Windows NT TS install *UPDATE

[DougK62]

I'm installing WinNT Terminal Server on a new box that I just made. I've gotten to the part where it sets up the partitions and formats and it's moving S-L-O-W. I had it format a 2GB NTFS partition and it's taking forever to format it - it's been going at it for about 20 minutes and is only at 4% completion.

Any ideas on what might be wrong? Could it be the new hardware? I've only ever installed WinNT on old legacy hardware. This is a new Biostar mobo + Sempron proc + 40GB Samsung.

I don't remember it formatting so slow before...

 

[HKSturboKID]

Did you check the box saying using "Quick Format"?

 

[kylef]

Originally posted by: HKSturboKID
Did you check the box saying using "Quick Format"?

Is that even an option in NT Server? I thought that was added in Win2k server?

 

[stash]

I thought that was introduced in XP and above...

 

[mikecel79]

I think he's referring to a format of the drive from inside Windows, in which case there is quick format option. But this is not an option at install time of NT Server.

As to why it's going slow, not sure. Is the HD activity light solid or flashing?

 

[DougK62]

Well I left it going over the weekend and this morning it says that it couldn't continue with the install. I know this equipment is good - it's been used previously. Any other ideas?

 

[Splork]

Check your CD. I've run into problems installing, and I've found the disk to be scratch or something on it won't allow the installation to complete.

-sp

 

[DougK62]

CD is fine.

Is there a boot disk around that'll format NTFS? I'd like to see what happens if I go into the install with my partitions already set up...

 

[DougK62]

Now I have NT:TS setup on a FAT partition and it's working just fine. I try to convert it to NTFS and it just hangs.

My main reason for wanting NTFS is because I have another HDD full of data to put in this server and it's NTFS. If I leave this boot partition FAT, will it have problems reading this NTFS HDD? I assumed that it would, but I really don't know. Thanks.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, two things. Normally, server versions of W2K disable the HDs hardware caching, on purpose, for data-integrity purposes. Also, formatting (especially NTFS?), causes it to verify every single sector. I'm not sure if that's just a read-verify operation like an unconditional (long) format that DOS does, or if NT goes the extra mile and write-tests every sector as well. It just might.

Btw.. only 2GB, for an NTFS partition? That seems kind of small, especially if it is going to be the system partition, and has to hold the MFT, the OS binaries, and the swapfile. I would make it 4-8GB at the minimum.

Have you used a mfg's bootable diagnostic disk to check the physical integrity of the HD? That would be my next step. Any strange noises, re-seeks, while formatting?

 

[Agamar]

To get larger than 2G partition, you will need to put the hard disk in an existing NT server and format it to the desired size (as NTFS). After that, you can just install NT 4.0 onto the disk.

 

[MrChad]

Why are you installing NT 4.0 anyway?