Restarting a server using Terminal Services...Help!

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Ok, this issue has happened to me twice now. Both are the same type of
Windows Servers - AD controller with Fax software installed. Both are in
different offices in different domains.

I connected using RDP, not connecting to the console. When I tried to
restart the server, it disconnected my terminal session, logged the following
event in the sys log: 1074 "The process svchost.exe has initiated the
restart of computer **** on behalf of NT Authority\System.... The system
never restarted and now I can't reconnect with remote desktop. Problem is,
this system is in another office without an onsite tech support person. The
system is up and all services are working. I can connect with Computer
Management and see what's going on, but I can't connect to the system and
control it! When this happened in my own office, I was able to run upstairs
and work right on the console, restart the server and everything was fine.

The whole reason I didn't connect to the console is because explorer.exe
crashed, so I just had a blue backgroud. I wasn't able to log that session
out and couldn't get a real desktop back. This is why I logged in without
connecting to the console to restart. HELP!

Thanks,
Joel
 
Re: Restarting a server using Terminal Services...Help!

Yes, the same thing has happened to me several times, rdp shuts
down but nothing else. Note that console or normal rdp session
doesn't make a difference, it happens randomly on both.

Sometimes I have been able to remotely shutdown the server with the
shutdown command from another server.

You might want to apply this post-SP2 hotfix to avoid the problem
in the future:

930045 - A Windows Server 2003-based computer stops responding when
you shut down the computer in a remote console session
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=930045
_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

=?Utf-8?B?SkY=?= <JF@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on 24 jan
2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> Ok, this issue has happened to me twice now. Both are the same
> type of Windows Servers - AD controller with Fax software
> installed. Both are in different offices in different domains.
>
> I connected using RDP, not connecting to the console. When I
> tried to restart the server, it disconnected my terminal
> session, logged the following event in the sys log: 1074 "The
> process svchost.exe has initiated the restart of computer ****
> on behalf of NT Authority\System.... The system never restarted
> and now I can't reconnect with remote desktop. Problem is, this
> system is in another office without an onsite tech support
> person. The system is up and all services are working. I can
> connect with Computer Management and see what's going on, but I
> can't connect to the system and control it! When this happened
> in my own office, I was able to run upstairs and work right on
> the console, restart the server and everything was fine.
>
> The whole reason I didn't connect to the console is because
> explorer.exe crashed, so I just had a blue backgroud. I wasn't
> able to log that session out and couldn't get a real desktop
> back. This is why I logged in without connecting to the console
> to restart. HELP!
>
> Thanks,
> Joel
 
Re: Restarting a server using Terminal Services...Help!

Thanks for the quick reply. I did try the shutdown command from another
machine and it didn't do anything - not a trace of it even trying in the app
or system logs. At 6 PM eastern, I'm going to attempt to send a
"tsshutdn.exe /reboot /server:server" command and see if that will restart
the server.

So, there isn't a way to restart terminal services without restarting a
server? I can't see of a way. I see there are command lines which help log
out other sessions, but I'm surprised to find no way of actually restarting
terminal services. I guess it's so integrated in the OS that it's not
seperate, even though there are services pertaining to it?

Joel

"Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

> Yes, the same thing has happened to me several times, rdp shuts
> down but nothing else. Note that console or normal rdp session
> doesn't make a difference, it happens randomly on both.
>
> Sometimes I have been able to remotely shutdown the server with the
> shutdown command from another server.
>
> You might want to apply this post-SP2 hotfix to avoid the problem
> in the future:
>
> 930045 - A Windows Server 2003-based computer stops responding when
> you shut down the computer in a remote console session
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=930045
> _________________________________________________________
> Vera Noest
> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>
> =?Utf-8?B?SkY=?= <JF@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on 24 jan
> 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>
> > Ok, this issue has happened to me twice now. Both are the same
> > type of Windows Servers - AD controller with Fax software
> > installed. Both are in different offices in different domains.
> >
> > I connected using RDP, not connecting to the console. When I
> > tried to restart the server, it disconnected my terminal
> > session, logged the following event in the sys log: 1074 "The
> > process svchost.exe has initiated the restart of computer ****
> > on behalf of NT Authority\System.... The system never restarted
> > and now I can't reconnect with remote desktop. Problem is, this
> > system is in another office without an onsite tech support
> > person. The system is up and all services are working. I can
> > connect with Computer Management and see what's going on, but I
> > can't connect to the system and control it! When this happened
> > in my own office, I was able to run upstairs and work right on
> > the console, restart the server and everything was fine.
> >
> > The whole reason I didn't connect to the console is because
> > explorer.exe crashed, so I just had a blue backgroud. I wasn't
> > able to log that session out and couldn't get a real desktop
> > back. This is why I logged in without connecting to the console
> > to restart. HELP!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Joel
>
 
Re: Restarting a server using Terminal Services...Help!

No luck with shutdown.exe or tsshutdn.exe. I tried to get an end user to go
and restart it (yes, that would mean giving an admin account/pw out to an end
user). She couldn't even figure out how to work the KVM box. It appears to
only be displaying 1 of 8 machines (hardware or user error??? - I'm not
asking you, I'm just frustrated with this situation of dealing with very
non-technical end users to perform some IT functions in that office).

So, are there any other options to getting this machine restarted remotely?
I'm in a bind. The server is running fine, but I'm not going to be out in
that office for at least a month. Wish I could remotely tell that machine to
auto install updates and restart at a given time (though I suppose I could do
that with group policy), though I'd still have to wait until the 2nd Tuesday
of Feb. before I'd be able to gain full control to that machine again.

Joel

"JF" wrote:

> Thanks for the quick reply. I did try the shutdown command from another
> machine and it didn't do anything - not a trace of it even trying in the app
> or system logs. At 6 PM eastern, I'm going to attempt to send a
> "tsshutdn.exe /reboot /server:server" command and see if that will restart
> the server.
>
> So, there isn't a way to restart terminal services without restarting a
> server? I can't see of a way. I see there are command lines which help log
> out other sessions, but I'm surprised to find no way of actually restarting
> terminal services. I guess it's so integrated in the OS that it's not
> seperate, even though there are services pertaining to it?
>
> Joel
>
> "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:
>
> > Yes, the same thing has happened to me several times, rdp shuts
> > down but nothing else. Note that console or normal rdp session
> > doesn't make a difference, it happens randomly on both.
> >
> > Sometimes I have been able to remotely shutdown the server with the
> > shutdown command from another server.
> >
> > You might want to apply this post-SP2 hotfix to avoid the problem
> > in the future:
> >
> > 930045 - A Windows Server 2003-based computer stops responding when
> > you shut down the computer in a remote console session
> > http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=930045
> > _________________________________________________________
> > Vera Noest
> > MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> > TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
> > ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
> >
> > =?Utf-8?B?SkY=?= <JF@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on 24 jan
> > 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
> >
> > > Ok, this issue has happened to me twice now. Both are the same
> > > type of Windows Servers - AD controller with Fax software
> > > installed. Both are in different offices in different domains.
> > >
> > > I connected using RDP, not connecting to the console. When I
> > > tried to restart the server, it disconnected my terminal
> > > session, logged the following event in the sys log: 1074 "The
> > > process svchost.exe has initiated the restart of computer ****
> > > on behalf of NT Authority\System.... The system never restarted
> > > and now I can't reconnect with remote desktop. Problem is, this
> > > system is in another office without an onsite tech support
> > > person. The system is up and all services are working. I can
> > > connect with Computer Management and see what's going on, but I
> > > can't connect to the system and control it! When this happened
> > > in my own office, I was able to run upstairs and work right on
> > > the console, restart the server and everything was fine.
> > >
> > > The whole reason I didn't connect to the console is because
> > > explorer.exe crashed, so I just had a blue backgroud. I wasn't
> > > able to log that session out and couldn't get a real desktop
> > > back. This is why I logged in without connecting to the console
> > > to restart. HELP!
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Joel
> >
 
Re: Restarting a server using Terminal Services...Help!

Well, most newer servers have an out-of-band management connection
for this purpose, where you can even turn off the server completely
and turn it on again, remotely. On HP it's called iLO, on Dell it's
called DRAC. But it sounds like you don't have that kind of access.

If you can connect to the scheduler service, you can easily write a
small batch job with the shutdown command, and schedule it to run
under the local system account. That should take the server down.

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

=?Utf-8?B?SkY=?= <JF@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on 25 jan
2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> No luck with shutdown.exe or tsshutdn.exe. I tried to get an
> end user to go and restart it (yes, that would mean giving an
> admin account/pw out to an end user). She couldn't even figure
> out how to work the KVM box. It appears to only be displaying 1
> of 8 machines (hardware or user error??? - I'm not asking you,
> I'm just frustrated with this situation of dealing with very
> non-technical end users to perform some IT functions in that
> office).
>
> So, are there any other options to getting this machine
> restarted remotely? I'm in a bind. The server is running fine,
> but I'm not going to be out in that office for at least a month.
> Wish I could remotely tell that machine to auto install updates
> and restart at a given time (though I suppose I could do that
> with group policy), though I'd still have to wait until the 2nd
> Tuesday of Feb. before I'd be able to gain full control to that
> machine again.
>
> Joel
>
> "JF" wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the quick reply. I did try the shutdown command
>> from another machine and it didn't do anything - not a trace of
>> it even trying in the app or system logs. At 6 PM eastern, I'm
>> going to attempt to send a "tsshutdn.exe /reboot
>> /server:server" command and see if that will restart the
>> server.
>>
>> So, there isn't a way to restart terminal services without
>> restarting a server? I can't see of a way. I see there are
>> command lines which help log out other sessions, but I'm
>> surprised to find no way of actually restarting terminal
>> services. I guess it's so integrated in the OS that it's not
>> seperate, even though there are services pertaining to it?
>>
>> Joel
>>
>> "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:
>>
>> > Yes, the same thing has happened to me several times, rdp
>> > shuts down but nothing else. Note that console or normal rdp
>> > session doesn't make a difference, it happens randomly on
>> > both.
>> >
>> > Sometimes I have been able to remotely shutdown the server
>> > with the shutdown command from another server.
>> >
>> > You might want to apply this post-SP2 hotfix to avoid the
>> > problem in the future:
>> >
>> > 930045 - A Windows Server 2003-based computer stops
>> > responding when you shut down the computer in a remote
>> > console session http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=930045
>> > _________________________________________________________
>> > Vera Noest
>> > MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
>> > TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
>> > ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>> >
>> > =?Utf-8?B?SkY=?= <JF@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on 24
>> > jan 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>> >
>> > > Ok, this issue has happened to me twice now. Both are the
>> > > same type of Windows Servers - AD controller with Fax
>> > > software installed. Both are in different offices in
>> > > different domains.
>> > >
>> > > I connected using RDP, not connecting to the console. When
>> > > I tried to restart the server, it disconnected my terminal
>> > > session, logged the following event in the sys log: 1074
>> > > "The process svchost.exe has initiated the restart of
>> > > computer **** on behalf of NT Authority\System.... The
>> > > system never restarted and now I can't reconnect with
>> > > remote desktop. Problem is, this system is in another
>> > > office without an onsite tech support person. The system
>> > > is up and all services are working. I can connect with
>> > > Computer Management and see what's going on, but I can't
>> > > connect to the system and control it! When this happened
>> > > in my own office, I was able to run upstairs and work right
>> > > on the console, restart the server and everything was fine.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > The whole reason I didn't connect to the console is because
>> > > explorer.exe crashed, so I just had a blue backgroud. I
>> > > wasn't able to log that session out and couldn't get a real
>> > > desktop back. This is why I logged in without connecting
>> > > to the console to restart. HELP!
>> > >
>> > > Thanks,
>> > > Joel
 
Re: Restarting a server using Terminal Services...Help!

For future reference, this problem is one of the many reasons I have
LogMeIn on all of my servers. LogMeIn will connect long before RDP will in
the boot process, and has saved me from the very problem specified here.

I just ran into another problem that LogMeIn solved. I connected to a
client's payroll server and it immediately sensed a terminal session and
closed a payroll application with an error about using it in a TS session.
It happens using /console switch.

Something to consider as well is installing an IP KVM switch that gives you
console access via the Internet. A combination I use is an IP KVM switch
connected to the same brand's 8-port KVM switch (cheaper than buying their
8-port IP KVM switch). The IP KVM has a serial port on it that can be used
to Telnet into other equipment (mine goes to my IP power switch that only
has Telnet and no web GUI). It also has a USB port that allows one to
connect a USB hard drive that can be made to appear as a floppy disk, hard
drive, or CDROM. One can literally load an OS DVD onto the USB hard drive,
along with RAID drivers, and do a complete server build remotely.

Gregg Hill




"Vera Noest [MVP]" <vera.noest@remove-this.hem.utfors.se> wrote in message
news:Xns9A2FD7A6987BEveranoesthemutforsse@207.46.248.16...
> Yes, the same thing has happened to me several times, rdp shuts
> down but nothing else. Note that console or normal rdp session
> doesn't make a difference, it happens randomly on both.
>
> Sometimes I have been able to remotely shutdown the server with the
> shutdown command from another server.
>
> You might want to apply this post-SP2 hotfix to avoid the problem
> in the future:
>
> 930045 - A Windows Server 2003-based computer stops responding when
> you shut down the computer in a remote console session
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=930045
> _________________________________________________________
> Vera Noest
> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>
> =?Utf-8?B?SkY=?= <JF@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on 24 jan
> 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>
>> Ok, this issue has happened to me twice now. Both are the same
>> type of Windows Servers - AD controller with Fax software
>> installed. Both are in different offices in different domains.
>>
>> I connected using RDP, not connecting to the console. When I
>> tried to restart the server, it disconnected my terminal
>> session, logged the following event in the sys log: 1074 "The
>> process svchost.exe has initiated the restart of computer ****
>> on behalf of NT Authority\System.... The system never restarted
>> and now I can't reconnect with remote desktop. Problem is, this
>> system is in another office without an onsite tech support
>> person. The system is up and all services are working. I can
>> connect with Computer Management and see what's going on, but I
>> can't connect to the system and control it! When this happened
>> in my own office, I was able to run upstairs and work right on
>> the console, restart the server and everything was fine.
>>
>> The whole reason I didn't connect to the console is because
>> explorer.exe crashed, so I just had a blue backgroud. I wasn't
>> able to log that session out and couldn't get a real desktop
>> back. This is why I logged in without connecting to the console
>> to restart. HELP!
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Joel
 
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