Server2003 Installation Problems

T

TimBhoy

Geek Trainee
Hi All

I'm new to this forum so a big shout out to all you techies out there.

I'm having problems installing server 2003 on one of my PC's. I can format the hard drive from the CD but the PC refuses to load any of the OS files thereafter. At first I thought that it may be because the CD-ROM was damaged but I have since installed it on another PC without any trouble. I have also removed all but 1 of my hard drives, changed my ROM drive for another that I know to be working correctly, removed all PCI devices from the computer and even setup a RIS server on my network and loaded the Server 2003 image to it but still I get the same problem when I try a remote installation.

I am studying for MCSE and really need the OS installed on this PC as part of my lab. I am at a loss as to why I am experiencing this trouble as I have already had the OS installed on this PC, which kinda makes me think it's a hardware problem.

Any pointers would very welcome before I end up trashing the problem computer.

Cheers
 
I have this problem before, manifesting itself in many forms and across many labs. :) I've had basically the same symptoms you've had with several causes on different occasions, barring the bad CDROM issue you've already eliminated:

  • Damaged IDE Cable (on either HDD or CD-ROM)
  • Wrong jumper settings on HDD or CDROM
  • Bad memory

The first two things should be fairly obvious upon close inspection. Things to look out for are obvious kinks in the cable or other visible damage. As for the jumpers, there's a surprising amount of confusion surrounding the IDE jumper issue. In case you've been fed faulty info, the master drive is always at the farthest end of the IDE cable opposite the motherboard, and the slave is in the middle. Avoid cable select settings, as this can cause problems with certain combinations of drives, cables and chipsets. Finally, I'd do a few passes with Memtest86+ to make sure the RAM's kosher. Even a few bad sectors can completely hose a Windows install (Linux has the built-in ability to work around bad sectors in RAM). If none of this fixes the issue, you probably have a tweaky motherboard on your hands.

All the best,
-AT

P.S. - Welcome to HardwareForums! ;)
 
AT- Thanks for the info.

I've checked the cables and HHD jumpers and all seems to be ok, infact I've just done a remote install of Win 2000 and XP to said PC and both worked but fine but Server 2003 just ain't playing ball. I also swapped a 512MB ram card from an identical pc but to no avail.

It's really got me stumped.
 
Well, Windows 2003 Server is fundamentally no different than XP, so that really shouldn't be an issue. However, those discs are pressed in mass quantities, and some contain minor flaws that some ROMs will have trouble with while others may read it fine. If it's an original, hologrammed W2k3 disc, I'd try doing an exact copy of that disc at much slower than the maximum burn capacity of the CD-R, say 8x or so. Then try installing from the copy. If the 'original' you're installing from is a copy, make a new copy of the original disc and try that one instead. Or simply install straight from the original.

-AT

P.S. - In real life, never RIS a server. It's bad practice to install mission-critical software over TFTP (no matter what MS may say about the issue).
 
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