Windows server 2008 Web edition wont boot after windows update - hangs on crcdisk.sys BSOD error 0x0000007b on DELL R710 with Perc 6/i Raid 5 array

Talhart,

You can boot to the media and get to a command prompt. From the command prompt you can run a chkdsk /r and see if it finds and corrects the errors for you. If it finds errors then rerun it till it runs clean.

Let me know how it goes.

Did you try F8, "last known good" ?

Pop in the install disk and do the repair option multiple times. with a shutdown in between, I have had instances where it fails multiple times before it succeeds.... love to meet the person who decided to removed the ability to do an "over the top" repair install.

Reload the Perc driver......

http://redmutt.com/?p=626

As mentioned in the post. i have run Chkdsk , and it found no errors.

Booting in Last known configuration or safe modes doesnt work either.
(Loading in safe mode crashed on CRCDISK.SYS)

2008 server unfortunately doesn't have auto reapir / restore points / startup repair...etc..

so Booting from the Media only allow access to a command prompt.

I actually installed anew copy of 2008 server on a secondary HD , so I can boot from it and access the old drive array, but I have no idea how to fix this issue.

:-( waiting for more help / ideas...

How can i update the perc drivers from command prompt ?

remember , I can load the O/S , and I dont want to reinstall a new instance... i need to fix this one ...

Also, How can we be sure why it crashes ? isnt there a simple debug log ?

crcdisk.sys is the last driver i see loading in safemode, i am not sure it means thats the one that crashes windows or thats the last one to successfully load.

Not from the command prompt. Start the install from the OS disk, choose repair, within repair, there is a choice to install drivers, most likely the Perc driver is needed. If you get it up, run chkdsk /f (again) and SFC /scannow. and check your event logs. Download Malwarebytes and a couple rootkit revealers, run those. You might try Bootrec /fixboot, if it does not boot after the driver install, be cautious with this command.

Why it crashes?  Every time I get a new client who has not updated MS updates in a good while, I cross my fingers. Ms updates do not handle large groups of updates at all well. Preferably you should update every month, you can get away with a couple missed cycles, but your taking a big chance missing multiple cycles. Yes there is a debug log, but it not a simple read, it may or may not point you to the cause; in this case, the most likely cause, the updates scrambled a driver(s). 

Only thing is i need to update the Drivers on the windows in Installation already installed. 

Loading drivers in the Win RE would only help access the drive id it is otherwise not seen, but in my case the RE sees the drive ok....

loading drivers doesnt changed the installed system, but only allow a fresh install..

:-(

OK, so I solved the problem.

after almost 2 weeks of playing with it.

Chkdsk scan couldn't find anything , Scanning with SFC didnt find anything.
Startrep.exe resulted in "a patch is preventing the system from starting"

I played with several things , but eventually this is what worked.. (It might be that step 4 alone did the trick , but i went through these 4 steps altogether)

the solution required command line access through the Win RE.

1. I manually deleted/renamed  the pending.xml file (Ren C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml pending.old)

2. I manually deleted/renamed the SoftwareDistribution folder (Ren C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution SDOLD)

3. I manually used Regedit.exe to do the following :

 When the register editor opens, please navigate to the following key:

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\COMPONENTS:

 * High light the COMPONENTS key. If exist - deleted these values :

   AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving 

    PendingXmlIdentifier

4. I manually restored the Old registry files from C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\

(Copy the SOFTWARE.OLD SAM.OLD SYSTEM.OLD SECURITY.OLD COMPONENTS.OLD & DEFAULT.OLD files over the regular registry files in C:\Windows\System32\config\)

5. Load the system in SAFE MODE . now instead of reboot on crcdisk.sys , the system seems stuck/halt when it reaches crcdisk.sys.
Just wait.. it took a few minutes , but then it continued and the system started.

6. I Used msconfig to edit the boot/startup options , and got rid of some junk... but anyway the system is already up so from here its all should be easy.

I have determined that the system has been infected with some rootkit's and was completely compromised which might have been one of the reasons for the problem.

I also ran a windows update after 2 years of not running it , and it tried to update over 100 packages which were probably too much mess..

anyway , I am back :-)

�

�

Nice going, thanks for the update...

If you had rootkit, there maybe be more, so down load a few more different root kit scanners. Ran into similar situation, same blue screen message, same startup issue, where some malware set the 256 meg memory choice in the advanced boot settings in msconfig, only I could get into safe mode; even safe mode with networking would BSOD. Took me a while to find it out the cause.  

I think there is something wrong with the driver for the DELL R710.

I have a brand new machine with a clean install of 2008.  Installed all updates including the R710 driver.  Result was a BSD.

Initialized array and reinstalled.  This time I installed just the R710 driver, nothing else.  BSD again.

Going on my third install, guess what I am not going to install?

What driver are you not going to install?

FYI
 
I ran into this problem a few weeks ago.   Windows 2008 BSOD after Windows Update and the system restarted.
Could not boot into Safe Mode, Safe mode command prompt and Last Known Configuration.   In Safe mode it would stop at crcdisk.sys, then BSOD and reboots.    
I tried booting of the Windows 2008 DVD  ran chkdsk  /r   - No errors.
Rebooted and still got the BSOD on boot
 
  I also tried
 
1. I manually deleted/renamed  the pending.xml file (Ren C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml pending.old)
2. I manually deleted/renamed the SoftwareDistribution folder (Ren C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution SDOLD)
3. I manually used Regedit.exe to do the following :
 When the register editor opens, please navigate to the following key:
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\COMPONENTS:
 * High light the COMPONENTS key. If exist - deleted these values :
   AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving
    PendingXmlIdentifier
4. I manually restored the Old registry files from C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\
(Copy the SOFTWARE.OLD SAM.OLD SYSTEM.OLD SECURITY.OLD COMPONENTS.OLD & DEFAULT.OLD files over the regular registry files in C:\Windows\System32\config\)

5. Load the system in SAFE MODE...  
Still BSOD
 
So this is how I fixed...
 
 
 
 
I had another server so from the last night's backup I was able to restored these 2 directories
 C:\windows\system32\config
   and
  C:\windows\system32\drivers
 from tape to a flash drive
 
I then booted the Server from the Windows 2008 DVD
Got to the command prompt
 
I copied the Flash drive files to these 2 directories and replaced them on the Server drive
 C:\windows\system32\config
   and
  C:\windows\system32\drivers
After replacing those two folders, I was able to boot the system normally and it worked !!!!!
 
I hope this info with help someone else who runs into this...
 
Tom

Thanks for the update. Will keep it in mind for the next nasty virus.