New Server wont take Windows Server 2003?!?

[StraightPipe]

Here is my hardware:

ASUS P5WD2-E Premium
Pentium D 3.0GHz
2x1GB G-Skill DDR2-800
ASUS ATI X1300 Pro 512MB
Raptor X 150 SATA
Misc DVD-ROM (sony i think)
480W Antec Tru Power2 PSU

I'm building a server for the office, but I'm really struggling with Windows Server 2003. The system posts fine, and goes into the windows setup screen ok. All the drivers and files load at the begining just fine, but then the screen hangs on "setup is starting windows" and never goes past this. I thought I might be having a hardware problem, so I threw in my WinXP32 disk, and it ran just fine. I tried server again, same results...
So I thought, "hey, maybe it's a 64bit thing." So I loaded WinXP64 and it works jut fine.
So I though, "hey, maybe it's a bad WinServer disk" (I legally DL'd the iso from my school and burnt the disk myself). So I got a proper MS disk from the office, and it hangs exactly the same as the other WinServer disk. I get the same resulsts from a 3rd copy of winserv, this time it's Windows Server 2003 SBS.

I'm about to rip out my hair. The mobo's instruction manual specifically states that it is compatible with Windows Server 2003 Standard and Enterprise. I think that my hardware is all good since the winXP disks load fine.


Any Ideas?

 

[RichUK]

load up a basic win32 on your rig, then run the server 2003 disk from your current install, and install it this way.

Then create a full backup.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Have you run memtest?

Server 2003 might be using a bad block in the RAM that the other Windows installs aren't.

 

[StraightPipe]

Originally posted by: RichUK
load up a basic win32 on your rig, then run the server 2003 disk from your current install, and install it this way.

Then create a full backup.

actually I tried that, after loading Win XP, the Win Server installer says that it cant be installed because the current operating system (winXP) is newer than the one on the disk. It says the same when I "check for compatiblity"

--DaveSimmons, I'll run memtest for a couple of hours and see what happens.

 

[cleverhandle]

Doesn't seem like it should really matter, but if I had an old crappy video card around I would try using that instead.

I would check with memtest first, though, as already suggested.

edit: Also, someone should move this to the OS Forum. There are Windows Server regulars there that might have particular insight into this problem.

 

[StraightPipe]

Memtest has made 6 passes now with no problems.

Originally posted by: cleverhandle

edit: Also, someone should move this to the OS Forum. There are Windows Server regulars there that might have particular insight into this problem.

yeah, I asked in OS, but nobody answered...


Any other ideas?

 

[StraightPipe]

cleared the cmos, now it works 🙂