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Xenserver Free with Windows 2003 Server 32bit

I am evaluating Xenserver Free version right now with contemplation for migrating over a Windows 2003 32 bit server and running into problems at install.  It won't boot from the install CD.  I have no problems installing Windows 2008 server... just windows 2003.

I ran into this information online:
Windows Server 2003 32-bit does not boot successfully if any virtual disks larger than 2TB (terabytes) in size are attached to the VM. See this article in the Windows Hardware Developer Central website.

I do have a Dell R710 with six 2TB drives.  I had them setup at from the H700 raid card as several 1.8TB partitions in a RAID 6 format.  Could I be running into this TB disk error?

I only see the boot up BIOS message screen... and then an error.  Wondering if I should have ordered smaller drives?

For background information, I have XENSERVER Free running with windows 2008 R2 64bit successfully as well as a windows xp VM.  I tried to install from a CD Windows 2003 32bit as well as XENCOVERT a Windows 2003 server and i ran into the same problem.

Appreciate any ideas.

Thx!
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-tjs
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Make sure the boot disk is MBR and not GPT.  Windows 2003 (both x86 and x64) boot to a GPT disk, though they can use GPT disks for data storage.

As far as pure size is concerned you should be fine with 2TB or 1.8TB disks since Windows 2003 out of the box RTM supported these.  With SP1 that limit was increased dramatically (triple-digit TB limits IIRC).
correction to my post that I omitted "Windows 2003 (both x86 and x64) cannot boot to a GPT disk".
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I have windows 2003 running on xebsever 5.6 free edition ..i don't understand the disk problem you are talking about..you can control the virtual disk space that you attach to the VM.
what is the error you are getting?
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Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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wow!!! i just tried a different cd of windows 2003 and it worked!!  it was a version preloaded with the DELL PERC drivers.. so i'm thinking the RAID had something to do with it?  weird.  but now its working.

thanks!