Our windows 2003 server has done this twice now. The first symptom is
that the user logged on to the server begins to lose access to parts of
the machine (cannot browse drives for example). Ctl/Alt/Del will bring
up task manager from which you can view processes and performance. If
you log off the user logged on to the server it reverts to the desktop
wallpaper with nothing else on it. The mouse pointer moves and the caps
lock and num lock lights on the keyboard work fine.

The server appears to be working however - shares are available to
users, you can use computer management to connect to management on the
locked server and view services etc, you can get performance counters
for it using perfmon on the other server. The only way out is to power
the server off and reboot it (which you cannot do 'tidyly' only by
hitting the power switch).

We have had major power issues in the server room with the machine
re-booting and powering off with the ups repeatedley.

We are in need of help here :-(

tia
andy

In news:cbejh8$jom$(E-Mail Removed),
andy smart <(E-Mail Removed)> fumbled, fiddled and
fingered:
> Our windows 2003 server has done this twice now. The first symptom is
> that the user logged on to the server begins to lose access to parts
> of the machine (cannot browse drives for example). Ctl/Alt/Del will
> bring up task manager from which you can view processes and
> performance. If you log off the user logged on to the server it
> reverts to the desktop wallpaper with nothing else on it. The mouse
> pointer moves and the caps lock and num lock lights on the keyboard
> work fine.
>
> The server appears to be working however - shares are available to
> users, you can use computer management to connect to management on the
> locked server and view services etc, you can get performance counters
> for it using perfmon on the other server. The only way out is to power
> the server off and reboot it (which you cannot do 'tidyly' only by
> hitting the power switch).
>
> We have had major power issues in the server room with the machine
> re-booting and powering off with the ups repeatedley.
>
> We are in need of help here :-(
>
> tia
> andy

Look for any instances of explorer.exe in Task Manager and end the
process's.

Then still in Taks Manager go to
File
New Task (Run)...
type
explorer
click OK

hopefully it'll spring back into "life"



--
Steve Parry BA (Hons) MCP MVP

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

Steve Parry [MVP] wrote:

> In news:cbejh8$jom$(E-Mail Removed),
> andy smart <(E-Mail Removed)> fumbled, fiddled and
> fingered:
>
>>Our windows 2003 server has done this twice now. The first symptom is
>>that the user logged on to the server begins to lose access to parts
>>of the machine (cannot browse drives for example). Ctl/Alt/Del will
>>bring up task manager from which you can view processes and
>>performance. If you log off the user logged on to the server it
>>reverts to the desktop wallpaper with nothing else on it. The mouse
>>pointer moves and the caps lock and num lock lights on the keyboard
>>work fine.
>>
>>The server appears to be working however - shares are available to
>>users, you can use computer management to connect to management on the
>>locked server and view services etc, you can get performance counters
>>for it using perfmon on the other server. The only way out is to power
>>the server off and reboot it (which you cannot do 'tidyly' only by
>>hitting the power switch).
>>
>>We have had major power issues in the server room with the machine
>>re-booting and powering off with the ups repeatedley.
>>
>>We are in need of help here :-(
>>
>>tia
>>andy
>
>
> Look for any instances of explorer.exe in Task Manager and end the
> process's.
>
> Then still in Taks Manager go to
> File
> New Task (Run)...
> type
> explorer
> click OK
>
> hopefully it'll spring back into "life"
>
>
>
Good suggestion - however by that stage it had let us log off so we
couldn't run task manager. But if we get it again we'll try it.

What interests us now is why it locked up......