I need a Windows 2003 server expert to help me install?!?

[Techno]

Hello,

My work just got Windows 2003 server. I asked them can I put it on one of our test box machines to see how it works and I was given the OK. Now I erased the entire hard drive and put the CD in and hit the reset switch. It detected that I had a CD-Rom but it didn't come up with the normal "hit any key to install........." message. I put the CD in my workstation and it popped up w/ the windows 2003 menu and asked would i like to install. So i figured maybe it was an upgrade cd even though i didn't see that it said upgrade anywhere. So i put my windows 2000 server cd in the computer and it loaded fine and right after the install, i put in the windows 2003 server cd. I told it to install from windows 2000 server and then asked for my cd key. i put it in and then it asked me if i would like to upgrade or make a new install.... WHAT? so I told it to do a new install and it copied stuff to my hard drive and then it rebooted. it then said i can either go into windows 2000 or windows 2003. so i selected the second one and it did a regular install as if i put the CD in the drive. same dos like setup function and the only problem was i couldn't delete the drive because the temporary files were on it. Now... i have a million hard drives and CD's and stuff. is there any way shape or form that someone can help me do a regular clean install of windows 2003 w/o needing another operating system on this machine. does anyone now what ind of CD I got? It just says Windows 2003 Server Standard.

Thank you!

 

[dbwillis]

All the CD's I got from M$ were bootable..I put the CD in the drive, powered on the PC and during the POST steps. it asked me to 'press any key to boot from CD...."
Pressing the key will stat the install process and one of the steps is asking about partitions (deleting or creating), I chose the partition already on the HDD and deleted it, then created a new one and installed from there....
Your sshould be the same hopefully...
Is your CD a grey colored one? (the label side)

 

[igiveup]

It sounds simple, but how about checking the bios to verify that the CD-ROM drive is first in the boot order, or at least before the hard disk....

Another option is to create some boot floppies on another computer (one reason why I can't see the floppy dying anytime soon, no matter what people say) and then boot off of the floppies to install the OS. Again, check the boot order in the BIOS. Booting off the floppies also takes a LONG time (between 5 and 10 minutes). I believe you want to run mkboot32.exe and if they put it the same place as in the windows 2000 cd, it should be under d:\bootdisk\mkboot32.exe (replace d with your drive letter if different).