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Question : Install Windows 2003 server using a USB Hard drive
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Here's a problem.....
I have 10 Dell Powervault 725N NAS units with Dell Windows 2000 Storage Server Installed. I wanted (foolish me) to upgrade them to Windows 2003 storage server, considering the end of life notice from Microsoft for mainstream support on Windows 2000 Server on June 30th 2005. After asking my Licence partner for licenses and media he informed me that Windows 2003 Storage Server is not available as a license or media, but is only OEM supplied.
After two hours on the phone to Dell I find that they do not (and probably will not) offer an upgrade path from 2000 to 2003 for variuos reason, the main one being that the OS is factory installed from an image as the units do not have CD-ROMS or DVD drives. They did say that I could try to install Windows 2003 server standard on the units from an external CD ROM drive an that "should work". I would prefer to use an external USB Hard drive, because of speed, but I do not know how I could make the drive bootable so that it would act as a CD ROM drive. I am not entirely convinced about Dells advise but what can you do. The Dell inform me that the unit are capable of booting from USB.
I have thought of using a network location, but the Broadcom DOS drivers are worse than useless, no matter how I configure the connected switch (Cisco 3750 and also tried various 3Com units) I can see that the card negotiates half duplex every time. I have even edited the DOS driver ini file to force full duplex on the card, which the driver tells me is true, but for speed I may as well be connected to the network by dial up!
Has anyone installed W2K3 from a USB hard drive? Any advise would be much apprieciated!
Thanks
Kevin
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Answer : Install Windows 2003 server using a USB Hard drive
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