Installation of Windows Server 2003 is completed in the following phases.
File-copy mode In the initial phase, all of the distribution files for Windows Server 2003 are copied to the hard disk of the target computer.
Text mode During this phase of Setup, the computer hardware is analyzed, hard disk and partitions are configured, drivers are located, folders are created, and the base operating system is installed.
GUI mode In the final phase of Windows Setup, a GUI interface is presented that allows you to customize the configuration—this includes hardware settings, network parameters, licensing, and regional options, as well as joining the computer to a domain or workgroup and setting the administrator password.
After installation, the Mini-Setup program runs upon first boot of the newly installed operating system to detect new device hardware, set up the operating system configuration, and prompt for required user-specific data. The Mini-Setup program is also used in conjunction with Sysprep and RIPrep operating system images to complete final configuration tasks.
The initial Windows Setup display lists the installation options. At the beginning of Windows Setup, you are prompted to press F6 if you need to install third-party drivers for the boot device. Next you can press F2 if you want to run the Automated System Recovery (ASR) component. ASR is a new Windows Server 2003 system recovery tool that automates the process of restoring the entire system after a disaster.
The initial installation files are copied and a Welcome To Setup screen is displayed, which gives you the option of repairing an existing installation using the Recovery Console, continuing installation, or quitting. If you press Enter to continue, the Windows licensing agreement is then displayed, which gives you options to either press F8 to agree with the licensing terms or press Esc to exit the installation program.
Windows Setup then conducts the installation in the following sequence:
Disk partitioning during Setup Setup searches for existing installations of the Windows operating system—in the case of a bare-metal installation, it finds none and moves on to selecting the partition on which to install. Available drives and partitions are displayed, allowing you to configure partitions and select the partition on which Windows Server 2003 should be installed.
At this point, the location and version numbers of any existing versions of the Windows operating system are displayed. If Windows Server 2003 is already installed, its location is displayed and you are given the option to repair it.
You can allocate the entire drive as a single partition or subdivide it into multiple smaller ones by using these methods:
Single partition—To install upon the unpartitioned space using all of it as one partition, simply press Enter; a single partition is created, and then the installation process begins.
Multiple partitions—To subdivide the unpartitioned space into multiple partitions, press C to create a partition. This allows you to specify the size of the partition (in megabytes) that you want created in this unpartitioned space. Once the size is entered, the screen shows the partition you just created, along with the existing partitions and unpartitioned space. Highlight the partition on which you want to install Windows Server 2003, and press Enter to select that partition.
Tip
Select the partition to use
Any existing partitions are displayed. You can then select which partition to install on and press Enter to begin installation, or you can press the L key to delete a partition and create a new partition. If you delete the active partition, Setup asks you to confirm: It will then display the partition information again, requiring you to press L to actually delete the partition. You are then returned to the screen displaying the existing drives and available partition space.
Selecting the file system You next specify the file system to use—either NTFS or FAT. In most cases you want to use the NTFS file system for Windows Server 2003 installations. The FAT file system does not support the use of permissions, and thus cannot provide adequate support for Windows Server 2003 operations. In fact, a number of services require installation on an NTFS partition. Choose the option to format the partition using NTFS, and press Enter to begin formatting. Setup will display the partition and drive information, as well as a progress bar that indicates the percentage of the drive that has been formatted.
Tip
Avoid quick formatting
Although you have the option to do a Quick format, usually you want to select a standard format. The only times you might choose the Quick formatting option is when you have very recently formatted the drive and are certain that the drive can be formatted without errors. For bare-metal installations, this usually is not the case; thus, try to avoid using the Quick format option.
Hardware detection and installation of files After the drive formatting, Setup then performs the basic installation, beginning by collecting information about the server hardware and assessing the device drivers that will be required to support the server platform. Setup then continues, preparing the files and configuration for the installation, and copying files and finalizing the installation.
Tip
Unlike Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000, which used Winnt as the default installation directory, Windows Server 2003 uses Windows as the default.
For more information on Dynamic Update, see "Using Dynamic Update".
Tip
Estimate installation time
Throughout the process, Setup advises you approximately how long it will take to complete this process. The actual amount of time required to complete this process varies immensely depending upon the specifics of your hardware, including the speed of the CD-ROM drive, the speed of your processor, and the speed of your hard disk subsystem.
Regional and network configuration The Regional And Language Options dialog box is displayed, which allows you to change the location configuration, including the display of date and time, numbers, and currency. Once these settings are selected, you are prompted to enter your name and the name of your company.
Product key Next, the product key used to uniquely identify your copy of Windows Server 2003 is required (unless volume license media is used). This is an alphanumeric string, which is typically attached to the back of your CD-ROM case (or provided with an Open License agreement).
Licensing mode Once the product key is entered correctly, Setup prompts you to select the licensing mode. You have to select one of two licensing modes, either per server or alternatively per device or per user. If per-server licensing is selected, you must set the number of client access licenses (CALs) for the server. Verify that your selections here match your Information Technology (IT) licensing allocation plans to keep CAL usage in compliance.
Computer name and administrator password Once you have established your licensing mode, you are prompted to provide the computer name and administrator password for the server. (Windows also suggests a default computer name generated from your company name and a random string.) Consider carefully the computer name and password to use.
Computer names can be up to 64 characters in length, the first 15 characters of which are used for the pre–Windows 2000 computer name. Further, for DNS compatibility, the name should consist of only alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, and 0–9) and the hyphen. The best computer names follow some sort of naming scheme and help users determine where a computer is and what its role is.
Passwords should be a minimum of eight characters, for security purposes. The best passwords are as strong as possible while being fairly easy to type and memorable enough so that you won't forget them.
Tip
Use a strong password for the Administrator account
A strong password uses a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. If your administrator password does not meet the Windows server criteria for strong passwords, a dialog box explaining the criteria for the administrator password appears and you are given the opportunity to change the password or continue with it as is. The use of a strong password for the Administrator account is a security step well worth taking. Weak passwords remain one of the more significant ways that security of a Windows network is compromised, yet they are one of the easiest to correct.
Date and Time The Date And Time Properties dialog box is displayed next, enabling you to configure your server for your time zone. As innocuous as setting the date and time seems, don't overlook its importance. In a domain setting, the time is checked during logon and a discrepancy of more than a few minutes between the domain controller and the server can cause logon failure. Of particular note is the fact that domain controllers (and Active Directory) do all their internal work in universal time, and although they don't care about the time zone, an incorrect time zone setting can lead to denial of logon. Consider the case of a domain whose domain controllers are configured for Central Time and a new server that is configured for Pacific Time (the default). Here, if the domain controllers are set to 2 P.M. Central Time and the server is set to 2 P.M. Pacific Time, there's actually 2 hours difference between their time settings because 2 P.M. Pacific Time is 4 P.M. Central Time.
Installing network components At this point, Windows Setup moves on to installing basic network components. If Windows Setup doesn't recognize your network card, or doesn't have drivers for it, it will skip the network installation portion of the setup process. In this case, you must set up and configure the network adapter and protocols manually. To do this, after installation go to Device Manager, select the network adapter's properties, in the Driver tab select Update Driver, and then specify the location of the driver for the network card. Afterward, you must install TCP/IP networking.
Note
Many of the network services you might require on your network are not installed by default in the basic installation process. In fact, many services can't be installed using Setup at all. Although each network service can be installed individually (by using the Add or Remove Programs utility in Control Panel), many services are now installed by assigning the server one or more roles, such as Domain Name System (DNS) Server or DHCP Server. For each role, one or more services are installed, the server (and perhaps the network and Active Directory) are configured, and corresponding administration tools are installed.
Joining a workgroup or domain You are next able to choose whether the server should be in a workgroup or a domain. If the server should be a member of a workgroup or you are setting up a new domain, choose the No option. If the server should join an existing domain, choose the Yes option and provide the login information for an Administrator or Account Operator account when prompted. If you are using an account from a trusted domain of the domain you are joining, you must enter the full domain and account name in DomainUsername format, such as AdatumWRStanek. For domains, you are next given the opportunity to create a computer account or, by electing not to, to use one you've already created for the computer (based on the computer name).
Setup completes Setup then copies the remaining files needed for installation from the CD-ROM and completes the initial installation process. Once this installation process is completed, Setup restarts the server. You can then log on and use the Manage Your Server Wizard to finish setting up the server as discussed in the "Configuring Server Roles" section later in this chapter. If Setup doesn't complete normally, try the troubleshooting options discussed next.
After you install Windows Server 2003, you should configure TCP/IP networking as discussed in Chapter 24. If the type of licensing you are using requires product activation after installation, you should activate Windows within 60 days of installation. You have several activation options.
Before you activate Windows over the Internet, you should change the Enhanced Security Configuration settings in Internet Explorer so that members of the Administrators group can use Internet content. This is currently required for product activation over the Internet, but the situation may change with the release of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2. To do this, perform the following steps:
In Control Panel, double-click Add Or Remove Programs.
In the Add Or Remove Programs dialog box, click Add/Remove Windows Components.
In the Windows Components Wizard, select Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration and then click Details.
In the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration dialog box, clear the For Administrators Groups option and click OK. Optionally, you can also clear For All Other User Groups before clicking OK.
In the Windows Components Wizard, click Next. After the wizard updates the configuration, click Finish.
You can now activate Windows over the Internet without being restricted by the security configuration. To do this, perform the following steps:
Click Start, point to Programs or All Programs as appropriate, and then click Activate Windows.
In the Windows Product Activation Wizard, select Yes, Let's Activate Windows Over The Internet Now and then click Next.
Follow the prompts to complete activation and optionally register Windows Server 2003.
Activation over the telephone doesn't require changing the Internet Explorer Security Configuration. You can go straight to product activation by performing the following steps:
Click Start, point to Programs or All Programs as appropriate, and then click Activate Windows.
In the Windows Product Activation Wizard, select Yes, I Want To Telephone A Customer Service Representative To Activate Windows and then click Next.
Select a geographic or country location to obtain a telephone number for your area. You will also get an installation ID, which is a very long string of numbers that you will need to give to the customer service representative or enter into the automated customer service phone system. After you call the phone number and give the installation ID, you will get an activation code, which is another long string of numbers that you have to enter on the Activate Windows page before you can continue with the activation.
Click Next and follow the prompts to complete activation and optionally register Windows Server 2003.