Windows 2003 locked up, after a hard reset postgresql service will not start

Question

I was installing some software completely unrelated to Postgres. The server locked up and I had to do a hard reset. After the server came back up the Postgres service will not start. Has anyone run into this? I have no idea where to even start to troubleshoot it. The postgres service was definately running prior to the lock up.

Answer 1

Can you give some more info - which version of Postgres? which binary did you install? I have been running 8.4 on server 2003 with an uptime of over year.. Sounds like the lock up messed with postgres process and corrupted one of its files - I would:

1. Install postgres to a new location and try load up your tables from there.
2. Try a File System Level restore: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/interactive/backup-file.html
3. Install postgres to the same location hopefully replacing the corrupted file. (backup your old install and tables first!)

Have you tried just starting up postgres once you are on again? Maybe just the autostart is not working.. This question may get better answers on SeverFault..