Windows Server 2012 R2 Starts in recovery mode.

[Samil]

Hello everyone,

My name is Samil, an IT Administrator at a junior level.

Well, I have a challenge with a Windows Server 2012 R2 server that crushed and when I start the  machine, it only starts in recovery mode, it attempts automatic recovery but also fails. It  starts with select your keyboard and after gives options to reset the machine and other advanced options to recover it.

I have tried many ways but all in vein. I tried to boot with cmd and launch diskpart . When I type list disk in diskpart to display the disks connected on my server ; it displays none. But when I connect and installation media like USB and run list disk or list volume in diskpart, I will only see  the external installation disk attached.

I tried also to boot from external installation media and I run ;

1.  bootrec /rebuildbcd -Total identified Windows installations: 0

2. bcdedit /export c:\bcdbackup - command cannot execute. It says it has been changed externally

3. Diskpart - Wont see the HDD installed on server.

But when I live boot with Linux, I am in position to see the HDD of the server and even read files and copy them.

How do I recover this machine without loosing all my data and configurations.

Regards,

Samil256

[#2]

One possible reason for this issue could be that the boot partition or boot configuration data (BCD) is corrupted or damaged. To resolve this issue, you may want to try the following steps:

Boot from the Windows Server 2012 R2 installation media and select "Repair your computer" option.

Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options and Command Prompt.

Use the command prompt to run the following commands in order:

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
If the rebuildbcd command fails to identify any Windows installations, you may need to manually rebuild the BCD using the following commands:
bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
attrib c:\boot\bcd -h -r -s
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Reboot the server and check if it boots up normally.
If the above steps do not work, you may need to consider restoring from a backup or seeking assistance from a professional. It is important to note that attempting to recover the server without professional assistance may result in data loss or further damage to the server.