Help installing windows server 2008 without dvd drive

[Venorm]

Hello,

 

I have the following problem. I have a server from the german STRATO AG hosting company, actually running WS WE 2008.

 

Now, because I want to try the full Windows Server 2008 (I think its called the Standard version) i have the following problem:

 

I only have remote desktop acces to the server and an extra remote console (via putty) to access the cmd shell if I have no remote desktop acces connection(for example if i deactivate it or made some other mistake)

 

So my question is how can I install the new windows server 2008 edition to test it?

 

My idea was, because I have 2 hard drives, move the setup files to hdd 2 and start the setup from remote desktop and overwrite hdd 1, but when I start the setup.exe the windows setup screen appears with an error message something like "Windows Server Setup gets an error - please restart the Setup" but nothing works.

 

Hope to get some help.

 

Probably there is another way, like creating an unattended setup and add entries to the bootloader or something else, so that when i reboot the server the setup starts and installs automatically, so that I can logon per remote desktop after a while.

 

 

Thank you very much,

Venorm

[Venorm]

Okay i solved the problem. I need to remove the syncs of the HDDs.

 

Now I have a new problem.

 

I entered all the information in the setup and it expanded the files and then the system rebooted.

 

But now I don't know if there is a new problem or something else because I am waiting about 8h and I cannot ping to my server.

 

Is there anything failed, or is there a step after the installation at the first boot which prompts for something to enter or so?

 

I think it hangs at a step where I need to enter something but thats the problem, I cannot.

 

 

Thanks for help.

[C-Prompt]

Did you set the admin user password?

 

Did networking install correctly?

[Venorm]

Okay I think I see the problem.

 

I test it under vmware on my local machine, by default the server sets an ip address over dhcp.

 

I think I should set the admin password and the static ip addres in my unattended script right ?

 

If so, I will try it tonight.

 

Thanks.

 

bye,

Venorm

[Venorm]

Okay, i have the following problem:

 

The unattended file settings for networking is ignored but I don't know why.

 

 

My Autounattended.xml:

 

false


192.168.2.6/24

Local Area Connection

 

Hope somebody can help me.

 

Thanks.

[bobby]

You can try WDS method, as seen on my article. I hope you would solve your problem.:)

 

 

Regards,

 

 

Bobby Zulkarnain

IT Trainer and Consultant

bobby iskandar zulkarnain