Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures

Dashrender

This is what a failed boot with a bootable ISO attached looks like
https://i.imgur.com/VcnoXLw.png

Dashrender

Fixboot - reboot

https://i.imgur.com/x0z5FIb.png

Fixmbr - reboot

https://i.imgur.com/q7uKPry.png

bootcfg /rebuild

https://i.imgur.com/t8JumfG.png

momurda

Oh i just noticed. Did this physical server have more than 1 cpu or 1 cpu core? Your vm is setup as only 1 vcpu. This could be a problem.
If it only had the one cpu... a bit incredible it can read just fine but wont boot. Long shot, but do you have a win2k3 cd/dvd? can you load that and try a Repair Installation? Like the days of yore with xp, that option worked wonders for me fixing things like this.

edit: server not vm

Emad R

@Dashrender

Not sure if your solve the issue yet, but since you mentioned it boots fine using Hiren

Can you try this :

http://www.supergrubdisk.org/super-grub2-disk/

Can you boot the VM from it, if so then you can install it as boot loader.

Dashrender

@momurda said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

Oh i just noticed. Did this physical vm have more than 1 cpu or 1 cpu core? Your vm is setup as only 1 vcpu. This could be a problem.
If it only had the one cpu... a bit incredible it can read just fine but wont boot. Long shot, but do you have a win2k3 cd/dvd? can you load that and try a Repair Installation? Like the days of yore with xp, that option worked wonders for me fixing things like this.

My physical server is 2 socket, 2 core per
https://i.imgur.com/CuZuXrr.png

My VM settings are:
https://i.imgur.com/jzex26w.png

Dashrender

@momurda said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

Your vm is setup as only 1 vcpu.

Good catch seeing this on the BIOS screen inside the VM - but I ask WTH? I have the VM setup as a dual socket dual core system.

https://i.imgur.com/QMmKrTj.png

Dashrender

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@momurda said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

Your vm is setup as only 1 vcpu.

Good catch seeing this on the BIOS screen inside the VM - but I ask WTH? I have the VM setup as a dual socket dual core system.

https://i.imgur.com/QMmKrTj.png

In thinking about this - I don't think this is the issue either though - I think it's before this.
I found this link
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/325375/how-to-troubleshoot-startup-problems-in-windows-server-2003

https://i.imgur.com/0Co4hXR.png

momurda

Hmmm.
Ok if you can get the thing to boot with Hiren's, what does your windows say the cpu count is when that happens?
Have you tried Safe Mode yet?

Dashrender

@momurda said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

Hmmm.
Have you tried Safe Mode yet?

I can't press F8 fast enough - or the system isn't reaching that part before it freezes.

MattSpeller

Have you tried another clean clone? Boot up the hardware, let it settle, cleanly shut it off, then re-image it.

momurda

Also can you boot from Hirens then run msconfig and check all boot paths?
0_1484867768209_upload-b00f5989-ab8f-47d7-bc4d-658ddf1a3541

Dashrender

@momurda said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

Hmmm.
Ok if you can get the thing to boot with Hiren's, what does your windows say the cpu count is when that happens?

It sees 4 CPUs inside the VM
https://i.imgur.com/KenEFur.png

Dashrender

@MattSpeller I don't understand?

I installed a brand new VM from the CD of 2003, and that works just fine on XS 7.

MattSpeller

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller I don't understand?

I installed a brand new VM from the CD of 2003, and that works just fine on XS 7.

Right, but it fails when you try to restore from your backup... what if it's corrupt? I've had it happen with dodgy old crap before.

Dashrender

@MattSpeller said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller I don't understand?

I installed a brand new VM from the CD of 2003, and that works just fine on XS 7.

Right, but it fails when you try to restore from your backup... what if it's corrupt? I've had it happen with dodgy old crap before.

Well, what part do you think might be corrupt? At this point, the only that that appears to be able to be remaining as corrupt is the boot sector or MBR - because as long as I'm able to bypass whichever of those is first, I can boot the VM - using Hirem's boot disk.

Dashrender

@MattSpeller said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller I don't understand?

I installed a brand new VM from the CD of 2003, and that works just fine on XS 7.

Right, but it fails when you try to restore from your backup... what if it's corrupt? I've had it happen with dodgy old crap before.

I was wondering if I might have some doggy parts on the original system drive - and the clonezilla isn't getting a good read... I can run a chkdsk there to see if that would solve it.

MattSpeller

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller I don't understand?

I installed a brand new VM from the CD of 2003, and that works just fine on XS 7.

Right, but it fails when you try to restore from your backup... what if it's corrupt? I've had it happen with dodgy old crap before.

Well, what part do you think might be corrupt? At this point, the only that that appears to be able to be remaining as corrupt is the boot sector or MBR - because as long as I'm able to bypass whichever of those is first, I can boot the VM - using Hirem's boot disk.

I missed that bit. Hmm possible for the MBR I suppose.... ¯\(ツ)/¯

MattSpeller

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller I don't understand?

I installed a brand new VM from the CD of 2003, and that works just fine on XS 7.

Right, but it fails when you try to restore from your backup... what if it's corrupt? I've had it happen with dodgy old crap before.

I was wondering if I might have some doggy parts on the original system drive - and the clonezilla isn't getting a good read... I can run a chkdsk there to see if that would solve it.

If you're 100% stumped it won't hurt and it will give you time to ponder

Dashrender

@MattSpeller said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@Dashrender said in Windows Server 2003 P2V adventures:

@MattSpeller I don't understand?

I installed a brand new VM from the CD of 2003, and that works just fine on XS 7.

Right, but it fails when you try to restore from your backup... what if it's corrupt? I've had it happen with dodgy old crap before.

Well, what part do you think might be corrupt? At this point, the only that that appears to be able to be remaining as corrupt is the boot sector or MBR - because as long as I'm able to bypass whichever of those is first, I can boot the VM - using Hirem's boot disk.

I missed that bit. Hmm possible for the MBR I suppose.... ¯\(ツ)/¯

I've run fixboot and fixmbr on the virtual disk many times.... but it's not solving the problem.

When it first happened, I was like oh this is going to be easy, the MBR is broke, just fix and away we go.. but damn if the boot/mbr just wont' be fixed!