Windows Server 2008R2 install error - Windows is unable to find a system volume.....
Hello all,
I've recently tried to install Windows Server 2008R2 onto an older server and I'm getting the pesky "Windows is unable to find a system volume that meets its criteria for installation" error.
I'm trying to install the above OS on a Supermicro X6DHT-G motherboard, using a single 1TB SATA drive. As for BIOS settings, onboard SATA Raid is disabled and PATA is enabled only on the channel to which the CD-ROM is connected.
Other than the need to use Raid drivers (which shouldn't matter because the drive is operating in SATA mode) I'm not sure what could be causing this error.
I've tried many times to create/delete/reformat partitions and volumes using diskpart but I feel like I'm missing something.
Does anybody know what might be causing this issue?
Thanks in advance for your help and assistance,
Mike
I've recently tried to install Windows Server 2008R2 onto an older server and I'm getting the pesky "Windows is unable to find a system volume that meets its criteria for installation" error.
I'm trying to install the above OS on a Supermicro X6DHT-G motherboard, using a single 1TB SATA drive. As for BIOS settings, onboard SATA Raid is disabled and PATA is enabled only on the channel to which the CD-ROM is connected.
Other than the need to use Raid drivers (which shouldn't matter because the drive is operating in SATA mode) I'm not sure what could be causing this error.
I've tried many times to create/delete/reformat partitions and volumes using diskpart but I feel like I'm missing something.
Does anybody know what might be causing this issue?
Thanks in advance for your help and assistance,
Mike
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ASKER
Sorry guys, I meant that the server doesn't have a DVD-ROM.
Thanks,
m
Thanks,
m
If you haven't installed 2003 yet...
I just successfully installed 2008R2 on this same board using the 2003 drivers from Supermicro's website:
http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/xeon800/e7520/x6dht-g.cfm
I followed the link to download the 2003-64 drivers, extracted them to a thumb drive and had no problem installing R2. The driver for the 2-port controller on this board is mislabeled as 32-bit. The provided driver is in fact 64!
I just successfully installed 2008R2 on this same board using the 2003 drivers from Supermicro's website:
http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/xeon800/e7520/x6dht-g.cfm
I followed the link to download the 2003-64 drivers, extracted them to a thumb drive and had no problem installing R2. The driver for the 2-port controller on this board is mislabeled as 32-bit. The provided driver is in fact 64!
Bad, bad, awful idea to use Win2K3 drivers on Win2K8.
They work "now". but what will happen on bus resets; or if a disk dies in the middle of I/O; or if you get a timeout followed by a non-recoverable read error; is load balancing working right; what about failover/failback; did you do any data integrity checking with ECC errors; cluster testing; multipath testing; do you LOSE anything in the I/O queue; if you are shutting down the system does it properly flush I/O; did you verify that the I/O request queue re-ordered correctly? Did you check pass-through I/O (required by some diagnostics)'
I.e,. just because a driver works when everything is healthy is NO indication that things will work fine when the system is in stress.
They work "now". but what will happen on bus resets; or if a disk dies in the middle of I/O; or if you get a timeout followed by a non-recoverable read error; is load balancing working right; what about failover/failback; did you do any data integrity checking with ECC errors; cluster testing; multipath testing; do you LOSE anything in the I/O queue; if you are shutting down the system does it properly flush I/O; did you verify that the I/O request queue re-ordered correctly? Did you check pass-through I/O (required by some diagnostics)'
I.e,. just because a driver works when everything is healthy is NO indication that things will work fine when the system is in stress.
ASKER
Hey guys,
I appreciate the continued comments and I the resource link to the 32-bit drivers mbortz. Since my last post, I've installed W2K3 and things are running fine. While it seems there is a way to get W2K8 on this server, I think I'll follow dlethe's advice and just a OS that is supported on this box. This machine is being built as an off-site BackupExec 2010R2 server and will run nightly offsite backups and hence, is an important machine and really a box that I don't want to have to worry about getting weird OS errors or incompatibilities.
Thanks again for all your help.
Mike.
I appreciate the continued comments and I the resource link to the 32-bit drivers mbortz. Since my last post, I've installed W2K3 and things are running fine. While it seems there is a way to get W2K8 on this server, I think I'll follow dlethe's advice and just a OS that is supported on this box. This machine is being built as an off-site BackupExec 2010R2 server and will run nightly offsite backups and hence, is an important machine and really a box that I don't want to have to worry about getting weird OS errors or incompatibilities.
Thanks again for all your help.
Mike.
ASKER
After some troubleshooting, I've found the following:
1. Taking a drive to another server and formatting using Computer Management to the Windows 2008R2 specifications, then taking that drive back to the server in question, still give me the same error in W2K8R2
2. After taking a copy of Windows 2003 Server Enterprise edition and trying to install using the same steps as W2K8R2, I can install W2K3 with no problems and no RAID drivers.
I suspect that this motherboard is simply not compatible with Windows 2008R2. On the manufacturers website, there is no mention of this board being Windows 2008 compatible and infact, this machine is so old that it doesn't even have a CD-ROM.
I'm going to install W2K3 Enterprise and be done with this. The server will be an off-site backup and i'm ok with it being a W2K3 machine.
Thanks for your help and assistance.
Mike.