With Windows operating systems it is common practice to have to reboot the server or workstation from time to time just to straighten things out. Add to that the times you reboot because you installed or updated a program and you can be rebooting quite often.
Don’t Touch That Dial!
I think the narrator in the TV version of Batman used to yell that out, but I could be wrong. What I mean is this: Don’t reboot without considering that the computer may not come up after the reboot.
When was your last backup?
Before you reboot, make a quick backup of at least the work you know has changed since your last good backup. Also think about your contingency plan in case the server or workstation chooses not to come alive again.
It’s just a fact with computer hardware that any time it’s running, it might be the last time. Does this happen frequently? Thankfully, no. But over the last couple of decades I have received enough frantic calls when it hasn’t to warrant mentioning it here.
Then there is the Windows operating system.
Just last week a client called me to say that their Windows 2000 server had a BSOD (blue screen of death) with 0x0000007B “Inaccessible Boot Device” on the screen. Not good.
Everything was working just fine except that a vendor support person couldn’t get in with pcAnywhere (an old as the hills remote control program). Why they haven’t joined the 21st century by using a product like GoToMyPC for tech support access is beyond me. So, without thinking about the last 3 nights backups that did NOT complete successfully, they rebooted.
After spending about 3 hours following all of Microsoft’s suggestions and Googling for any other hints, I punted. With a Windows Server 2003 CD at arms reach I couldn’t justify spending any more time trying to fix Windows 2000.
Fortunately, Windows 2000 Server was all that was corrupt; the data was all good (sigh of relief here). This is a client that does NOT hire me to monitor their server and such items as backup – that may change. A new Dell PowerEdge Server has also been ordered.
So before you click on Start | Shutdown | Restart – ask yourself what you will do if it doesn’t restart; and do a quick backup first.
