I know it's shocking isn't it, Rik.  

[David]

You have to be ever ready these days Ray.....

[Ray]

Does it have an 8 pin connector that splits into 2? One for the cpu and one for the 20+4. Unlikely I suppose because if it did it would probably also have a 24 pin MB connector

afraid not, Steve, it's only got the one 20 pin and one 4 pin which is needed for the separate 4 pin connector on the MB, it's just over 4 years old so I assume it was manufactured before they started using 24 pin connectors on MBs.  

[Ray]

You have to be ever ready these days Ray.....

I never joined the Boy Scouts when I was a youngster, David, perhaps I should have. 

[Rik]

I tried to join the Girl Guides, but they wouldn't let me. 

[Ray]

I tried to join the Girl Guides, but they wouldn't let me. 

that must be where I went wrong as well, Rik, they wouldn't let me in either. 

[Rik]

Miserable bunch. I looked at the title, "Scouting for boys", and thought "That's not for me...".

[David]

I never joined the Boy Scouts when I was a youngster, David, perhaps I should have.

What was your in tent ions then 

[Rik]

[Ray]

Miserable bunch. I looked at the title, "Scouting for boys", and thought "That's not for me...".

True, Rik, it's much more interesting "Scouting for girls".  

[Ray]

Seconded   

[Steve]

Had enough trouble with tent poles without joining the Girl Guides. 


12v 15A. I think you need a Car Battery if you've got one spare or not using it today.

[Rik]

Anyone else remember those HT batteries for valve radios?

[Steve]

What is a valve Radio?

[Rik]

Whippersnapper.

[Ray]

Anyone else remember those HT batteries for valve radios?

Yes, Rik. 

[Rik]

They were fun, it was so exciting - the sense of danger that came with such high voltages. At least, at a tender age, before I really understood they were relatively safe.

[David]

What is a valve Radio

Real woodlike bakerlite....wait ten minutes you wont hear much but it will keep you warm......I have still got mine   Im thinking of getting a transisitr radio and move into the 60s  

[Steve]

I wouldn't mind a valve Amp, adds literally a bit of warmth to music,you can even get them for your ipod complete with docking station

@Fat-Man

[Rik]

Now that takes me back a bit.

[Steve]

Its about £300 for that piece of kit though, I do wonder whether its anything more than an expensive gimmick.

[Rik]

Not really, Steve, but it is a nice looking expensive gimmick.

[Ray]

Well my Home Server is now back together with the OS re installed and downloading about 50 updates, when they are complete I just have to re install my software and add ins and reconnect the 2 storage HDs and then I should be in business again. 

[Rik]

Just in time for 'patch Tuesday', Ray.

[Ray]

Just in time for 'patch Tuesday', Ray.

This is true, Rik. 

[Rik]

The joys of Microsoft.

[Steve]

Good news. It such a shame that there is no good way of imaging the system partition on WHS. I believe you can do it but due to the nature of the drive extender technology keeping this partition's record of data held on other drives up to date would require frequent imaging

[Ray]

Good news. It such a shame that there is no good way of imaging the system partition on WHS. I believe you can do it but due to the nature of the drive extender technology keeping this partition's record of data held on other drives up to date would require frequent imaging

This is true, Steve, even if you just do a reinstall you lose everything on the system partition and have to reinstall all your AV, addins etc. would be nice if they could find some way of backing up this partition.

[Steve]

Three connector updates to struggle through,I don't know whether your aware Ray but if you locate "discovery.exe" in the client WHS folder you don't have to reinstall the connector on that machine.

[Ray]

Three connector updates to struggle through,I don't know whether your aware Ray but if you locate "discovery.exe" in the client WHS folder you don't have to reinstall the connector on that machine.

Thanks, Steve, just tried it on the main PC and it worked. 

[Ray]

I think I've found the possible cause of the disk controller failing on my old MB it looks like my 3 500Gb disks failed and probably took the controller with it, I had problems when I tried to do my server reinstall with one of the disks so I did the install to one of the other disks instead. I have just tried adding this suspect disk to the storage pool but it is not being detected by the BIOS or the operating system it is spinning up but nothing further happens. 

I have also tried in it in a USB enclosure again not detected by the OS, so it about to be packaged up and returned to Seagate fortunately the warranty doesn't expire until early 2013. 

[Steve]

Perhaps worthwhile keeping an eye on the harddrive temps.I use the disk management add in to report usage,transfer rates and temps.

[Ray]

Perhaps worthwhile keeping an eye on the harddrive temps.I use the disk management add in to report usage,transfer rates and temps.

Yes I do use that, Steve, the 2 drives in there currently are showing 32°C and 33°C at the moment.

[Steve]

Well I wouldn't say that they were warm

[Rik]

You would if you were an Eskimo.

[Steve]

Hot enough to bring the house down

[Rik]

Exactly.

[Sebby]

Hot enough to bring the house down

[Ray]

Well it looks as though Seagate agree my drive was faulty just received an advice of dispatch of a replacement from them. 

[Rik]

Let's hope they deliver quickly, Ray. 

[Ray]

Let's hope they deliver quickly, Ray. 

They quote 3 to 7 days, Rik, as it's coming from Holland that's probably about right, the one that I returned took about 5 days to reach them.

[Rik]

It's amazing the places stuff is sent from these days, isn't it. I even had one consignment from Belgium and it wasn't chocolate or gravy.

[Ray]

It's amazing the places stuff is sent from these days, isn't it. I even had one consignment from Belgium and it wasn't chocolate or gravy.

Was it sprouts, Rik. 

[Rik]

Nor them, it was Bose.

[Steve]

An Xbox 360 went to Germany

[Rik]

HP use Holland, Iomega Ireland. No-one seems to use the UK...

[Sebby]

That's understandable.

[Rik]

But worrying all the same...

[Sebby]

True.