Home All Groups Group Topic Archive Search About

Installation Question -- Urgent, Desparate!

Author
16 Dec 2006 10:05 PM
Eric Robinson
How do I install Windows 2003 server to use a non-standard boot and system
drives? In our environment, we cannot allow Windows to use drive C for
anything. I've been told there is a way to install it to run using drive H
or something else for the boot and system partitions. How???

Thanks in advance!

--Eric

Author
16 Dec 2006 10:17 PM
Pegasus (MVP)
"Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
news:05_gh.494$mx3.328@newsfe02.lga...
> How do I install Windows 2003 server to use a non-standard boot and system
> drives? In our environment, we cannot allow Windows to use drive C for
> anything. I've been told there is a way to install it to run using drive H
> or something else for the boot and system partitions. How???
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> --Eric

You do it the same way as for any other Windows installation:
By first manually creating a folder C:\Windows. This will cause
the installation process to ask you for a destination.
Are all your drivers up to date? click for free checkup

Author
16 Dec 2006 10:26 PM
Eric Robinson
Show quote Hide quote
"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
news:uWk$IAWIHHA.2232@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>
> "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> news:05_gh.494$mx3.328@newsfe02.lga...
>> How do I install Windows 2003 server to use a non-standard boot and
>> system
>> drives? In our environment, we cannot allow Windows to use drive C for
>> anything. I've been told there is a way to install it to run using drive
>> H
>> or something else for the boot and system partitions. How???
>>
>> Thanks in advance!
>>
>> --Eric
>
> You do it the same way as for any other Windows installation:
> By first manually creating a folder C:\Windows. This will cause
> the installation process to ask you for a destination.
>
>

Thanks very much for trying, but you misunderstood the question. Perhaps I
asked it wrong. I need to install windows to use drive H (or some letter
other than C) as the system partition and boot partition, so drive C can be
used in user drive mappings.
Author
16 Dec 2006 11:24 PM
Pegasus (MVP)
Show quote Hide quote
"Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
news:do_gh.45$4G5.34@newsfe04.lga...
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
> news:uWk$IAWIHHA.2232@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> >
> > "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> > news:05_gh.494$mx3.328@newsfe02.lga...
> >> How do I install Windows 2003 server to use a non-standard boot and
> >> system
> >> drives? In our environment, we cannot allow Windows to use drive C for
> >> anything. I've been told there is a way to install it to run using
drive
> >> H
> >> or something else for the boot and system partitions. How???
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance!
> >>
> >> --Eric
> >
> > You do it the same way as for any other Windows installation:
> > By first manually creating a folder C:\Windows. This will cause
> > the installation process to ask you for a destination.
> >
> >
>
> Thanks very much for trying, but you misunderstood the question. Perhaps I
> asked it wrong. I need to install windows to use drive H (or some letter
> other than C) as the system partition and boot partition, so drive C can
be
> used in user drive mappings.

I understood your question the way you meant it and the
answer remains the same.
Author
17 Dec 2006 3:06 AM
Eric Robinson
Show quote Hide quote
"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
news:uvfyllWIHHA.4992@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> news:do_gh.45$4G5.34@newsfe04.lga...
>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
>> news:uWk$IAWIHHA.2232@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> >
>> > "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
>> > news:05_gh.494$mx3.328@newsfe02.lga...
>> >> How do I install Windows 2003 server to use a non-standard boot and
>> >> system
>> >> drives? In our environment, we cannot allow Windows to use drive C for
>> >> anything. I've been told there is a way to install it to run using
> drive
>> >> H
>> >> or something else for the boot and system partitions. How???
>> >>
>> >> Thanks in advance!
>> >>
>> >> --Eric
>> >
>> > You do it the same way as for any other Windows installation:
>> > By first manually creating a folder C:\Windows. This will cause
>> > the installation process to ask you for a destination.
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Thanks very much for trying, but you misunderstood the question. Perhaps
>> I
>> asked it wrong. I need to install windows to use drive H (or some letter
>> other than C) as the system partition and boot partition, so drive C can
> be
>> used in user drive mappings.
>
> I understood your question the way you meant it and the
> answer remains the same.
>
>

I'm sorry to say it, but you are just not paying attention. THERE MUST BE NO
DRIVE C AT ALL. Not as a boot drive. Not as a system drive. Not as anything.

By definition, that rules out creating a folder called C:\Windows.
Author
17 Dec 2006 3:43 AM
Pegasus (MVP)
Show quote Hide quote
"Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
news:dv2hh.771$mx3.631@newsfe02.lga...
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
> news:uvfyllWIHHA.4992@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> >
> > "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> > news:do_gh.45$4G5.34@newsfe04.lga...
> >> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
> >> news:uWk$IAWIHHA.2232@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> >> >
> >> > "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> >> > news:05_gh.494$mx3.328@newsfe02.lga...
> >> >> How do I install Windows 2003 server to use a non-standard boot and
> >> >> system
> >> >> drives? In our environment, we cannot allow Windows to use drive C
for
> >> >> anything. I've been told there is a way to install it to run using
> > drive
> >> >> H
> >> >> or something else for the boot and system partitions. How???
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks in advance!
> >> >>
> >> >> --Eric
> >> >
> >> > You do it the same way as for any other Windows installation:
> >> > By first manually creating a folder C:\Windows. This will cause
> >> > the installation process to ask you for a destination.
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> Thanks very much for trying, but you misunderstood the question.
Perhaps
> >> I
> >> asked it wrong. I need to install windows to use drive H (or some
letter
> >> other than C) as the system partition and boot partition, so drive C
can
> > be
> >> used in user drive mappings.
> >
> > I understood your question the way you meant it and the
> > answer remains the same.
> >
> >
>
> I'm sorry to say it, but you are just not paying attention. THERE MUST BE
NO
> DRIVE C AT ALL. Not as a boot drive. Not as a system drive. Not as
anything.
>
> By definition, that rules out creating a folder called C:\Windows.

You write "I'm sorry to say it, but you are just not paying attention."
You wouldn't be a teacher, chiding his students for not listening to
him? Please remember that you're getting free support from a total
stranger. If the response you get is not entirely to your liking then
there are better ways to resolve the issue than delivering a stern rebuke.
Your tone is not that of a desperate sysadmin (see your subject line)
but that of an impatient paying customer.

If you will not tolerate any reference to drive C: then your first step
is to post complete details about your disk and partition structure.
Without this information it is not possible to give you meaningful advice.
Author
17 Dec 2006 3:45 AM
Brian Smither
Show quote Hide quote
"Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in
news:uvfyllWIHHA.4992@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:

>
> "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> news:do_gh.45$4G5.34@newsfe04.lga...
>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
>> news:uWk$IAWIHHA.2232@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> >
>> > "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
>> > news:05_gh.494$mx3.328@newsfe02.lga...
>> >> How do I install Windows 2003 server to run using
>> >> drive H or something else...

>> > First manually creating a folder C:\Windows. This will cause
>> > the installation process to ask you for a destination.

Perhaps the respondent, with a terse reply, assumed that you knew enough
to get over several hurdles, that, if you did know enough, you wouldn't
need to ask the question in the first place.

Allow me to toss in my "two-fitty" worth of penny-pairs.

I haven't done this, nor am I going to, but these steps are as best the
sequence as I can devise.

1. Have two hard drives installed. Format the first to have drive letters
C through G. Format the second to have drive letters H through whatever.
2. On drive C, create a folder called "Windows". (You may have to have
several files of any other windows install present. Maybe not.)
3. Begin your installation. The installer will scan for, find, and ask if
you want to install in the same windows folder, or to browse to another
location. Choose your location.
4. After installation finishes and you are at the desktop, look at the
contents of the file BOOT.INI. Pay attention to the string
multi(w)disk(x)rdisk(y)partition(z)\WINDOWS
where x and z are the drive unit and partition number on that drive. It
should be easy to correlate. There should be other files in the root of
C:.
5. This is where we approach the area of the untried. Edit BOOT.INI to
show that disk(x), where x may currently be 1, to be 0. Save. Power down.

6. Reboot using something like Winternals Emergency Boot Disk. In this
emergency desktop, maybe you can move all the files that are at root of
C: (ntldr, ntdetect, boot.ini, et.al.) to the root of H:. I mention this
because being able to get to a command prompt that can access NTFS
filesystems may be an issue with you.
7. Remove the drive having C through G. Connect the other drive to the
IDE chain as "drive 0". (SATA is something I don't understand as yet.)
8. Hope like hell Windows honors it's drive assignments based on drive
serial (ID) numbers. If you have Windows boot from H:, where H: is
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(0)\WINDOWS, then all is good. If you get
a blue screen with Inaccessable Boot Device, then maybe a repair install
might work.

If not, then put that other drive back in. In the BIOS's settings, have
drive 1 before drive 0 in the boot sequence. See if it boots then.
Reassign drive letters with Drive Management in Computer Management. That
is, force the issue instead of relying on default drive assignments.

Start again at step 7.

Good Luck.
--
Remove INVALID from e-mail address.

Brian Smither
Smither Consulting
Author
17 Dec 2006 4:25 AM
Pegasus (MVP)
Show quote Hide quote
"Brian Smither" <bsmitherINVA***@INVALIDcitlink.net> wrote in message
news:Xns989BC81DDFE00SmithCon@216.151.153.13...
> "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in
> news:uvfyllWIHHA.4992@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:
>
> >
> > "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> > news:do_gh.45$4G5.34@newsfe04.lga...
> >> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in message
> >> news:uWk$IAWIHHA.2232@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> >> >
> >> > "Eric Robinson" <eric{nospam}@pmcipa.com> wrote in message
> >> > news:05_gh.494$mx3.328@newsfe02.lga...
> >> >> How do I install Windows 2003 server to run using
> >> >> drive H or something else...
>
> >> > First manually creating a folder C:\Windows. This will cause
> >> > the installation process to ask you for a destination.
>
> Perhaps the respondent, with a terse reply, assumed that you knew enough
> to get over several hurdles, that, if you did know enough, you wouldn't
> need to ask the question in the first place.
>
> Allow me to toss in my "two-fitty" worth of penny-pairs.
>
> I haven't done this, nor am I going to, but these steps are as best the
> sequence as I can devise.
>
> 1. Have two hard drives installed. Format the first to have drive letters
> C through G. Format the second to have drive letters H through whatever.
> 2. On drive C, create a folder called "Windows". (You may have to have
> several files of any other windows install present. Maybe not.)
> 3. Begin your installation. The installer will scan for, find, and ask if
> you want to install in the same windows folder, or to browse to another
> location. Choose your location.
> 4. After installation finishes and you are at the desktop, look at the
> contents of the file BOOT.INI. Pay attention to the string
> multi(w)disk(x)rdisk(y)partition(z)\WINDOWS
> where x and z are the drive unit and partition number on that drive. It
> should be easy to correlate. There should be other files in the root of
> C:.
> 5. This is where we approach the area of the untried. Edit BOOT.INI to
> show that disk(x), where x may currently be 1, to be 0. Save. Power down.
>
> 6. Reboot using something like Winternals Emergency Boot Disk. In this
> emergency desktop, maybe you can move all the files that are at root of
> C: (ntldr, ntdetect, boot.ini, et.al.) to the root of H:. I mention this
> because being able to get to a command prompt that can access NTFS
> filesystems may be an issue with you.
> 7. Remove the drive having C through G. Connect the other drive to the
> IDE chain as "drive 0". (SATA is something I don't understand as yet.)
> 8. Hope like hell Windows honors it's drive assignments based on drive
> serial (ID) numbers. If you have Windows boot from H:, where H: is
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(0)\WINDOWS, then all is good. If you get
> a blue screen with Inaccessable Boot Device, then maybe a repair install
> might work.
>
> If not, then put that other drive back in. In the BIOS's settings, have
> drive 1 before drive 0 in the boot sequence. See if it boots then.
> Reassign drive letters with Drive Management in Computer Management. That
> is, force the issue instead of relying on default drive assignments.
>
> Start again at step 7.
>
> Good Luck.
> --
> Remove INVALID from e-mail address.
>
> Brian Smither
> Smither Consulting

I was thinking along similar lines although I suspect that some
further refinements will be required. Remember that Windows
treats the active primary partition of the primary master disk as
its boot partition. I suspect the above scheme ignores these
requirements, resulting in a boot failure.

Let's see what the OP's disk/partition structure is.
Author
18 Dec 2006 5:48 AM
Brian Smither
"Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I.***@fly.com> wrote in
news:#z4CyNZIHHA.3268@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:

> Remember that Windows treats the active primary partition
> of the primary master disk as its boot partition.
> I suspect the above scheme ignores these
> requirements, resulting in a boot failure.

Recall step 7. It (effectively) says to make the installed partition the
active (bootable-primary) on IDE-0. I'm convinced that Windows (Server
2003, at least) doesn't assign drive letters until after all the boot files
are loaded and started. So, during the boot process, the BIOS just has to
bootstrap up to and including ntldr. After that, I'm not sure.

If ntldr also uses BIOS access (disk(0)pertition(0)), then everything
should work.

I notice that when I plug in an external USB hard drive for the first time,
that is, Server 2003 has never before seen this particular drive, I have to 
use Drive Manager to assign it a drive letter. Successive attachments of
this drive to this installation of Server2003 will always use the same
drive letter. Because of this, I have hope that Windows, during it's
secondary or tertiary boot-up stages, will assign H: to drive(0)partition
(0).

The OP's disk/partition structure is going to end up being whatever he/she
needs it to be to accomplish the goal. The existing or pre-existing
structure is irrelevant.

--
Remove INVALID from e-mail address.

Brian Smither
Smither Consulting

Bookmark and Share