After applying windows patches server is in a continuous reboot loop.

Issue:

After applying windows patches server is in a continuous reboot loop.

It goes  up to the splash screen and then we get the screen

“Preparing to configure windows

  Do not turn off your computer”

Environment:

Windows Server 2008 Ent R2 AL SP1

VMware ESXi 4.1.0

Role: Web server

Server name: xxxxxxxxxxx

Troubleshooting:

·         1.We tried the advanced boot options to see if it could bring up the server

2.Safe mode - Starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services

3.Safe mode with networking - Starts Windows in safe mode and includes the network drivers and services needed to access the Internet or other computers on your network

Last Known Good Configuration - Starts Windows with the last registry and driver configuration that worked successfully

Disable driver signature enforcement - Allows drivers containing improper signatures to be installed

None of these options made a difference to the state of the server.

·         Since the issue started after windows patching, from the command prompt attempted to revert any pending actions(http://blogs.technet.com/b/joscon/archive/2009/10/15/getting-out-of-a-no-boot-situation-after-installing-updates-on-windows-7-2008r2.aspx)

DISM /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

But this did not make any change to the state of the server.

·         Swapped the registry hives. copied the system and software registry hives from C:\Windows\System32\config\Regback to C:\Windows\System32\config after renaming the existing hives to .old

After the hive swap the server came up and we were able to login.

·        

         After about 2 reboots, the server went to the initial no boot state.

·        

     Compared the registry hives and we see that the trusted installer service was getting set to automatic 

       after the reboot. So loaded the registry have and set the service to manual.

After this change was made to the registry, the server came up normally.

·         

          Even after couple reboots, the server remained stable.

·         Then we noticed that the server showed up as not activated, this would have activated itself after communication with the KMS host in a while but we activated it

Installed the client key (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx)

Slmgr /ipk YC6KT-GKW9T-YTKYR-T4X34-R7VHC

Activated the installed key

Slmgr /ato

·         Even after couple reboots, the server remained stable.

hhttps://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

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