SBS 2008 std, hangs on apps, never opens apps, then locks.

I installed SBS2008 on our new IBM server. There is nothing configured on the
server yet. No added applications beside the MS software. Everything was
woking fine. I have not installed the server on the network yet.

I started it up last night. The sbs console at start-up that contains
critial updates, back-up, can't remember the other two items, it queries and
never concludes, it just queriers.

I try to open the network icon and it never opens, I try to open computer
management and it never opens. I try to open internet explorer and it never
opens. The only items that open are computers and control panel, but I cannot
load into any of the icons there including device manager.

I go back into the "start" button area and none of the directories or icons
in the start area highlight on mouseover so I can't open those up.

I try to open other items and they just never open, then the system locks.

It looks like items are opening in safe mode but some of the items don't
work in safe mode anyway.

I haven't added or changed anything so I don't know where to begin. Any
ideas or is this one of the 2008 bugs I need to work through?

Thanks,
Greg

 

www.sbsbpa.com run that BPA tool for 2008

did you

1. disable any firewall
2. disable ipv6
What does the event log say?

 

Remove any USB drives/devices and reboot it, see if that changes
anything, disconnect the UPS communications also, just as a test.

 

I have not disabled anything, since its onactually on a network yet and I
still need to load some software. There are no USB devices attached except
for the keyboard and mouse which work.

I looked at an event log that said exchange could not start but that may
have been because of the lock-up. Is there something I should look for
specifically?

 

Can you close the console just after you first log on?

Re-open it with Start | run > console.exe /safe

This will disable the report card on the console, in case it's having some
problem.

You might also try taskmgr, and see if something is pegging the machine.

SBS 2008 is an image (WIM) based installation. Everyone gets the same bits,
gets to the same point, for starters. If your behaviour is different, then
I'd suspect hardware.

What specs on the server?
Event log errors?

 

Its a new x3200 M series Intel Xeon Quad core, 2.66GHz, 1333Mhz, 4gigs mem,
hardware raid level one hot swap drives. Nothing else in the system now, as
of yet. I did have two other sata harddrives on a software raid level 1, but
I don't think thats causing the problem, as a matter of fact I shut-down and
pulled out the drives just to check and was having the same troubles.

I accidentially entered the virtual authorization number instead of the std
authorization. I messed up and I mant it as a standard system. Do I need to
reinstall or can I just change the authorization numbers?

 

I don't think the virtual key is the problem, but as long as you're in
practice mode try changing the key, or start over.

You know you don't need a key or activation for a trial, right?

4 Gb should work, but it might be a bit sluggish as that's the *minimum*.

what about event logs?

--
Les Connor [SBS-MVP]


____________________________

 

I'll check the event logs. The only thing I noticed was with exchange loading
but that may have been because the system locked and I had to turn off the
system. I'll get back to you.

 

I have 4 gig and mine launches fine. Something else is going on IMHO.

Flash the bios?

 

I don't know why this was a problem but as soon as I plugged the network
cable into my switch everything magically started working again. But, if the
network goes down then is this the kind of problem I am going to encounter. I
just don't understand why there were all these problems just because the
server was not plugged into the switch, I haven't even configured it yet for
the business, the only reason it even has a connection is because it was
required at install and to download updates.

Where do I go to change the activication key?

Thanks,
Greg

 

Oh, yes, but the install had been done, and the server was running for days
before this happened.

 

The server was more than not happy, it was pissed off.

Thanks for the help.