bigdogkbl
asked on
Windows Server 2003 won't boot past logo screen
I am installing Windows Server 2003 standard edition onto a Dell Power Edge 6650. It has a hardware raid controller that supports 5 drives running raid 5.
The system completed the installation but when it tried to log into Windows, it never got past the logo screen. When I booted in safe mode, the last line that displayed was a line loading the file drvmain.stb.
There is a bios switch that reads "OS Install Mode" and when I set it to "Yes", it limits the amount of RAM to 256MB. When I turn this switch on, Windows will boot up and everything works fine (slow but fine).
I have ran memory tests over and over. I have tried 2GB configuration and 4GB configuration. I do not see any memory issues. Hardware reports show that everything is fine.
Has anyone seen this in the past and have a possible fix suggestion?
Thanks in advance.
The system completed the installation but when it tried to log into Windows, it never got past the logo screen. When I booted in safe mode, the last line that displayed was a line loading the file drvmain.stb.
There is a bios switch that reads "OS Install Mode" and when I set it to "Yes", it limits the amount of RAM to 256MB. When I turn this switch on, Windows will boot up and everything works fine (slow but fine).
I have ran memory tests over and over. I have tried 2GB configuration and 4GB configuration. I do not see any memory issues. Hardware reports show that everything is fine.
Has anyone seen this in the past and have a possible fix suggestion?
Thanks in advance.
SOLUTION
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Hello
Turn off OS-Install-Mode.
Reinstall OS. (format OS drive to fat32)
Great is our GOD.
:)
rionroc
Turn off OS-Install-Mode.
Reinstall OS. (format OS drive to fat32)
Great is our GOD.
:)
rionroc
ASKER
Sorry that I did not include the following information in my original post.
I did use the latest version (I thought) of the latest version of the Open Manage Server software from Dell that works with the poweredge 6650 machine. I let it configure the raid controller using my preferred raid 5 setting. I then let it prompt me for the operating system disk and then let it complete the windows installation. I will double check the version that I used and compare it to the link included by arnold.
I had it format the drive using NTFS. I let it use the full size of the drive although it automatically reserved a certain amount for the utility partition. I saw no way of avoiding that (not that I would have avoided it anyway).
I do have a PERC card. I am not sure if there is anything else I can do to test that it is working other than what I have done:
- Ran hardware test and the controller card reported no errors.
- Verified that the number of drives and the amount of disk space that it detected was correct during the configuration.
One of the replies to my original post suggested using fat32 when formatting the drives. Is it really not suggested to use NTFS?
Thanks for the continued support.
I did use the latest version (I thought) of the latest version of the Open Manage Server software from Dell that works with the poweredge 6650 machine. I let it configure the raid controller using my preferred raid 5 setting. I then let it prompt me for the operating system disk and then let it complete the windows installation. I will double check the version that I used and compare it to the link included by arnold.
I had it format the drive using NTFS. I let it use the full size of the drive although it automatically reserved a certain amount for the utility partition. I saw no way of avoiding that (not that I would have avoided it anyway).
I do have a PERC card. I am not sure if there is anything else I can do to test that it is working other than what I have done:
- Ran hardware test and the controller card reported no errors.
- Verified that the number of drives and the amount of disk space that it detected was correct during the configuration.
One of the replies to my original post suggested using fat32 when formatting the drives. Is it really not suggested to use NTFS?
Thanks for the continued support.
SOLUTION
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ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R200232&SystemID=PWE_FOS_XEO_6650&servicetag=&os=WNET&osl=en&deviceid=17782&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=3&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=36&fileid=279040