# Server 2003 - Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure}



## Char1ieJ (Jan 26, 2011)

I have a *Gateway Server* with a *LSI MegaRAID SCSI adapter* and _two_ 33.6Gb SCSI drives, running *Windows Server 2003*. Sometime in the last couple of days, the server stopped working properly. I had to do a hard shutdown today because it would not respond to any form of control or a soft shutdown via the power button. When I booted the server back up, the system naturally checked the disks. It found five errors. All were "_corrected_" and the Windows Server 2003 boot process continued with the logo screen, etc. 

At the point we usually get a login screen, I got a BSOD:
Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate. 
It is corrupt, absent, or not writeable.

Rebooted SEVERAL times and always get the same error.

Now, every time the server boots, it shows:
Following SCSI ID's are not responding
Channel-1: 0, 1
1 Logical Drives found on the host adapter.
*1 Logical Drive(s) Failed*
1 Logical Drives(s) handled by BIOS


I have tried the Windows Server Repair mode with chkdsk /r, but that was looking at a SAN-attached drive on the server. How the heck Windows' OS sees that, I don't know. 

I went into the admin for the SCSI adapter and it shows both drives as FAIL. Doesn't make sense because the drives both show activity at boot and the Windows Server 2003 logo shows on screen. That part of the boot process has to come from somewhere... and it's not the SAN-attached drive. It has no OS files on it.

Anyway, I finally went into the SCSI Utilities and verified the drives. The first drive had four errors for bad sectors. 

The options were to "Reassign Block" or not. I chose to reassign.
*
Afterwards, I still see the logical drive failure and then the Windows Server 2003 logo screen, which then gives me the BSOD.* And, the whole process starts again.

BTW, after an hour or so of trying to resolve the issue, I took the two drives out of the server and put them into an identical server (removing ALL other drives first). I got an NTLDR error on that one. 

So, I took the SCSI adapter cable out of the 2nd server and put it in the original server. Same scenario.

Lastly, I went back to the original Windows Server 2003 CD and tried to let it reinstall the OS files. The only drive that process sees is the SAN-attached drive... and it is _not_ either of the two physical drives, nor the logical drive they comprise. So, _NO go_ on reinstalling the OS at this point.

I'm at a loss here folks. We definitely need some data stored on those drives, so I can't format or otherwise destroy the drives or the current configuration. *I need your help, please.*


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## djaburg (May 15, 2008)

If the drives were mirrored (I'll assume that, since you indicated that there was only two) and NOT striped, then you should be able to access the drive from another computer with a scsi adapter, treating it as a single additional drive. If it was striped, then you could be in trouble. When was the last time you took a backup of your data?


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## Char1ieJ (Jan 26, 2011)

Since I inherited the server, I am not 100% sure of the storage location of the data. There is a 100Gb SAN drive attached -- and I am _hoping_ the needed data is there. However, someone else installed the software that contains the data -- so I don't know if they set the data storage as the SAN drive or the two hard drives (one logical drive).

I'm not well versed in SCSI adapter configuration, so I would appreciate any guidance on how I find what sort of array is setup -- mirrored or striped. If looking at a screenshot would help, I can send one. I do know how to get to the SCSI Utilities and completed a drive verification (info in original post).

Our SAN Array was also inherited and I have had little cause to fiddle with it. So, I'm not even sure how to get to the 100GB LUN and view the data. I am looking at the array manager now -- and I see the LUN attached to the server is active and healthy.











I'm researching how to get to the data on the SAN drive right now. Since the LUN is connected only to this server, and the server won't boot, I'm not sure how to get to it in a useful state.


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## Char1ieJ (Jan 26, 2011)

OK, so how about some help retrieving the data from the SAN? I have determined (with about 90% certainty) that the needed data is on the SAN drive – which is "attached" to the failed server. 

I have tried using iSCSI Initiator from another server and from my Win7 laptop, but neither version finds the storage drive (named SAN_100GB). The SAN is named LHS-SAN1 at 172.16.2.2 (Ch2) and 172.16.2.1 (Ch1). The SAN_100GB drive/LUN is on 172.16.2.2.

On the Hitachi SAN Array Manager Manager, I can see the SAN storage drive. It shows as healthy and available. *My problem is connecting to it, so I can pull the data from it. *

On a brighter note, we are no longer trying to recover the server itself because of the certainty the needed data is on the SAN, along with the fact that the server is almost 7 years old.

Would someone help me (re)attach the SAN_100GB drive to another server?


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