Server 2008 R2 install problem

Big Chris

Big Chris

Big Chris

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Right, moving on from my other thread about knocking up a test server so I can mess around with the functionality & install process, I've got myself a machine (Core i5 vPro, 4GB RAM, 320GB drive) and a copy of Server 2008 R2 but I seem to have fallen at the first hurdle.

This is a brand new loaner machine from work, pre-loaded with Win7 Pro which boots fine. However when booting from the Server 2008 DVD it says 'Windows is copying files' with a left to right progress bar, then it goes blank. Shortly after that the screen cycles from white, to grey, to blue/green/red/grey bars of colour every second or so and nothing else happens. I can't CTRL+ALT+DEL out of it so have to power off/back on. Win7 Pro will load fine if I let it.... any ideas? BIOS setting perhaps?

Media is an ISO image burned to DVD.
 
Defaintly not a bad burn?

Have you got access to another machine and a Virtual Machine where you could try the install to test the disc?

Other than that, you could try before it moves onto "Windows is copytin files", going to the advanced options and removing any existing partitions that might exist before the install commences...
 
Tried burning the disk again but same thing. I know others have used this image successfully too.

Is it a problem that there's already an OS installed on this box perhaps? Could try formatting the drive totally.

EDIT: nope, used GParted to remove all partitions from the drive and format the one remaining partition to NTFS, same result when running DVD :(

EDIT 2: looks like it's the machine... tried a known working Win7 Ultimate DVD and the same thing happens. Never seen this before... machine is brand new too. BIOS update perhaps?

EDIT 3: BIOS updated, still getting nothing but a light show after 'Windows is copying files'. Hmmmm....
 
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Defaulted and flashed the BIOS to latest version. Will do a memory test next and see what that throws up, although would the fact that Win7 Pro pre-installed on the machine worked fine rule this out?
 
Big Chris said:
Defaulted and flashed the BIOS to latest version. Will do a memory test next and see what that throws up, although would the fact that Win7 Pro pre-installed on the machine worked fine rule this out?
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Not necessarily. The image on the disk could have been sysprep'd or similar and may never have gone through the install process in the same way from DVD like you are trying now.
 
PistolPete said:
Not necessarily. The image on the disk could have been sysprep'd or similar and may never have gone through the install process in the same way from DVD like you are trying now.
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Would Win7 Pro have loaded at all with a memory error though? It booted to the welcome screen and let me start configuring settings.
 
I've seen the same when I've had hardware devices that Win2k8 didn't like. Disable what you can in the BIOS (use IDE rather than AHCI or RAID, turn firewire/usb3 off), disable any unused SATA controllers and use onboard video or an older card.
 
I think Server2008 has fewer drivers as standard to that of Win7. I had a similar problem with a LSI SCSI card (an old one), from what I remember it got quite a way through the install before it went t*ts up. There is an option to load drivers at the early stage of the install.
 
Memtest passed, left it running for over an hour.

I tried configuring drives to IDE instead of AHCI but no joy, will give it another go though. I did try a working Win7 Ultimate disk too which resulted in the same odd behaviour with the flashing screen so not sure it's drivers with Win2k8.

ASE001 - I know the bit you mean during a Windows install, you can load drivers for certain drive types but I don't even get that far. I get a very basic DOS 'Windows is loading files' screen with a progress bar then the odd flashy colours symptoms.
 
Taken a ropey quality video on my phone:

WTF?

EDIT - tried installing as IDE instead of SATA and it does get slightly further, I get a loading Windows screen for about 10 seconds with a green progress bar, but again it goes into the coloured screens having made me think it might actually be working :( HDD has tested ok.
 
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matthab said:
Have you tried sata drivers?

I'm clutching at straws it's really odd behaviour, does a Linux live cd do the same. Try and install too?
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Not really sure how I'd go about trying SATA drivers? I've about exhaused my level of expertise now :(

Can I download a Linux live CD? EDIT - downloaded Ubuntu 12.10 and the setup via iso DVD works fine. Looks quite nice actually, might just stick with it!

ecksmen said:
Video RAM - can you allocate more to the BIOS?
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How can I check if I can do this? Been through settings in BIOS and didn't see anything but again I'm in over my head here :o
 
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Big Chris said:
downloaded Ubuntu 12.10 and the setup via iso DVD works fine. Looks quite nice actually, might just stick with it!
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I'm actually posting this from Firefox in Ubuntu running from a DVD on the troublesome computer! It took about 5mins from downloading the ISO to typing this message... I'm beginning to see why Linux has so many followers! :p

If I open 'About This Computer' within Ubuntu, it lists Graphics as Unknown and Graphics Driver as Unknown - could this be the issue with the failed MS installs?
 
Big Chris said:
How can I check if I can do this? Been through settings in BIOS and didn't see anything but again I'm in over my head here :o
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It's a laptop yes? There's usually an option in the BIOS to allocate more video ram to the g'card, I've seen this behaviour on a VM with too little video ram.
 
ecksmen said:
It's a laptop yes? There's usually an option in the BIOS to allocate more video ram to the g'card, I've seen this behaviour on a VM with too little video ram.
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Lenovo M90p desktop - Core i5 vPro, 4GB RAM, 1.25GB of which is nabbed by the on-board GPU I think.
 
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