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SC440 not to recognize SATA Controller
I have a PowerEdge SC440 Server which has been behaving abnormally for about two months. There is Installed Windows Server SBS 2003.
Initially, PCs often lost their connection to network disks and they had to restart the Server.
From a week ago the server accepted Administrator's Windows login, but then remained stationary when loading personal settings without ever getting to the desktop.
Yesterday, the Ctrl-Alt-Del request did not appear and appeared for almost a day "Index reconstruction, please wait ..."
This morning, restarted the machine again, this did not allow login or mapping of network disks.
However, some services started because an application made a job on the Internet and sent the results via email.
In the afternoon the server did not respond to the ping.
Off and on again, it does not recognize the SATA controller in a PCI slot that handles the RAID1 of the two disks.
So now doesn't start even Windows anymore.
We had already planned the replacement of this machine in the coming weeks with a new one and Windows Server 2016, but obviously we have not yet migrated the data and at this point I'm not even sure that the Backups have been successful.
I thought about connecting one of the two disks to a SATA port on the Motherboard. With a RAID1 in theory I should still see the contents of the disk and be able to start Windows.
Dell recognizes the Service Tag, but it does not show me the configuration of the machine and therefore I am not able to say which Controller model is installed.
Finally, the LED on the MB is yellow; if I'm not mistaken, it should be green.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help.
DELL-Josh Cr
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August 21st, 2018 11:00
SommyJo
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August 21st, 2018 22:00
Thank you for your reply.
Is there a way to check what's broken, whether the controller, the motherboard, or what?
It leaves me perplexed that often are lost network connections.
Furthermore, does that LED yellow on the MB mean anything?
Is there a documentation for diagnostics?
DELL-Josh Cr
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August 22nd, 2018 09:00
You could try running 32 bit diagnostics https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=2mm6j
SommyJo
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August 22nd, 2018 12:00
But Windows doesn't start
BotMan
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August 22nd, 2018 13:00
Considering the vintage of an SC440, I would take a look at the can electrolytic capacitors on the motherboard. Check for any leaking of electrolyte and/or bulging, especially on the top.
Do a search online for "Capacitor Plague" for pictures of what to look for.
Randy
SommyJo
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August 25th, 2018 09:00
I will take the card to a laboratory.
However, I ask where I can find the documentation of the server and the controller and how we can do the diagnostics without going through Windows.
Question: is it possible that the controller has been disabled by the BIOS?
BotMan
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September 20th, 2018 16:00
"Is there a way to check what's broken, whether the controller, the motherboard, or what?"