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Greetings All!
We have file server with Server 2022 OS that takes 45 + minutes to boot even in safe mode.
This is a Dell physical server and all drivers up to date as well as OS.
Does anyone had issue like this, if yes, what was resolution to it?
Thank you in advance,
Stan

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I recommend using an authorized Dell service center.

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Does this time include the shutdown or from when the server is coming back up?

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To do what?

This could be a HDD/SSD failure, or OS corruption.

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What is in the event logs?

Enable boot logging and look in C:\Windows\ntbtlog.txt

Have you confirmed no drives are failing or have bad blocks?

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Of course, this could be the cause of the error. However, if the administrator at this level hasn’t detected it themselves, then to avoid further escalation of the problem, for example, due to incorrect management or lack of knowledge on how to handle this equipment, and to avoid incurring costs, I suggest consulting a specialist. I don’t mean to be unkind, it’s just better to avoid higher costs from making a mistake out of ignorance than from using a professional.

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Does it act the same if you take it off the network?

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They are not wrong, I’d grab the service tag and hope on dell.com support and ask for help.. if the server is under warranty of course, if not then your limited to possibly asking for a 1 time fee to open a case…

Event view idea is great as well.

Also you do not specify if the 45 minutes is spent mostly on the Dell BIOS type blue screen or the Windows startup/login screen.

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SO where do you see the delay happening, During BIOS load or when Windows starts loading. Depending on where it occurs helps to narrow down where you start trouble shooting.

The other question is, is this a standard reboot or a reboot for updates?

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If it’s hanging when Windows is loading, make sure you have the DNS server entered properly. I once typed it in wrong and it took the server forever to book. Just a thought!

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Also, if this server is in an Active Directory domain, that it is configured only with DNS servers that are aware of your AD domain. No public/ISP DNS servers should be used.

Beware of IPv6 DNS servers. If the router has DHCPv6 enabled, it may assign an IPv6 DNS server that doesn’t know about your AD domain, and that will prevent local name resolution. (Comcast-provided cable modems do not allow disabling DHCPv6.)

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If you are getting stuck at the BIOS loading for that long it could be just really slow at the memory check (especially if you have a lot of ram). Just hit the spacebar at the loading of bios and it will skip the memory check.

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is it hanging at the bios screen or do you see windows and its hanging from there to the login box. kinda help isolate where the issue starts

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I had a similar problem with a clients PE-T600 server running server 2012 (although I don’t think the OS mattered). It seems is was a known problem with this series of servers and the fix was to shut the server down and physically power off or remove the power cable from the server then press the power button at the front to clear any residual low power from the motherboard. Plug the server back in and start times were normal. Reboots would also boot in a “normal” amount of time. A while later boot times would seem “abnormal” and the same process would be required to resolve the recurring issue. Whilst this was specific for T600 and R600 series Dell servers (in my experience) it may have resurfaced in other series also. This may or may not resolve your issue, but it’s a no cost option, other than an extra reboot and an hour (or maybe not) of your time and may be worth your while.

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Lots of folks don’t know that SSD’s get slower if their data is never rewritten (like system drives). Even if you just clone the system drive and stick the fresh drive in, if this is your issue, it will be fixed. If you don’t want to clone the drive, you could try the GRC spinrite in option 3.

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Another thing to consider - Is this server configured with software or hardware RAID?
A few years ago a client of mine had a Dell server with the absolute WORST RAID controller. When a Windows update occurred, it would take the server HOURS to boot up.

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