Cloned HDD and network/DNS issues connecting to MySQL server?

NRB · 07 Oct 2018

Hi there,

I have a rather perplexing problem. Our work "server" (Desktop PC serving database information to workstations) has been displaying some unusual behaviour. Our practice management software used a MySQL database on the server.

Many months ago, Windows performed an update and we lost the ability for several workstations to connect to the database. The database responded with an error: "can't get hostname for your address". I decided I was going to restore a backup, but rather than overwrite the existing HDD, I purchased a drive EXACTLY the same - a 1TB WD Blue (WDC WD10EZEX-08WN4A0). I used DDRescue to clone the drive. Once the backup was restored everything ran as before and this became our new HDD.

Windows has just updated to 1803 on the server (and others) but it hasn't gone as planned. Our entire update history has been removed so we can't rollback. Anyway, I decided to clone the drive back to the original HDD first, then restore a backup from prior to the update. Lucky I tested the drive first.

When the original HDD was used, the same network connectivity issues returned. Although I can browse the shares and access the database folder on the server using Explorer, we once again have the dreaded "can't get hostname for your address" error. Switching back to the other HDD alleviates the error and the database is accessible again.

What the hell is going on here? It doesn't make any sense to me...

Thanks gurus.

Nick

Caledon Ken · 08 Oct 2018

Hi NRB

To fallback from 1803 you would go Start > Settings > Update and Security > Recovery > right hand side > Go back to previous version of Windows 10.

As to sharing here is the forum Sharing tutorial, some services need to be started.

Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10

as well MS has been enforcing the disabling of SMB 1.0 which some older apps need to communicate.

Start > type Control Panel, enter, then Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows Features on and off. You can find SMB 1.0. You will likely find find the client is disabled, you can enable and test.

I'm not familiar with DDRescue but I would assume it must not be copying the entire drive. You would have to look at options. Likely things that can be recreated are not cloned to save time... big assumption on my part. ( lets call it a wild a,, guess.)

On drive you are having problem with you could try these four reset commands.

Run the following four bolded commands. Use a Command Prompt(admin) or Powershell(admin)

Do not key in info in brackets, there for your information.

ipconfig /flushdns (Clear the dns cache)
nbtstat -RR (release and refresh NetBIOS names)
netsh int ip reset (reset ip settings)
netsh winsock reset (Reset Winsock Catalog)

NRB · 09 Oct 2018

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your reply. About DDRescue - it's a Linux command-line tool that provides a bit-perfect copy that can be verified with a checksum. The process did not miss any data.

It's a perfect copy of the disk and given both disks are the same, it makes no sense to me that functionality of the computer is different when one drive is being used compared to the other..

Weird, huh?

Caledon Ken · 09 Oct 2018

Very weird.

Try a different cloner, Macrium Reflect and clone all partitions. See if you get same result.

Did the services, SMB 1 or the resets make any difference.