WINDOWS 2003 INSTALL HELP 2

[just1fix]

Here's my problem. I have a Pent 4 Compaq computer with XP Home and I want to delete this format the hard drive and do a clean install of Windows 2003 Server. This is the only hard drive I have for this system. I have a CDROM and DVDROM drive, but I do not have a working floppy drive for this computer. How can this be done? Thanks

 

[ski]

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/windows03/oldharddrive/indexfullpage.htm

 

[just1fix]

Thanks for the info Ski. I did this and it formatted the hard drive or I think it did. It said format 100% complete and then an error message came up saying that the hard drive incurred some problems and format could not be finished. Now when the computer boots up I see the cursor on the left and it won't boot. I saaume that the hard drive is bad? Please advise. Thanks again

 

[bcastner]

Go to the website of the hard drive manufacturer and download their diagnostic/setup software uitlity. Use this on the drive.

 

[just1fix]

Thanks again for the info. I downloaded the diag utility for my hard drive (Western Digital HD) It didn't seem to do anything. What happens now is the disk will crap out when it says it is 100% formatted. I install 2003 Server or XP and an error comes up saying that HDD cannot be detected. I go into CMOS settings and it detects the HD, but it fails the "IPS TEST" (I forgot the exact name). When I attempt to boot from HD, it says no system found, which I guess is normal since it was formatted. However after that I get a "PXE-E61 MEDIA CONNECTION ERROR". I disabled the network logging in CMOS also and nothing happens. Does this mean that the HDD is dead??? I don't really want to put a new HDD in this computer since I only use this for school, but I guess this is the lesson learned from buying a used Comp-Crap. Thanks again

 

[ski]

That error message is probably being caused by the system looking to a network for a boot device since the HD does not have an O/S loaded.

Install the HD as Slave in another system, and see if it can be partitioned and formatted there.
If not, then it's probably knackered.