Restoring Windows 2003 Server (Enterprise) system state results in continuous rebooting

We have a single Windows 2003 Server running as a DC, AD, File, DNS
and DHCP server. This is the only DC on the domain (no other
servers).

The primary disk on the server failed this past weekend, and we are
attempting to restore from the ntbackup system state backup we have
from a week ago. We are restoring to the exact same server hardware -
only difference is the new disk, which is larger than the original
disk.

Restore procedure and results are as follows:

I install the OS using default config from the original CD. I then
boot into directory restore mode, get the .bkf file conaining the
system state backup off of an external USB disk, then perform the
system state restore in ntbackup.

At the end of the backup, we reboot, and the server enters a
continuous reboot loop. No error messages appear on screen. We can
hit F8 to get into the Windows boot mode screen, but selecting
directory restore mode (or any other safe mode) still results in a
reboot within a second of the boot.

I boot into recovery console, and adjust boot.ini by adding the /
bootlog /sos /basevideo options to the boot config. Launch into safe
mode - reboot happens immediately. When I go into recovery console
again, the boot log file is not there.


I then boot from the OS CD and do a Repair (the second Repair option
on the CD). At the end of the non-GUI part of the repair, the system
reboots (like expected), but it then enters the repeated reboot loop
again.


Am I missing something? Are there files outside the system state
restore that have to be restored at the same time to actually get the
Windows to launch correctly (I'd think that the system state would
cover that, but maybe I'm wrong)?

Are there any resources for how to even begin tracking down how far
Windows is getting into it's boot sequence when the reboot occurs? If
I could tell what it was attempting to do when the failure occured
maybe I could do something in recovery console.

Thanks in advance - I'm at my wits end with this one.

- K

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Another disaster recovery exercise (but not yet)...
    ... Do the full system state restore. ... I updated a client's Server. ... > indeed, I reboot before updating, and after ). ... Still very slow boot time and many ...
    (microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz2000)
  • Re: Backup fails suspect VSS problem
    ... Will reboot and run a backup tonight and see what happens. ... The problem I have now is that the server appears to the customer to ... I don't even try to boot after swapping a motherboard. ... Could not access portions of directory System State\COM+ ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Restoring Windows 2003 Server (Enterprise) system state results in continuous rebooting
    ... The primary disk on the server failed this past weekend, ... Restore procedure and results are as follows: ... boot into directory restore mode, get the .bkf file conaining the ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.general)
  • Re: SBS Recovery from dead server
    ... What you can try to do is a full restore from tape, ... the tape and boot it. ... If you build the new box with the same server and domain names, ... is to use that card in another machine and boot the SBS. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Server Down
    ... Ran auto system restore which failed right at the end with The recovery ... I now had a server I could boot into but was very poorly. ... Reboot but DNS/DHCP probs so again did restore but just wins and dns folders. ... Same situation in safe mode. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
Loading