Using old desktop as a server Win2003)

[drrocket]

Hi, I bought a desktop replacement in a laptop not so long ago. Im wanting to use my old desktop pc as a server preferably running Win 2003 standard. I have acquired 3 copies from work which are no longer needed so i have been given permission and keys to use the license from my boss.

Anyway the reason i have 3 copies is the that the first 2 do not seem to work, when i try to install and i come to format the HDD (500gb ata) I get a message saying either my PC does not have enough memory or in is a corrupt disc. I have now 3 genuine copies and i get the same message from each so i cant be the discs. The PC posts showing 1gig ram which it has so as far as i can see thats fine. I tried to install XP and it and that went fine but it wont install win 2003. Any ideas? Anything?

Thanks in advance

 

[drrocket]

Anybody?

 

[darksideleader]

what do you mean exacally when you say "it won't install"?

 

[drrocket]

Well it boots to CD installs drivers then when it comes to the formatting stage before install it will not format. It says "unable to format partition either you do not have enough memory or some files are corrupt on the disc. This happens on all three discs, i have tried pulling out the ram and trying different ram but still the same. I have also partitioned the drive to just 10gig but still then same.

I tried to install xp pro which went fine, so I used this to format the drive which worked but when it came to actually installing 2003 on the formatted drive it would not copy over some install files and got stuck on DRIVERS.CAB. Im really puzzled.

 

[drrocket]

can anybody heelp?

 

[drrocket]

Well looks like im totally wasting my time here then

 

[masteroc]

it could possibly be that windows is having a hard time locating and using the right drivers for your sata drive. I installed windows vista just fine on a sata drive, but i recall that the earlier versions sometimes required you to put in your own drivers for any sata drive that you wanted to install the os on.

 

[morudy]

yup sounds like 2K3 Server cant find the drivers for the sata disk.

Try and download the drivers then in bootup install the drivers for the disk and you should see the disk

 

[drrocket]

sorry you seem to misunderstand. Its at setup with the blue screen it sees the drive ok as I can partition however it will not format any size partition of the drive. How could I insall a driver at this point before it has started to install?

 

[helix2301]

Try searching free technet help site might give you ideas on what to try. This sounds like a problem that is 1 in a 1,000,000.