EX 485 stopped booting. I took the disks out try to see network card and motherboard functionality, it passed the check. I have tried to sever recovery however it does not complete the task, server recovery hangs all the time.

Now I have purchase several cables, one complete debug board, and one to test the drives on my other computer. I attached the MSS sys drive to the desktop I see to partions one data and one system. Data looks empty and system partion shows about 20gb empty and ~gb data written on it. I try to access both partions; no luck! Try to run chkdsk; no lock either.

When I attached the data drives I can see the directory structure on the disks and clean bill of health after running the chkdsk on them.

Here is the system configuration:

HP EX485 with E5200 cpu and 4gb of ram
HP WHS v3 operating system
1. 750 system drive (HP stock) (CANNOT ACCESS IT)
2. Seagate Barracuda 7200 1.5tb (chkdsk OK)
3. Seagate Barracuda 7200 1.5tb (chkdsk OK)
4. Seagate Barracuda 7200 1.5tb (chkdsk OK)


Complete debug board will be installed, along with a new monitor to see. I also purchased WHS 2011 just incase

Please help me to recover server with the data. I do have lots of research related databases and articles on the disks. Please help!

Here is an update:

I just installed the complete VGA debug board. It was an easy task. A brilliant piece of equipment. I hooped up an VGA monitor and USB keyboard. I can access bios and see boot squence. Before the guru's comment on my problem I do not want to insert any drives on any bays. System drive is sure failed. I wonder how I can save my data.
Best regards,

After reading more here and HP web site, I decided to try server recovery. I have replaced failed system drive with WD 1.0tb green drive. Passed the first phase of recovery without a problem. My desktop says it is successfull now server will reboot it may take 5 minutes and several rebootes etc. However server itself booted up on recovery mode again and now hangs on 788] Listener Created mode. I have screen shot but I need to discover to upload here first.

Please see the photo, whatever I do server keeps booting on internal USB:(

After several attempts now it hangs on bios screen. USB keyboard would not function. I need to get a PS2 keyboard to continue to mass this up:(

PS2 keyboard did not do the trick. Stsyem hangs on the boot screen right after USB controller. DId not go to memory test. I just test the memory somewhere else. It is healthy. Took the CMOS battery out to try to see I can access to bios, no luck. I am running out of ideas please help. Do you think it is E5200 cpu related? I still have the HP stock celeron on hand. Shoud I replace to CPU? I am running out of ideas please help.

I installed the celeron, booted up correctly. Re fixed the bios and installed E5200 again. Now it seems working to recover. Several things were wrong in Bios; USB flash disk was the primary boot drive therefore it kept booting on recovery mode. And PECI was disabled some how.

All the data rescued. Server is fixed. Firefly and and other usual erros to fix I could not do this without this forum. Part of the credit goes to Charles for his brilliant piece of debug VGA board:)