Troubleshooting a Hanging Server on Reboot

A.

When a server hangs with a blinking cursor after the system POST, it indicates that the server is unable to boot the operating system. This issue can be caused by a variety of reasons, including failed hardware components, corrupted operating system files, or configuration issues.

The FIRST step that a systems administrator should take in this situation is to attempt to boot the server in Safe Mode. Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that loads only the necessary drivers and services required to run the operating system, which can help isolate the issue.

To boot the server in Safe Mode, the administrator should restart the server and repeatedly press the F8 key until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears. From the menu, the administrator can select the Safe Mode option and attempt to boot the server.

If the server boots successfully in Safe Mode, the administrator can use this opportunity to diagnose and fix the issue. For example, the administrator can check the system logs for any error messages, run diagnostic tests on the hardware components, or uninstall any recently installed updates or applications that may be causing the issue.

If the server still fails to boot in Safe Mode, the administrator can proceed to further troubleshooting steps, such as attempting to boot from a system repair disk, restoring the server from backup, or reinstalling the operating system. The answer choices provided in the question suggest some of these steps, but they are not necessarily the FIRST step that a systems administrator should take.

Therefore, the best answer to this question is not provided in the answer choices. The FIRST step that a systems administrator should take when a server hangs with a blinking cursor after the system POST is to attempt to boot the server in Safe Mode and diagnose the issue from there.