cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Restored DC will not boot after System State Restoration. hal.dll missing

DC09
Level 3

Greetings,

I have a domain controller (1 of 3) which must have a role removed before retiring.  The drive crashed and server had to be rebuilt and manually restored with advanced team assistance.  The C: restoration went well but the system state w/AD resulted in a hal.dll missing error and no boot. The server is Win2K8 Standard.  The BE version is 2012 but newer than the final version of the server tape. The repaired / restored server shows a W2K8 svr installation on the drive/partition.  I can browse the drives and directories from the repair command prompt.  The curious items are 1) the OS drive letters flipped - OS is now D: and the recovery drive is C: and 2) in most directories almost every file has a duplicate which has additions to the extensions.  I.E.the hal.dll file has below it a file named "hal.dll.USE1070C".  I can run DISKPART to re-letter the volumes.  I can run BCDEDIT to see details.  I ran bootrec.exe to add the OS.  I ran bootrec /fixboot and now have a missing bootmgr.  I seek ideas before attempting to run bootrec /fixmbr as this may result in another hardware rebuild and tape restoration.  A solution would be greatly appreciated as this is taking serious time away from other work. thnx

19 REPLIES 19

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

Was the recovery of the server done using either the IDR (Intelligent Disaster Recovery) or SDR (Simple Disaster Recovery) option for BE?

If the server was recovered using BESR (Backup Exec System Recovery) you can refer to the following document regarding the hal.dll error: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH55822

 

DC09
Level 3

Laurie,

Thank you for the information.  My regrets for not getting back to this sooner.

The restoration was done using the restore command in BE2012. I'm not sure if that answers your question.

The document you referenced provided some insight and certainly has data close to what I am experiencing. Thank you.

I have a newer tape with 2012 backup sets on it and again with assistance restored the machine's C: and system state.  Sadly with the same results - hal.dll missing and duplicate files with example:  hal.dll.USE10778.

Question; if the restore was successful, is the server supposed to boot back to its state as of the date on the backup sets?  IE when it boots does it come up as that machine at that point in time?  (Or is there another step/proceedure to get it  there?)

I have rebuilt a server in the unused disk area and copied the HAL.dll to the restored partition.  The new HAL.dll did not work.  So now I am again attempting to edit the Boot.ini and garner additional ideas from the experts.

DC09

1448hrs

17mar

 

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

If your machine was restored by the advanced team and it is not bootable, shouldn't they continue to trouble-shoot the problem with you?

Since the machine is a DC, was the procedure in this document followed?

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH87904

Have you tried using SDR to restore the server?

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

DC09,

Thank you for providing me the information I previously requested form you. One of the first things you will want to confirm is that Backup Exec 2012 is fully patched to the latest Service Pack and Hotfixes that are available by running live update. You also want to make sure that you are cataloging the media containing the latest full backup of the computer to be recovered?

I would also advise that you carefully review the documents for a disaster recovery of a Domain Controller that I have provided, and ensure that ALL steps are being carefully and precisely executed (one missed step or error will require the process to be started over). I am providing you with two links. One link is for recovery of a remote computer and the other is for the recovery of a local system. If you would like to send me a private message with the case number for the restore, I am happy to look over the notes and see what I may be able to find to help.

Manual Disaster Recovery restore steps for a remote Windows 2008 computer( includes non-authoritative and authoritative restore of Active Directory for a domain controller): http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH86323

Manual disaster recovery of a local Windows computer (includes non-authoritative and authoritative restore of Active Directory for a domain controller):  http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO23133

DC09
Level 3

Laurie and

PKH,

Thank you for the posts. 

Here is my status:

   I was using W2K8 R2 to restore the rebuilt the target and that was wrong.  It needed to be W2K8 from 2009 w/o R2.  So the server was rebuilt a few hours ago with that OS.

   The restores again went successfully - C: drive and System State. 

   The computer is in a boot loop. 

I attemped to perform boot logging to determine if drivers for the RAID controller and NIC are needed.

The only hardware difference is the failed drives were 73GB 15k's and the replacement drives are 146GB 10k's.  The machine is the same - no other changes, only the drives failed.

Laurie and PKH,

Please note that I was expecting a call from the advanced team yesterday and the call did not come during my duty day.  I presumed they were not going to call and that I was back on my own which is why I worked this post prior to close of business.  The advanced team stated they will call today. I should not work this issue on two fronts as it will only complicate items.

That being said, I realized the OS was wrong and rebuilt the server and restored the C: and System State. 

Laurie,

I have studied your linked input.  Thank you. 

I will provide the case number if this goes poorly.  That way I am not undermining the advanced team.

Trust is so important in all we do.

...but if you see an obvious item I need to correct, all means it is welcome.  I want to prepare the best for anyone who renders assistance.

DC09

 

1246hrs

18mar

 

 

 

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

DC09,

As a member of the Advanced Support Team myself, I am happy to help however I can and understand your concern to not complicate things by having “too many cooks in the kitchen”, so to speak. I can also appreciate your effort not to undermine support, at any level, by developing trust. Please let us know how things turn out and if I can be of further assistance.  

DC09
Level 3

Laurie,

I feel that I have exhausted the ideas of my contract technical support as my System State and C: restorations reflect successful completions but failure to reboot as the original system.  I request any ideas you may have.

DC09

 

1107hrs

28apr

DC09
Level 3

Also the prior case numbers are:  06199443 and 06381442

 

DC09

 

1108hrs

28apr

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

DC09,

 

I am reviewing the case #'s you provided now, and I will let you know what I find out.

The one question I would ask when providing support, is if the backup was possibly taken on a BIOS based system and the new machine your restoring to is EFI based, or vice versa? Refer to the hardware manufacturer documentation for the specifications. You can also refer to the following Microsoft article for more information:

The Windows Server 2008 boot environment includes the following new features:

  • Support for both BIOS and UEFI firmware

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee221031(v=ws.10).aspx

 

Also earlier in the thread when you inquired about the state to which the computer will be restored

Question; if the restore was successful, is the server supposed to boot back to its state as of the date on the backup sets?  IE when it boots does it come up as that machine at that point in time?  (Or is there another step/procedure to get it there?)

The answer to this question would depend on a few more factors, to answer correctly. When you stated “at that point in time”, are you referring to applications and/or programs that were previously installed on the system and did not restore? Or was there a database such as Exchange or SQL that did not recover with the System State and C:\ drive that you indicated were recovered successfully?

For example, if you were backing up a database with a Backup Exec agent using a best practice method, (IE: Agent for Microsoft Exchange) than you would be backing up the Exchange Information Store in an instance of its own, and therefore it would need to be restored separately, after the system has been successfully recovered and is up and functioning.

DC09
Level 3

Laurie,

I've been working on an audit prep and SharePoint deployment.

Regarding the resotration of the DC09 server; if the restoration is successful will the Domain Controller come back up as effectively the machine at the point of eh last successful backup.  I keep my DC's separate with  no other funtions on them.  One of my BDC's has some antivirus management on it but other than that they are single purpose machines.

The DC09 machine is the same chassis as before with a BOIS based system - no UEFI.

The only items changed are the drives; they are larger.  The partitions are a bit larger also.  Other than that the only thing i can think of is the RAID was a stripe (which caused this mess) and the letter of the OS may have been D not C.  Symantec assured me that the drive letter would not matter.

DC09

1431hrs

7may

 

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

DC09,

 

Sorry for the delayed response. However, I have done some more research into the issue you are experiencing with the Disaster Recovery for the Domain Controller and have some information that may be helpful for you. When restoring a Domain Controller there are steps that need to be executed after completing the restore of the C:\ drive and System State to continue on with restarting in DSRM (Disaster Services Recovery Mode). Backing up for a minute to early on in the thread, you indicated that the system was in a boot loop.

 

 "The restores again went successfully - C: drive and System State.”

“The computer is in a boot loop.”

 

If the system is still in a boot loop, you will need to address that first by locating the registry key that is telling it to reboot and change the value to stop it. Or you may be able to use the bcdedit command tool. Refer to the following Microsoft article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2261423

 

“During a restore operation, the contents of the Boot folder are first restored from the ASR Writer backup and then restored again from the drive C backup. This double restore causes an inconsistency in the drive GUID definitions within the Boot data. This inconsistency leads to the boot error”

 

Once the boot loop has been addressed you can try the steps I have provided below after the successful restore of the C:\ drive and System State. Also, earlier in the thread you mentioned that you have 3 DC’s total, so I have also included a link to the tech doc for a non-authoritive restore.

  1. Reload the OS and fully patch it
  2. Install the Backup Exec Remote Agent on the DC
  3. Reboot and hit the F8 key to get into DSRM (Disaster Services Recovery Mode)
  4. Select the option for “Directory Services Restore Mode”
  5. Once in DSRM login with the Administrator account

NOTE: This administrator account is NOT THE SAME as the Domain Admin account for the system. If you do not know the password for this account you may need to contact Microsoft possibly to reset it.

  1. Restore System State once more to recover the AD components that are not restored when you are not running in DSRM

 

Disaster Recovery restore steps for a remote Windows 2008 computer (includes both non-authoritative and authoritative restore of Active Directory for a domain controller) : http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH86323

How to install the Backup Exec 2012 Agent for Windows (a.k.a. Remote Agent, AWS. RAWS: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH179142

 

Performing a Nonauthoritative Restore of AD DS: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730683(v=ws.10).aspx

 

 

DC09
Level 3

Laurie,

Thank you for your ideas again.  They are getting the system closer to restored.

I was able to stop the boot loop by directing the boot to load from the C:\\boot folder and not the system reserve partition.  That was a really slick piece of information. The server now boots but to the system recovery options as you stated it would.  I wish I had not run that recovery choice.

My current problems are that there never was an Administrator account or password for the machine.  I always found this odd as it was (in 2009) the only domain controller.  I surmised (right or wrong) that the Domain Admin was also the Machine Admin.  I have tried numerous "Administrator" passwords including the Directory Services Restore Mode password and have even changed them using the net user command.  It still will not let me proceed.

I have tried various methods to get out of the boot to recovery option including bcdedit and regedit.  I cannot find where the recovery option kicks in.

The current tasks/obstacles are:

  Change Machine Admin password

   or

  Stop the recovery application from running.

I am proceeding with research on both items.

Again any ideas are most welcome

Thank you

DC09

1121hrs

6jun

DC09
Level 3

Laurie,

The above tasks are proving to be wasted effort so I have restored the server to W2K and am attempting to get the restore jobs to run again - this time without the Boot directory from the Windows directory. 

It is giving me some static.  The backup sets were copied to a hard drive to increase the speed of restores but they expired and I had to duplicate them again the the drive. 

I am again running the C: and Sys State restores simultaneously but the Sys State comes back with:

  V-79-57344-65249 - A failure occurred writing an object.

It appears that I need to adjust some settings on each restore attempt.

Now every time an error occurs now I need to restore the server from an image so each restore attempt has this overhead added to it.

I'll keep you apprised.

DC09

0901hrs

9jun

DC09
Level 3

Laurie,

I have rebuilt the server and am able to run restorations of the system state and the C:.

The reboot fail with the HAL.dll missing or corrupt error.  I have used your recently enclosed information to run various itterations of Diskpart, BCD Edit, and BootRec.

The only item I can conclude is that replacing the failed Savio 15k.1 drives with larger, slower non-Savio brand drives has caused a problem. 

Your ideas are appreciated.

DC09

1602hrs

11jun

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

DC09,

 

Can you confirm the backup you are trying to restore form is good? Meaning it is not a failed backup job or completed with exceptions? You may want to try the restore from another backup set and/or date to see if you experience the same issue.

 

I would also advise the possibility of contacting Microsoft to reset the password, as stated previously in the thread.

                NOTE: This administrator account is NOT THE SAME as the Domain Admin account for the system. If you do not know the password for this account you may need to contact Microsoft possibly to reset it.

 

 

 

 

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

DC09,

Any update on this?

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

If you need an update, it is better to PM the user.

DC09
Level 3

Laurie,

We have ordered new drives.  They are the exact model as the failed drive.  I will keep you apprised of the progress.

Again, thank yor for your ideas and persistence with this ongoing task.

 

DC09

0849hrs

24jun

Laurie_Downey
Level 6
Employee

DC09,

Thank you for the update. I will send you a PM to provide an email address for further update requests. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you need further assistance or have questions I am to be able to help with and thanks again.