Netserver LH3, Windows Server 2003 and CD-RW

[CA1052132]

I would like to know if it is ok to install Windows 2003 Server on a Netserver LH3. Also need to install a CD-RW. Are they supported?

[Alicia White]

HP wouldn't "support" either Windows Server 2003 or the installation of CD-RW drive, but that doesn't mean they won't work.

HP's "support," or lack thereof, for software, operating systems and hardware (HW) is limited by how much time and effort they are willing to spend to fully test hardware, software and operating systems and develop any drivers that are necessary.

HP, like most PC manufacturers, expends very little, if any, of its resources to test new HW and operating systems on "legacy" products, such as the LH3. Hence: HP doesn't "support" Windows Server 2003 and probably doesn't support the use of CD-RWs, either.

All that means for you is that if you try WinServer 2003 or a CD-RW, you do so at your own risk. HP will not help you make it work if the new config fails for some reason. And, if there is a serious problem (such as the system won't boot up to OS or you get Blue Screens of Death at startup), Tech Support will help you troubleshoot only so far: they will verify hardware functionality. But, even before doing that, they will tell you to get the system back to a supported HW config: remove the CDRW.

But, if you want to try this, try installing the OS and the CD-RW one at a time. That way, if you encounter a problem, you can troubleshoot the issue more easily than if you added everything at once.

Alicia

[CA847690]

I have installed Windows 2003 Server on an LH3. Since the CD ROM on the LH3 is IDE, I would expect that a CD-RW would work. I agree that you should install them seperately.

A few side notes on the Windows 2003 Server. I have an LH3 with 700+mb ram and two 350mhz PII's. I also have the on board Raid with four 9gb drives and 2mb video memory.

Make sure that you download and install 'all' of the upgrades for firmware available. They are all there on the HP web site. I don't know why they say they don't support the OS but do have the firmware upgrades and software for Raid management available.

Anyway...When doing a clean install of W2003 after upgrading with the latest Windows patches and using hardware raid I get a 'Delayed Write Failed' when trying to write to the log files during shutdown. Everything comes down and then back up again, but the log file information during shutdown is lost. obviously.

I have installed W2k Advanced Server and then upgraded to w2003 and do not get the error message.

I have not found anything on the Microsoft web that would indicate why there is a problem, or what the difference is between a clean install or upgrade, but that is the only prolem I have run into

The LH3 seems to run very will with W2003.

Good Luck,
John