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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:52 am 
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I power on the server, when I get to the flashing lights, I press the button with the paper clip and now for some reason it wont stay in server recovery mode :( When I press it, it blinks between blue and pink about 9 times and then becomes solid red. Now I've successfully gotten into recovery mode on the first time a half dozen times this weekend trying to get it to install right so I don't think I'm doing anything wrong in that area.

Once the lights gone red, simply touching the power button will shut it off - no need to hold the power button for the 4 seconds it normally takes.

The server also powers on, boots and runs perfectly if I don't try to put it into recovery mode.

I'd seen mentioned before this might have to do with the 256mb recovery partition.

Anyone have the files for making the homemade USB Flash key for boot the server into recovery mode and to boot from the usb flash key


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:55 am 
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Please read everything I have written below then you will have all the tools and knowledge necessary to keep your EX470 fully function for many years.

What you describe in terms of the power button is normal. You may or may not have an issue with the SMI area but the best way to tell is to simply with the power of back out the System Drive the bottom drive and disconnect any external devices USB and eSATA to the server but leave the network cable connected to the server. Now turn the server on and wait a couple minutes and observer the health light and wait for it to blink PURPLE and RED this will tell you that your server booted into its recovery mode which is does when it see's no bootable devices so it will boot from the hidden SMI area in your server.

To confirm your server is in its recovery mode and to know it also has good connectivity or that the LAN Port is functional just logon onto your router and check the DHCP listings. If all is well you will find a device starting with the name MININT followed by other things. If you see this then your SMI area is functional and that your recovery is being inhibited by either they system drive or any external device that the server may find that is bootable.

I have seen System Drives actually mess up the recovery process so what I often tell people is to back out the system drive, make sure there are no external devices connected to the server that can actually boot the server particularly in the bottom rear USB Port. Now turn the server on and wait for the health light to blink PURPLE and RED then simply slide the System Drive back into the server and run the recovery software from a client.

It would be best to run the recovery software from a 32 bit PC if your using the original disks that shipped with the EX470. If you have the newer 3.0 disks then it should not matter. Personally I keep a 32 bit Win XP system around because I know it will work every time but not everyone has one.

Now back to your request for the SMI files. If your server is functional then you can expose and extract the SMI files. Using Remote Desktop Connection, some call it RDC or RDP others call it Terminal Services, make a connection to your servers desktop. Once there disable the HP MediaSmart Service. When you do this your servers LEDS will stop functioning properly and you will get alerts. Check My Computer and you should see another drive that is like 256mb in size. If you do not see this then you will have to reboot the server, again the drive lights will not function properly this is to be expected. Using Remote Desktop Connection check My Computer and you will see the 256mb USB SIMI Drive. DO NOT MODIFY ANYTHING JUST COPY THE CONTENTS OF THE SMI DRIVE TO A USB FLASH DRIVE. You can copy the contents to a safe location on your server or both but if you disturb the contents of the area you will risk corrupting it and will never be able to use it again! Before copying anything in that area make certain you set the server to be able to view hidden files and folders so that you will be able to copy everything in the SMI area.

After you have copied the contents out of the SMI Area, go back and re-enable the HP MediaSmart Service and reboot the server. Doing this will put your server back to normal operation so your LED's and Health Indicators will resume nomal operation and your SMI Area will once again be hidden and protected.

Copying the contents of the SMI Area will be one of the best things you can do to ensure your server will never have an issue with its recovery. The next part will involve taking a small USB Flash Drive and making configuring it to be bootable. After doing that all you need to do is copy the SMI Files to the newly created Bootable USB Flash Drive but make certain you set your computer up to be able to view hidden files and folders so that you will be able to copy the hidden files as well.

In the event your hidden SMI Area fails all you need to do to recovery an EX47x is plug in the Bootable USB Flash Drive with the SMI Files into the bottom rear USB Port, back out the System Drive and turn the server on. When you see the health light blink Purple and Red just reseat the System Drive and run the Server Recovery Software. Once the server is in its recovery mode and the process has started then you can unplug the Bootable USB Drive with the SMI Files on it. Very simple process works like a charm.

Once you have the SMI files back them up many many times and protect them for the life of your server. These files also come in handy if you ever install a USB-LAN Adapter because of a failed LAN Port on your server and you need to configure a recovery setup to utilize the new adapter. This is another topic but I honestly tell you they are important.

Good luck and let me know how you make out.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:01 pm 
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Done what you said i pulled the system drive out which is the only one in it. And start it by pushing the power button, It start fan blow noisy for some seconds then slow down it blinks in the health. And it when to Complete red light after a few seconds. And after 2 min still red after 5 min still red and still going after 30min. Tried it 5 times. And i have check router and even toke a new router and plugged to my network and still nothing.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:10 pm 
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If your servers health light is RED and remains RED then you need to press the Status Reset Button in with a paper clip to get the Blink Error Code. Carefully count the blinks and then we can determine whats going on but as I recall you mentioned your server boots up fine with the current drives but that you are not able to perform a recovery. Maybe I misunderstood your previous post.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:24 pm 
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Its a used one which have been standing in a closet for sometime. And i can get it cheap if it works.

No harddrive was in when i got it.

I have tried a brand new 1tb and a older used 500gb drives to chech it wasnt the drives

The Blink code are Blue - Red - Red - Red - Red - Red

Thats is with and without a system inserted


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:58 pm 
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Thats a multiple boot failure issue. Here are the blink codes link on the sites wiki: http://www.mediasmartserver.net/wiki/in ... rror_Codes

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:13 pm 
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1 blue, 5 red Multiple boot failure. Contact HP Support at http://www.hp.com/support

So nothing else to do atm then dumping it in electronic trash


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 8:32 pm 
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I have given your situation some thought about whats the best way for you to obtain the SMI files and I think I have come up with a solution but it will take you sometime both in downloading software and following a guide on how to install WHS2011 Trial Software onto your EX470. Once the software is install the SMI Area should show up at which point you could download the files after setting the server so you can view hidden files and folders as I mentioned previously.

You could also continue to run the WHS2011 and purchase a license of course but that will be up to you. I am not pushing WHS2011 on you I am just offering you a long winded solution I think will work.

First read through the following Guide on how to install WHS2011 then code named VAIL onto your EX470: http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010/04 ... rt-server/

Second download WHS2011 from the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/produc ... /eval.mspx

If your successful then you would have a functional server running without LED Support but the SMI Area should be exposed for you to obtain the files. You could then create a Bootable USB Flash Drive and copy the SMI Files to the flash drive and then be able to boot your EX470 into its recovery mode and install the Sever Software. Please review my previous long winded post to help you with how to put your server into recovery mode using a Bootable USB Flash Drive with the SMI Files on it.

Good Luck and let me know how you make out.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:42 pm 
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I Will try it this afternoon


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 11:21 am 
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Got WHS 2011 on the machine now and access to the hidden drive but its empty whs2011 say 246MB unallocated

So problem i see now is that i will be able to get the old version it or is there place to get the files from that area


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 9:34 pm 
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I am having the same problem,


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