# Xserve issues



## Chalmers (Jul 12, 2004)

Purchased an installed my first Xserve (a beautiful machine) two weeks ago and placed with a co-location firm. This is the only Mac in the room, located on a shelf up against a wall with some other servers and towers on the same platform. I realize now this is not the ideal conditions for servicing this machine.

Needed to make some adjustments. Working with a companion, who has many years experience in IT, Unix and Windows and some limited experience with Macs. My focus is writing database code, not servers or IT.

Tilted the Xserve to gain access to the USB ports on the back (done before without incident). This time two disk drive doors popped open but didn't come all the way out. Pushed them back in and proceeded to get the monitor up and running. Got as far as seeing Software Update waiting for me saying there were updates available for downloading. 

I quit that and heard a continuous beeping sound coming from the Xserve. From this point the two of us struggled trying to find what the issue was and how to resolve it.

Reviewed the manuals of course and nothing jumped out at us. We powered down the Xserve and brought it back up. It would get as far as looking for System and bring up the flashing folder with question mark -- unable to find. At which point the beeping would resume. We then popped the Xserve install disk in the drive and proceeded through the install process. Got as far as the screen asking you which drive to install on. But no drives at all shown. 

At this point we shut down. Today is Sunday. Have a call in to my Apple dealer for tomorrow. Have also made a decision to obtain and permanently attach monitor and USB cables to the back and/or negotiate a better location in the room.

This is my first post to this forum. Wondering what people here have to say about this situation.


----------



## MSY-Houston (Dec 5, 2004)

Chalmers said:


> ...Tilted the Xserve to gain access to the USB ports on the back (done before without incident). This time two disk drive doors popped open but didn't come all the way out. Pushed them back in and proceeded to get the monitor up and running...I quit that and heard a continuous beeping sound coming from the Xserve. From this point the two of us struggled trying to find what the issue was and how to resolve it.
> 
> ...It would get as far as looking for System and bring up the flashing folder with question mark -- unable to find. At which point the beeping would resume... We then popped the Xserve install disk in the drive and proceeded through the install process. Got as far as the screen asking you which drive to install on. But no drives at all shown...


Sounds like the drives are not connected properly--might have pulled something loose when they popped out and you pushed them back in.

The blinking question mark on the folder is an iconic marker that the computer cannot find a system to bootup from. Which, if the drives are loose, it can't. And when you tried to run the install, you couldn't because the drives are not operating.

A hardware tech is a good idea.

Houston


----------

