Windows Server - Enterprise Server 2003 - Setup hangs at exact same point each time

Asked By Joos

18-Feb-07 03:28 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to install windows server 2003 enterprise edition on a Supermicro
Dual Xeon rack server with a common adaptect SCSI card (supported). Each time
the installation is stuck at exactly the same point, the very last stage
blue screen or something I already waited for 5 hours without result.

I already tried different media, I have the original 2003 enterprise and
just downloaded 2003 enterprise R2 edition through msdn subscribers, both
fail at exactly the same point.

There is no raid controller and I already removed all hard disks except one
for the install of course. (All the hd are ibm scsi disks w 17gb storage)
No other exotic hardware or something, the server is out of the box.

Upon reboot the installations restarts and it hangs again at the same point...
Already checked the setuplog files but couldn't find anything suspicious.
Each time the installation restarts I must provide all info again (name,
product key, ...) causing me to know my product key by heart, you see, I'm
desperate :-)

Does anyone have a clue????

Many many thanks in advance,

Joost

18-Feb-07 04:09 PM

Did you F6 and supply any required third party mass storage controller
drivers?

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

19-Feb-07 03:01 AM

Hello Dave,

Thank you very much for your response!

Well I did but the installation program told me the current driver was newer
than the one on the floppy. When I force the install program to use the
driver it reports an error. It's a generic adaptec scsi controller, if it
would be a driver issue the setup would not detect my drives and would fail
at the "installing devices" stage?

Can anyone tell me what's exactly done at the final stage, the "saving
settings" stage? My idea is when the setup program tries to write to the
bootsector of the disk or something. (still I wouldn't know why this would
fail...)
I also read somewhere that win2003 requires the OS to be installed on the
first storage place or something. My disk is at scsi location "5", maybe this
could be something?

Some more details on the configuration:
SCSI
• Adaptec AIC-7902 Controller
• Dual-Channel Ultra320 SCSI

CPU
Dual Xeon 2.0ghz with HyperThreading (tried to install with HT enabled and
disabled)

Network Controllers
• Dual Intel® 82546EB Gigabit Ethernet
• Supports 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, and 1000BASE-T, RJ45 output

Graphics
ATI Rage XL SVGA PCI video controller with 8 MB of video memory

Mainbord
Intel Based
400 mhz FSB

Memory
Dual Channel memory bus, 3,5 gigabyte installed

Many thanks in advance,

Kind regards,

Joost

19-Feb-07 01:45 PM

UPDATE
Hello guys,

In meantime I performed about 30 installation still without success...
However, I managed to look through all aspects of the install. Once the
SHIFT+F11
I called all configuration screen components:
Device manager
Everything OK, all drivers are signed, no yellow exclamation marks
Services
Nothing special to see
Event log
Not a single error

There was one thing I forgot to do: check the memory!
I removed all slots and left two (512mb), the installation worked like a
charm.

Thanks for the responses and keep up the good work!

Best regards,

Joost

19-Feb-07 09:03 PM

Glad to hear it's sorted. That's strange you got that far in the install
with bad or mis-matched MEM. Thanks for letting us know.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect