Question for Windows Server Guru's

Dale

Dale

Dale

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5 Jan 2004
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663
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Sussex
Hi all,

Got an issue here that is driving me flippin mad!! I swear, if the cat walks near by it had better start running!!!

I've got a 2U server here, and I’m trying to install Windows 2003 Server. I've got an issue that on the initial GUI part of the installation the process stops on 34 minutes remaining.

I've looked at this MS article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/828267

...I've restarted the installation about 8 times so far with no avail.

If anyone here is a bit of a guru when it comes to Server tech could you take a look at these logs I've retrieved and try and help me understand which piece of hardware is failing?

http://www.zen87038.zen.co.uk/setupact.log
http://www.zen87038.zen.co.uk/setupapi.log
http://www.zen87038.zen.co.uk/setuplog.txt

These are the only logs I am able to find (as per Microsoft article)

Thanks so much for any help or advice...
 
there doesnt appear to be any failures in those logs

have you just left it while its hanging instead of rebooting it ?
 
Hi there,

Basically this is the process that I have worked through:

Removed and recreated the RAID array.
Booted the machine off the CD, ran through the install procedure - all fine, no errors.

Machine gets to 34 min and halts.

I power off and on again and let the GUI run again, but this time I hit SHIFT-F10 for the CMD prompt and copy the required log files to disk.

So it hung, and I then re-booted before I copied the logs.

Prior to all this however I had let the machine run the GUI about 8 ish times (I lost count) - but I decided to re-format and start the install again so I didn't have messed up logs.

I did however take a copy of these logs as well which are here:

http://www.zen87038.zen.co.uk/setupact1.log
http://www.zen87038.zen.co.uk/setupapi1.log


Thanks for your help dude
 
heres the problem

on the first logs you posted, the log files ended. On the 2nd log, just after the point when the first ones end. you get this

Code: 
The external program RUNDLL32 shell32,Control_RunDLL intl.cpl,,/f:"C:\WINDOWS\system32\$winnt$.inf" /s:"D:\I386" returned exit code 0.
NetSetup: SetupMode: 0x1, ProductType: 0x2, OperationFlags: 0x8000


so that's whats causing the problem. Just need to find what it is now :D
 
seems its having problems installing the regional settings for your PC

intl.cpl is the regional settings part of control panel. RunDLL(32) is a programm that calls DLL files.

so basically its had problems calling the intl.cpl file.

Not sure why, have you checked what regional settings your giving it when you install (language etc..)

have you got the correct disk (an english one)

just clutching at straws here. It could even be the file is missing or corrupt from your installation CD
 
Thanks guys, so far I haven't even made it to the point that it asks for regional settings. The CD is an original Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 CD - i.e. no copies going on here (and it’s English)

I'll have an attempt at downloading another copy of Server 2003 from the MS Subscriber site and see if that helps at all.

Many thanks identifying the issues....
 
Is there any way you could test your memory. Best way to do it is use memtest and leave it for a few hours. Just to rule out the memory.
 
Funny you should say that, yes I can test the memory with a boot CD I have and have just finished a four hour stint. No errors yet...

Might leave it overnight as well.
 
If its an orgional CD from Microsoft then I really doubt its going to be the CD. It sounds like a hardware error but the problem is diagnosing the system to find which hardware it is. If your memory is fine, reset all bios settings on the server and try reloading it. IF that fails brake the raid and try 1 disk.
 
I've just removed the RAID controller and it seems to be booting. Which whilst is comforting that it works its also really annoying as I would have loved to have the RAID5 working for piece of mind as its going to be the Exchange Server.

I want to thank everyone for their input - its been stressing me out for a day and a half now :)

I don't know a great deal about RAID, is it going to be possible for me to install the system as it is now, then re-install the RAID controller once Windows is up and running and make it into a RAID system?

(ideally I was looking at disks 1 and 2 in a RAID 0 for speed of OS and disks 3, 4 and 5 in RAID 5 for redundancy - but as I said, I don't know much about RAID!) :o :confused:
 
Dale said:
I've just removed the RAID controller and it seems to be booting. Which whilst is comforting that it works its also really annoying as I would have loved to have the RAID5 working for piece of mind as its going to be the Exchange Server.

I want to thank everyone for their input - its been stressing me out for a day and a half now :)

I don't know a great deal about RAID, is it going to be possible for me to install the system as it is now, then re-install the RAID controller once Windows is up and running and make it into a RAID system?

(ideally I was looking at disks 1 and 2 in a RAID 0 for speed of OS and disks 3, 4 and 5 in RAID 5 for redundancy - but as I said, I don't know much about RAID!) :o :confused:
Click to expand...

Have you made sure that the bios is up to date?
Have you got a onboard raid controller or external raid controller?

Dale said:
is it going to be possible for me to install the system as it is now, then re-install the RAID controller once Windows is up and running and make it into a RAID system?
Click to expand...

Its possible yes but best built from hardware raid if possible.
(Depends what raid controllers your using)
 
Thats the frustrating thing, the controller is an Intel one, but there are no model codes etc on it, so I can't search for updated drivers etc.

The Intel website has downloads for 2 different RAID controllers for Server 2003, I have tried both with no luck getting past 34min on setup as of yet....

I'll keep plugging :)
 
Have a look here about raid, might come in handy for you when building the exchange server.

http://www.acnc.com/

Hope this helps. If I was building a exchange server I would build it on the principle of ALL data is important (even the OS/Exchange addons).

There for I would immpliment it only on a raid 5 infrastructure. (Speed/Fault Tolerance).

Hope this helps.
 
Dale said:
Thanks a lot, thats a good point to be honest....
Click to expand...

If you build your exchange server with Raid0 in the first instant. If the raid breaks then your os is broke. The server would have to be rebuilt (which you wont want) because raid0 has no fault tolerance.
 
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