Problem installing NT4 Server onto modern pc

[mannyo]

At work we are about to migrate from an NT4 domain to a 2003 AD setup, as most of our existing hardware needs to be replaced due to its age and inabillity to run 2003 (includes all BDC's) I need to install NT4 server as a BDC onto our existing domain, promote it to PDC and upgrade it to 2003 so I can get the AD.

The pc we are going to use for this task a standard desktop pc with intel motherboard, the processor is a P4 3.4GHZ with 1GB ram. The problem is during the initial stage of setup the pc crashes before it loads the NT shell. What happens currently is... 1) PC boots from CD detects hardware then loads all the bits and bobs as usual. 2) Once the PC gets to the point of changing to the smaller setup text (NT shell) the display gets corrupted and the pc locks up.

Hyperthreading is still enabled, could this be the cause of the problem?. Anything else I need to keep an eye on?

[cluberti]

It could be hyperthreading, but it could also just be that it's quite new, and throwing the hardware detection off a bit. Have you considered doing this in a virtual machine environment (either VMWare or Virtual Server 2005)? Technically, that would be the easiest and most cost-effective solution - install 2003 on a new server, install the virtual machine software, install NT4 inside the VM, upgrade to 2003 in the VM, then add your real server to the domain and demote the 2003 server in the VM.

Once that's done, remove the VM software if you no longer need it, or keep it around for other server migrations. It's easy, and it's easy to back out of if you make a mistake, with either snapshots (VMWare) or undo disks (Virtual Server 2005).

[-I-]

@cluberti - If i was the jury in a GOOD-Thinking prise for IT-Maganagement I'd certainly nominate your solusion, GOOD thinking -*Thums Up*-

@all Running any kind of system migrations in a VM system is nearly always a good idea, things like snapshots and stuf like that alow us to test evry last bit of an operation that could get quite tricky,

[mannyo]

In the end I gave up with that PC, still wouldnt work with HT disabled so I put it down to some hardware that NT4 didnt like. I ended up installing it on a slightly older pc with an older Intel motherboard with integrated graphics and it installed fine.