Cannot boot Win2003 from MSDNAA

[Angel Blue01]

After weeks of begging I got my copy of Windows 2003 from my professor via MSDNAA.

I was worried that the disc wouldn't be bootable. She said to double-click on WINN32 when in Windows Explorer. She didn't understand that I was installing Win2003 on a new computer that didn't have any copy of Windows...

This disc has Win2003 Standard and Enterprise.

This disc contains a strange directory structure.

On the root there's files called:

win51, win51ia, win51ia.sp1, win51is, win51is.sp1

and 3 folders:

English

VEEN

VSEN

the VSEN and VEEN folders contain lots of .sy_ and .dl_ files.

The English folder has a folder structure like this:

English\Win2003_vlp\32bit

this contains:

standard_with_sp1_vlp

enterprise_with_sp1_vlp

each of those contains what looks like a WinXP CD.

This disc is not bootable so I have no idea how to install either version of Win2003.

Help!

I tried making a bootable copy by copying the files to my hard drive and using Nero to create a bootable DVD.

The disc boots.

I navigate to the Standard i386 folder and run WINNT but I get an error "Cannot find a place to create swap file"

[cluberti]

If you aren't using the boot manager to do the install, but running winnt, then you MUST have a FAT32 formatted drive that can be accessed from DOS to contain the temp files the installer will create. If you have not already created and formatted the partition you are attempting to install to, that's why you are getting the error.

[Angel Blue01]

I have a Win98 boot disk. I'll use fdisk to create a FAT32 partition.

How big does it have to be?

Oh no! I'm using a SATA II hard drive, the boot disk wont recognize it! Does anyone know how to make the a bootable CD-ROM out of the directory scructure I described can somehow let me run setup?

[cluberti]

By using the link below, and modifying it where necessary from Windows XP to Windows 2003, you should be able to copy the CD's files and make it bootable via the el-torito standard that the original CD your files came on should've been bootable as per Microsoft. It's not easy, but if you follow the guides carefully and modify as necessary, your CD should be bootable directly into Windows setup without the need for any formatting of partitions.

http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/wxp/

[Angel Blue01]

Thanks, cluberti I'll try it out.

I already tried using nlite on the Standard install folder (English\Win2003_vlp\32bit\standard_with_sp1_vlp) to create a bootable ISO and burned it to disc but I get an error "cannot find EULA".

[Angel Blue01]

It worked!

I had to edit txtsetup.sif to point to \

Now its not accepting my serial! I know I got it exactly right.

[Angel Blue01]

OK, I figured out the key problem.

I have retail serial but a volume media.

Is there any way to force my volume media to accept the retail key? I already changed the end of the PID in setupp.ini from 270 to 000.

[cluberti]

Ah, but pidgen.dll in the Windows 2003 source reads more than just the PID value in setupp.ini to determine retail vs. VLK vs. OEM - it reads the whole PID (not just the 270 vs 000), and it also reads the ExtraData field. There are ways to change the source (including this file) to make the source take a retail key and actually be a retail install, but that'd technically be in violation of the EULA.

After weeks of begging I got my copy of Windows 2003 from my professor via MSDNAA.

If your school really is an MSDNAA subscriber, you should've gotten a license key (downloadable from the MSDN subscription site) with that CD, and you wouldn't be having these problems.

From the MSDNAA agreement:

The department receives numerous benefits as part of their membership:

- Latest set of Microsoft platforms, servers, and developer tools via regular CD shipments and a download Web site.

- License to install the software on any number of lab machines used by the department for instructional and research purposes.

- License to provide the software to students taking courses that lead to credit or a certificate within the department, so they can load the software on their personal computers for use in coursework and personal projects.

- Electronic software distribution to students through e-academy License Management Systems (ELMS).

- Four technical support incidents (varies by region) in addition to access to the managed newsgroups and the Online Concierge.

- Private newsgroups where faculty can ask technical and administrative questions, collaborate with each other, and talk with the MSDNAA team.

- Comprehensive Web site that provides resources for faculty, including;

*Program information and news

*Projects, tutorials, academically focused articles, and curriculum

If you're in the CS program at your school, and your school is indeed an MSDNAA subscriber, you should've gotten a valid license key for that software. Assuming they acquired enough licenses, you're entitled to one if the work is under the guidance of your professor and is for academic research or CS coursework.

Edited October 23, 2006 by cluberti

[Angel Blue01]

I've already asked my professor to provide me with either a new media or a new serial -she made the mistake!

She gave me a volume media when MSDNAA issued me a retail serial.

I'm just trying to see if i can still use the serial/media without having to wait for her.