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Server 2003 setup loop
I am trying to install Windows Server 2003 on a Raid 5 with 2 dual core Zeon processors and 8gb ram. I am using a Valid install disk for the server software but everytime the setup program gets to the point that it needs to restart the server, it begins the setup process from the beginning and never reaches the next step. I have deleted and rebuilt the raid, I have changed out the operating order of the drives in the raid and have even exchanged some of the drives for other drives that I know work and then rebuilt the raid again to compensate for the change in configuration. I have checked bios settings and everything is set to default values, which were the settings that were always used before the server crashed and forced a reinstall of Server 2003.
What am I missing to get this server back online and if at all possible, I need an answer ASAP as I need to get this server back online today if possible.
Thanks for any help you all can give.
What am I missing to get this server back online and if at all possible, I need an answer ASAP as I need to get this server back online today if possible.
Thanks for any help you all can give.
Last Comment
RichardSlater
Did you provide windows setup with the RAID drivers at the beginning where it asks you to "press F3" to install additional device drivers?
ASKER
Yep. Installed additional drivers for the raid copied directly from the manufacturers disk to a floppy and watched while they installed during setup. If I hadn't, I would have recieved a "No hard drive found or installed" error during setup. Setup gets to the restart point and replies that "This portion of setup was successful".
Any other ideas?
Any other ideas?
Try popping the CD out just before restart.
ASKER
I have tried that a couple of times and it goes to a black screen that replies the error "No operating system found or installed".
ASKER
Have been doing some thinking and checking into the Raid controller and was wondering if, when Setup goes to reboot the server if the controller could be wiping the setup info off the hard drive due to it being faulty. The reason for this re-install is due to a power spike that made it through our UPS and nailed our main server before it blew the main power circut in the server room. Could the spike have damaged the raid controller and it be causing this whole issue?
A power spike can damage any and every thing including corrupting data.
Assuming it's data corruption, has the array been wiped and recreated?
What kind of hardware is it?
Assuming it's data corruption, has the array been wiped and recreated?
What kind of hardware is it?
ASKER
I have wiped and recreated the array several times and was finally able to run a diagnostic using the Adaptec software cd. It came back as not able to find a raid controller. I'm going to say that either the pci port or the raid controller is bad due to the spike, if not the entire mainboard. Going to have to do some more diagnostics today to see whats up but if anyone has any further ideas, please let me know. I'll be watching this thread all day for a response.
Thank god for backup servers.
Thank god for backup servers.
During POST does the computer see and ID the controller?
ASKER
It does now that I have changed it out but there were several times before I changed out the controller that it didn't see it or it wouldn't load the controller bios. Since I swapped out the controller though, that hasn't been an issue.
The Server 2003 setup program now though will not go to the partitioning step of setup it just hangs on the "Now starting Windows" message and all of my USB ports are dead as well as some of the advanced functions of the mainboard bios. This power spike has really wrecked my server and am thinking it is time for a new mainboard for it.
The Server 2003 setup program now though will not go to the partitioning step of setup it just hangs on the "Now starting Windows" message and all of my USB ports are dead as well as some of the advanced functions of the mainboard bios. This power spike has really wrecked my server and am thinking it is time for a new mainboard for it.
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ASKER
Well, the issue is resolved, it turned out to not be the mainboard hardware but the CMOS. After a 4 hour process of clearing the CMOS and of course replacing the RAID controller which was bad, the server is now reinstalled and in use.
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 was based on Windows XP and was released in four editions: Web, Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter. It also had derivative versions for clusters, storage and Microsoft’s Small Business Server. Important upgrades included integrating Internet Information Services (IIS), improvements to Active Directory (AD) and Group Policy (GP), and the migration to Automated System Recovery (ASR).
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