Can't start with RAID enabled.

[FL666]

Dell PowerEdge T410. 2 drives mirrored.
Server 2008 Standard-up to date

It gets to the splash screen, then as it goes to the next screen it goes to a dark grey background and my mouse pointer is showing and that's it. It will stay there for an hour. I should be seeing the loading system services, applying policies etc. screen and then ctrl-alt-del.

With both drives connected via RAID controller:
-Can always start in safe mode
-Will only start in normal if I randomly disable a service or 2

With one drive connected as degraded RAID (for fun I unattached one drive and everything works)
-Always starts in safe mode
-Always start in normal mode

Tried 2 new hard drives, controller card, cables, updated BIOS, drivers, controller BIOS, drivers etc.
Tried system repair.

In a nutshell, with both drives attached I boot into safe mode to troubleshoot, nothing in the event logs, I disable all startup items and non-microsoft services.

System will reboot fine a couple of times.
I go back into safe mode, enable a service, system will not boot.
Go back and disable this service, system will still not boot.
Try another service, then it will boot, back to square one.

So after a number of tries, enabling and disabling services will sometimes help and sometimes not. Very weird.

 

[kmcferrin]

What service?

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[FL666]

Avg, cisco webex, Dell management, apc, dyndns.
I think there were others but nothing critical to the OS.

 

[FL666]

Not all were done at the same, just varying combinations.