Hi all I have a W2K8 server which has AD, TS licensing server and CA roles installed, however after a SP2 update the server loads the safe mode option screen and none of the options boot into windows. We currently have another AD server and we are trying to locate a backup on from tape (from symantec backup exec 2010r2) can anyone advise on what options to take to recovery this server and why would the server fail to boot after a SP2 install?

Can you logon in safe mode on that server ?Edoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

no, I can select one of the safe mode options but the server restarted and then shows safe mode options.

Sometimes installing SP2 can happen that something goes wrong. Do you have a backup of that server ?Edoardo Benussi - Microsoft MVP Management Infrastructure - Systems Administration https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/Profile/Benussi Windows Server Italian Forum Moderator edo[at]mvps[dot]org

No, is there anyway to do a recovery, I beleive that SP2 was installed via RDP

You might look at the offline repair options. http://blogs.technet.com/b/askcore/archive/2007/12/18/using-system-file-checker-sfc-to-fix-issues.aspx Regards, Dave Patrick .... Microsoft Certified Professional -Microsoft MVP [Windows]

Hi David We have tryed the offline repair, sfc and we get a msg reading that there are updates pending, I assume this will be SP2 pending, would it be worth burning SP2 onto a CD and and taking steps to complete the SP2 install, if this is possible are there any KB articles available?

AFAIK SP2 cannot be installed to or uninstalled from an offline image of Windows Server 2008. I'd start a support incident with Microsoft product support. Regards, Dave Patrick .... Microsoft Certified Professional -Microsoft MVP [Windows]

Hi, I suggest trying the methods below in order: Method 1: =============== 1. Put the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer. 2. Press any key when the message indicating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …". appears. 3. Select a language, time, currency, and a keyboard or another input method. Then click Next. 4. Click Repair your computer. 5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. 6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. 7. Type Bootrec /RebuildBcd, and then press ENTER. Method 2: =============== 1. Put the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disc into the disc drive, and then start the computer. 2. Press a key when the message indicating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …". appears. 3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next. 4. Click Repair your computer. 5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. 6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. 7. Type BOOTREC /FIXMBR, and then press ENTER. 8. Type BOOTREC /FIXBOOT, and then press ENTER. 9. Type Drive:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All, and then press ENTER. Note: In this command, Drive is the drive where the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media is located. Method 3 =============== 1. Put the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disc into the disc drive, and then start the computer. 2. Press a key when the message indicating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …". appears. 3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next. 4. Click Repair your computer. 5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. 6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. 7. Type below and press Enter: takeown /f C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml cacls C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml /G <EnterUsernameHere>:F ren C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.old Can you boot the computer successfully now? Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi, I suggest trying the methods below in order. If the issue is resolved, you do not need to try the remaining methods. Method 1: =============== 1. Put the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer. 2. Press any key when the message indicating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …". appears. 3. Select a language, time, currency, and a keyboard or another input method. Then click Next. 4. Click Repair your computer. 5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. 6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. 7. Type Bootrec /RebuildBcd, and then press ENTER. Method 2: =============== 1. Put the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disc into the disc drive, and then start the computer. 2. Press a key when the message indicating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …". appears. 3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next. 4. Click Repair your computer. 5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. 6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. 7. Type BOOTREC /FIXMBR, and then press ENTER. 8. Type BOOTREC /FIXBOOT, and then press ENTER. 9. Type Drive:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All, and then press ENTER. Note: In this command, Drive is the drive where the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media is located. Method 3 =============== 1. Put the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disc into the disc drive, and then start the computer. 2. Press a key when the message indicating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD …". appears. 3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next. 4. Click Repair your computer. 5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. 6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. 7. Type below and press Enter: takeown /f C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml cacls C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml /G <EnterUsernameHere>:F ren C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.old Can you boot the computer successfully now? Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi, How are things going? I have not heard back from you in a few days and wanted to check on the status of the issue. Please let me know how things turned out. Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi Tim MS came back with the following article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973879 which worked

Hi, I am glad that this issue has been resolved. Tim Quan TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Curious how did you install the updates on a system that doesn't boot? Regards, Dave Patrick .... Microsoft Certified Professional -Microsoft MVP [Windows]