Installing a Windows Server

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Right I have just received a small server with no software or OS on it.

With it I got a 2003 Server OEM CD and a Windows Server 2003 R2 "OEM Preinstallation Kit" CD

The machine doesnt boot from the 2003 Server CD, but will boot from the Pre-Installation CD.

The Pre-Installation CD brings me to PE style windows XP screen, then has a dos prompt open at "X:\i386\system32" and shows the last command as being "factory -winpe"

How do I get it to do more?
 
That's odd, it should boot from the Server disk. Have you tried it in another PC to see if the data can be read?

What does the machine do if you return on the last command?
 
Maybe try creating a new bootable disk using nLite or something?!

You can take the i386 folder from the original disk and have nLite build you a new disk that should be bootable...

Dan.
 
Hmm...

I would prefer to use these disks that came with the servers if possible.

I have used a pre-installation CD before with compaq servers and they generally just ask you questions about the setup of the machine then goes about installing the machine as requested.

Burnsy - Factory /? and Factory ? just return me to the command prompt.

The promt is:

X:\I386\system32>

on the root of X: is a file called Setup.exe when running it, it brings up a Windows Installation window with the options of:

-Install WIndows OEM Pre-Installation Kit.
-Browse This CD.
-Exit.

Clicking any option does nothing :(
 
Hmmm, is the X drive the CD or a virual RAM drive? If it's a RAM drive try putting in the 2003 CD and then click on option 1.

Isn't there any documentation?

Burnsy
 
No unfortunately not Burnsy, was a very cheap server, so didnt get much with it at all.

No matter I will struggle on with it and find someway of doing it, was just hoping someone had used one of these PreInstall Cd's before and knew what to do with it.
 
Soul Rider said:
Don't you install the pre-installation disk, then swap over to the server disk at the command prompt?

Thats what you usually do with a Dell server using the OpenManage Server Assistant, but it doesn't seem to want ot play ball.

Burnsy
 
Yes thats what I would normall expect, but no go with this machine.

Could possibly be a dodgy CD, does anyone know how I can get another copy of the preinstall CD? I have looked on HP site, but that doesnt appear to help :(
 
CoXeY said:
Maybe try creating a new bootable disk using nLite or something?!

You can take the i386 folder from the original disk and have nLite build you a new disk that should be bootable...

Dan.

Just use nlite to make t bootable, its the easy way around instead of hunting for new disks.
 
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