Hi,
We are running Windows Server 2008 (standard, not R2) on a server with the operating system installed across multiple SSD drives in a RAID 5 configuration. This system has 3 SSD drives storing identical copies of the operating system to prevent system hardware failure. This server actually has 3 different RAID systems installed - one for the operating system, and two for bulk storage.
Unfortunately, we need to reset the Administrator account password. We know the trick to rename and replace the UtilMan.exe with cmd.exe in the system32 folder and "bypass" the security using the help menu on restart, but we can't get the system to boot from the CD/DVD and navigate to the C:\drive(s) to make this replacement.
When we boot the server from the CD/DVD drive with the Windows Server 2008 DVD, the system does not automatically recognize the "C: drive" under this RAID system. We have tried to perform a boot from CD/DVD drive and load the RAID drivers from a USB thumbdrive, but the system still does not recognize there is an existing operating system on the C: Drive(s), even after the RAID driver has supposedly loaded.
At that time, using the cmd window, we still only see the X:\ drive, which is the system which was loaded from the DVD into RAM.
Has anyone had any experience with this kind of issue? Is there any other way to reset an administrator password in a live system, or is there another way to load the RAID drivers so the C: drive under RAID becomes visible / accessible?
I'm trying to avoid a total rebuild of this machine to recover Administrator rights, and any advice you can offer would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kevin