In a previous post, I mentioned that I had just got a new server, and what I intended to do with it.
Progress has been slow. It had been my intention to load Windows 2008 on the machine, but I didn’t have an ISO image on disc and so I had to download it from MS. Unfortunately, that was far from simple. The download kept crashing saying that it could not read the file (after about 500Mb). I eventually managed a successful download last Saturday (it took hours).
That was not the end of my problems, far from it. The ISO image that I downloaded was not be recognised by the server installer, neither as a straight dump of the ISO file onto a DVD, nor as a DVD burnt as an image. I had used Active@ ISO Burner to burn it, and it all seemed to go okay. As an alternative, I tried to burn it usng ISO recorder V2, but that kept telling me that my (blank) DVDs were unusable!
Finally, I decided to ditch Windows 2008, and try Windows 2003, which I do have an ISO file on DVD for. Restarted the server installer, selected Windows 2003 Enterprise R2 x64 this time, and held my breath when it asked for the media. It asked for 2 image files which took me aback, but the DVD had a Disc1 and a Disc2, so all was okay at this point. Pointed it these two file and it started installing. Phew!
The installation was relatively quick, but of course Windows 2003 is a mature product (read old), so there were a host of critical updates to apply, including SP2. That alone took hours to download, but when it tried to install it just got stuck after the installation intialisation.
I decided to cancel the SP2 install, and install the other 48 (sic!) critical updates. Rebooting on completion of these, I tried again with SP2 and it flew through. Why?
I hate these darn computers, no logic in them at all.
At least I have an OS on the server now;, tomorrow we will try with SQL Server.
I was right though, it has taken more time than I can spare, and we are just at the start [^o)]