Hi,

I have an HP EX487 Windows home server (no modifications) that has been in service without issue for at least 4 years (possibly longer). It backs up 6 networked PCs and stores a small quantity of files useful for all of the 6 networked PCs.

One day last week it would not start up.

I removed the two 750GB hard drives and checked them with a temporary USB adapter using a PC and they seem to work fine. All the shared data and backups seem to be intact.

A few days before the server stopped working a couple of cardboard boxes were inadvertently pushed up tightly against the front of the server. I am unsure it this is a factor in the failure, but they may have inhibited airflow to the case. I am unsure if this caused this failure or not.

Without the drives installed the status light are in this condition.

Hard drive light – glows constant aqua (this seems to be the expected normal condition)

Network Light – glows constant aqua (this seems to be the expected normal condition)

Health light –

Quick white
Very short pause (no lights)
Quick Red then Aqua blinks (repeats 5 times)
Blinks aqua 8 times
Solid White
(this process takes about a minute or two)

Then server shuts down and the above repeats (over and over)

Where I need help.

1) Is this likely a hardware issue that I can repair, like replacing the RAM or installing a new power supply? I am capable of either of those.

2) If I am correct that the hard drives are fine, if I purchase another working EX470, EX475, EX485, EX487, EX490, or EX495 can I just install my current hard drives in the replacement case and be back in business?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Enjoy! Lon

Hi LonDuck welcome to the forums!

Typically if the motherboard heats up it will shut itself down to protect itself. The PSU should do the same but the original PSU's HP installed in the MSS's tended to be on the weak side. I would opt to replace the PSU but I would go a step further and look for a 2nd unit to help you with troubleshooting provided you like the EX48x Solution. By having a 2nd unit available to you it would make purchasing a new PSU easier to do. I would recommend getting a PSU from Overtek LTD. They sell their PSU's on eBay and they are based in the UK but they ship them out quickly and arrive within 1 week.

If your interested in an EX485 let me know. I have one that recently came in and I need to go through it to make sure its working properly and I can pop in an E5200 processor to give it some additional performance so that all you would need to do is pop in the drives and fire it up. If your In my immediate area I could bring with me a PSU and test out your server to see if it will fire up or not.

Another forum member has an EX485 available for sale on eBay with a starting bid for $80 you could take a look at as well viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13466 I do not know what condition his server is in but he indicates its in good working order.

If your interested in the unit I have available send me a PM. I also have other MSS models available and if you want a DEBUG Cable I can order one and install it for you.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Comp1962,

Thank you for you kind help and suggestions.

I am likely only looking for a stopgap solution and will likely not stay with my current setup. So, it is unlikely I will go with BOTH a new power supply AND another EX4XX server.

I still do not know if I can just place my presumed good current hard drives in another good EX4XX server and expect it to function without a lot of setup (my #2 above). In your reply above you seem to imply that using my presumed good current hard drives in another good EX485 server it should work immediately, but I am not positive this is your declaration ("so that all you would need to do is pop in the drives and fire it up").

And must it be a EX485 or EX487, or would any EX4XX work as effortlessly. Performance of any EX4XX would be fine for my needs.

This failure has forced me to rethink my server needs that precipitated the EX487 purchase several years ago. There are viable options available now that were not available when the EX487 was purchased several years ago.

My long term needs will likely be met using either online backups and sundry file storage OR by a more robust server.

I am in Northern KY.

Enjoy! Lon

Hey LonDuck,

I have always liked the MSS Form Factor but even before I purchased my first MSS an EX470 back in 2008 I had my reservations because it was headless. I mean I spent months debating if this was the right thing to do or not. I weighed in on the cost of a build vs an EX470 and basically my feeling was the EX470 was a cost effective solution even though I had reservations about it not having a Video Port. I have to say I personally have no regrets and resolved my video issue with a VOV Technologies DEBUG Board but I also have a custom cable and a USB-VGA cable with work well so video can be added and now to my point.

If you read through the forums you find many people reporting years of good use from their MSS regardless of the model. Its true along the way others have issues and we do our best to help them resolve them here. When a person experiences a server issue that they are not quite able to resolve the biggest issue for them is that the server is headless and so its not clear where the problem is and so many who run into that issue often seek out another solution. To compound the issue even further HP has discontinued the MSS line of servers and support from them well you can read what others have to say. Spare parts are also difficult to come by but not so difficult if you know were to look. I have sold a some spare parts and purchased others over the years. I have even purchase non-functioning servers and gotten most of them to work.

Now I can understand your situation I really can and you need to determine how to proceed. First let me tell you that if you purchased a functing server be it an EX485 or EX487 you will be able to pop in your storage pool drives, turn it on and be back in business provided your drives are in good working order which you believe is the case. If you know someone in your area with and EX48x then ask them if you can test your drives in their server and you will see they will work.

If you install them in an EX47x, EX49x, X310 or X510 then you would need to perform a Server Recovery which is no fun and depending on the server and version of HP Software it can be a challenge too but not overly difficult just time consuming an nerve racking. I really do not like recoveries because often people rush into them before verifying their drives to be in good working order.

So yes you can pop them in another working EX48x and be backup and running in the time it tasks the server to boot. If you had done some port forwarding a IP reservation for the server you would need to adjust it for the new server because the MAC Address would be different but that only takes a couple minutes of your time.

I do not know what your experience with the EX487 was but many people set them up and basically their there for many years and no one really pays much attention to them until a problem arises then its the end of the world. If you have been happy with the EX487 over the years then purchasing another working unit and installing a DEBUG Board will make a big difference then you can figure out what to do with the original unit.

Having said all that you may also want to consider other options on hardware that's more robust and flexible. I am not hear to convince you of one solution vs another or to urge you to get another EX48x rather to get you to think about all your options and to determine what is the best course of action to take. You can take comfort in knowing you can access your data on your storage pool drives so nothing lost there just connect them to another computer and set it so that it can view hidden files and folders then you will see the hidden DE folder and in there you will find your data. Just copy the data do not change anything on the drives just copy what your looking for.

While its not good what happened to your EX487 but you do have options. If you want to send it to me I can throw in a PSU and test it out for you but the cost to ship it here and back is about the same cost as a PSU which is not a standard PSU so you can only get direct replacements from a couple places.

Take your time and figure out what works best for you and if you have questions please feel free to ask and maybe it will help you to determine which solution will work best for your needs.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Comp1962,

Again, thanks for the generous reply.

I think I will just get the power supply you suggest and give that a try. That is likely the least expensive approach and has a reasonable chance of getting things square. I will purchase the supply specifically geared toward the WHS boxes (one connector).

If it is not the power supply I can go from there.

Enjoy!

Sounds like a good plan because the PSU is a common issue. Again if you want to pickup another unit let me know by the time you get your PSU I should have gone through an EX485.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Just a FYI.
I started with the EX-470 in 2008 and the first thing to go was the power supply. I ordered one from the UK dealer (they are the best) but while waiting for it I got the x510 because it had more horsepower and I liked the system overall, even being headless.
I have looked at other servers to replace my x510, but to tell you the truth, if you only need 4 drives, they are hard to beat.
Network restore, health lights, DE software raid built in, hot swap bays, small little package, software came with it ready to go.

Say you buy a Gen8 microserver $400-$500 then you need software WHS 2011 for $50 I think is still available, but then you don't have lights and no DE raid built in, so then you have to pick a DE replacement or setup a hardware raid.
Or, you load windows server 2012 essentials for $350-$500 so now your up to $1000, plus you still have to deal with some kind of raid.

Not telling you what to do, but I am sticking with my x510's (I bought 2 extra) for as long as I can, and I have built a windows 2012 essentials DIY box for down the road.
Goodluck figuring out which way to go
Comp1962 will get ya fixed up, he has saved my data at least twice and also stopped me from spending money on something I would not have been happy with.

Lastly, If Microsoft would have just updated WHS v1 to 64 bit so we could have used bigger drives, we all could have just kept on going for many more years, but they didn't.

Hope this helps. But one thing for sure is you found the very best place on the net for info on these things.

_________________
[X510 CPU/RAM/All 2 TB Red's] [X510 CPU/Sync'ed Backup/All 2 TB Hitachi's]
[X510 /2 in box]
[X710 LIAN LI DIY W2016E] Stablebit Drivepool [EX-503 LIAN LI 5-bay USB3 External]
Fear the Cloud

This is going to be a very busy weekend for me. I will fire up that EX485 for testing but I have 3 notebooks to finish working on and an EX470 that needs to be looked at.

I will still be monitoring this thread for activity but hopefully the new PSU will resolve your issue and you will be back up and running very soon.

@ Gardian ~ Hey all I did was point out a few things to get you to think about the direction you were going in to help your form a more educated opinion.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Kept me from making a impulse buy because it was shiny That's what you did.
My DIY is going to be awesome down the road and I would have regretted that Gen8 as soon as I fired it up.
The information was spot on...

_________________
[X510 CPU/RAM/All 2 TB Red's] [X510 CPU/Sync'ed Backup/All 2 TB Hitachi's]
[X510 /2 in box]
[X710 LIAN LI DIY W2016E] Stablebit Drivepool [EX-503 LIAN LI 5-bay USB3 External]
Fear the Cloud

You have the skill set and knowledge to build a better system and all I did was point out a few things to get you to thing about your options and you in the end chose the best solution which works best for your current and future needs.

Today I will pop in a drive and begin testing that EX485.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Got that EX485 running and fully updated to run the V2.5 software. Currently only 1 drive installed so I am looking around the for 3 more drives to install in it to see how well it can cool the drive and to test the PSU under a load.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Finally got back to this.

I have:

1) Installed a new power supply from Overtek in my EX487 that was having the problems detailed above.

The power supply installation went reasonably well except I did have a bit of trouble lining up one mounting screw on the power supply, it was off just slightly. But I kept with and and got it installed.

Unfortunately this did not cure my problem. I was expecting for the server to just boot and work.

I have temporally set this unit aside.

2) I purchased a EX485 locally off Craigslist. I think it is fine. The previous owned indicated they had done a factory restore. It boots up as expected and all the status lights are aqua and the hard drive light is "breathing".

The home server device shows up in my local network.

I have not been able to connect to the device from the Home Server Console from the connected PC on the network.

I suspect a "generic" initiation password is required. I seem to recall something about this in research when I had my initial problem with the EX487, but cannot locate that info on what that "generic" initiation password now.

Enjoy! Lon

You should be able to pop in your original drives and run the server. If you looking to run the server the way it was provided to you then you will need to reinstall the client software.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Sorry but I neglected to mention, I actually already tried installing my two drives from my EX487 (the one I initially had issue with) in the EX485 I purchased locally off Craigslist and the status lights indicated issues.

So for now I have set the my initial EX487 aside.

I have the purchased off Craigslist EX485 that:

It boots up as expected and all the status lights are aqua and the hard drive light is "breathing".

The home server device shows up in my local network.

I have not been able to connect to the device from the Home Server Console from the connected PC on the network.

I suspect a "generic" initiation password is required. I seem to recall something about this in research when I had my initial problem with the EX487, but cannot locate that info on what that "generic" initiation password now.

Enjoy! Lon

Lon,

I am not sure how far along the person got with the initial recovery but you need to reinstall the client software to make the connection to the new server. If the server was never configured then you should be able to setup the server.

Not sure which two disks your talking about but you would need all the drives from the old server including the system drive for it to boot up. Everyone who obtains the same server model series as they were running previously just connect the drives and boot the server up. The only thing is you need to make sure the system drive is inserted in the bottom drive bay.

Stephen

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8