New server nightmare

[dezt]

I have just bought a new server for our curric network, but i'm having a bit of a problem installing server 2003 on to it.

Maybe i'm being a bit dumb, but i need to install the third party storage controller driver before I can install windows because it's SAS.

I have pressed F6 to specify a new driver and it says to me insert the floppy disk with the driver on.....

Where, i have no floppy drive, I have looked inside the server and there is no floppy controller on the motherboard.


Does anyone know how I can get around this problem?

[ChrisH]

USB floppy? Otherwise you going to have to try to integrate the driver into a 2003 install.

[dezt]

Oh yeah, don't know why i didn't think of that, and i've got a usb floppy attached to my laptop.

Thanks chris, it's worked a treat.

[john]

What make of Server was it out of interest, most big names as far as I knew, I know HP does, provide a special set of Startup Disks, HPs are called Smart Start, you use these to install Windows, that way it integrates the HP management Agents, Drivers, Settings, and additional HP utilitys needed for actual useful management straight into Windows, making it much nicer to use and work with. I have tried one without SmartStart and god it was a real pain to get everything to fully work without SmartStarting it.

[dezt]

It's a HP Proliant ML150 G3 3Ghz Xeon. It didn't come with smartstart so I downloaded it and gave it a try, but the server I have isn't supported by smartstart 7.40 which is the version i've downloaded.

I did manage to get the server working, I found a utility called nLite to slipstream drivers and service packs etc into windows installations, then you just burn the disk image to a cd and boot, but i still had to specify the SAS driver by pressing F6, windows then said "I already have that driver, do you want me to use mine?" so after answering yes, it worked fine. Next time i'll buy a server with a floppy drive in it.

Thanks to all who helped.

[Geoff]

Sorry I missed this thread first time round. I could of saved you some hassle. 2k3 will also check any usb devices for drivers along with the floppy when you press f6.

[dezt]

I tried a usb floppy drive, but when it came to copying the files to the hdd, it doesn't recognise the floppy drive.

Never mind, it's running now....

[Geoff]

Strange. Worked ok with my usb pen drive last time I tried it.

[sidewinder]

Never knew it could work with a USB floppy

Windows XP, when you're installing SATA drivers, doesnt work with one so I assumed Server wouldnt either

[Geoff]

It's a feature they back ported from Vista.

[john]

ah that ML doesnt have Smart Start support, AFAIK its only on the 3 series and upwards ones, not the Desktop PCs they get servery type bits in them. (Seriously thats what they are, they are designed and built by the Desktop team as a contact I had at HP told me so and he was down to earth and didn't really care about damaging HPs reputation as he was leaving shortly so he wasnt too worried, but he said to avoid the low end stuff as its not really Server designed etc.)

Saying that I would still use one as a Primary School server (small primary of course)