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March 18th, 2014 03:00
Reinstall Windows Server 2003/2008/2012
My wife's office has given me their old Dell PowerEdge SC1430 simply because it was going to be binned otherwise!! Lunacy, I know.
My problem is that it needs a Windows Server 2003 (SBS) login password. Nobody knows it and the IT company wants to charge a callout fee... rubbish!
So I thought I would reinstall Windows. I don't have a copy of Server 2003 SBS but do have the product key. What I do have access to is free copies of Server 2008 and Server 2012 (from Microsoft via Dreamspark) because I am a student.
I am worried I am going to run into driver problems and don't know if the drives are encrypted.
I usually perform secure erase commands when I delete data on a drive using hdparm or the CMRR DOS software. The two drives are plugged into a raid card. If they are encrypted am I likely to run into issues? I thought about plugging the drives directly into the motherboard and running secure erase commands. I have only ever encrypted drives using bitlocker and used a usb key upon boot to access the drives. My laptop doesn't have TPM hence the usb stick.
Once I have two clean drives and I am ready to install Windows is it simply a matter of plugging the drives into the raid card and installing windows or will I need to install raid drivers first? My only other experience of a raid card didn't need a driver but that was a bog standard £3 pci card off ebay... I just pressed f? and said 'use raid 1'
Sorry for the elementary questions... I could probably succeed in all of this blindly but really don't want to turn this into a substantial doorstop!
Thanks
Rik
My problem is that it needs a Windows Server 2003 (SBS) login password. Nobody knows it and the IT company wants to charge a callout fee... rubbish!
So I thought I would reinstall Windows. I don't have a copy of Server 2003 SBS but do have the product key. What I do have access to is free copies of Server 2008 and Server 2012 (from Microsoft via Dreamspark) because I am a student.
I am worried I am going to run into driver problems and don't know if the drives are encrypted.
I usually perform secure erase commands when I delete data on a drive using hdparm or the CMRR DOS software. The two drives are plugged into a raid card. If they are encrypted am I likely to run into issues? I thought about plugging the drives directly into the motherboard and running secure erase commands. I have only ever encrypted drives using bitlocker and used a usb key upon boot to access the drives. My laptop doesn't have TPM hence the usb stick.
Once I have two clean drives and I am ready to install Windows is it simply a matter of plugging the drives into the raid card and installing windows or will I need to install raid drivers first? My only other experience of a raid card didn't need a driver but that was a bog standard £3 pci card off ebay... I just pressed f? and said 'use raid 1'
Sorry for the elementary questions... I could probably succeed in all of this blindly but really don't want to turn this into a substantial doorstop!
Thanks
Rik
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DevaVictrix
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March 18th, 2014 03:00
theflash1932
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March 18th, 2014 15:00
"My problem is that it needs a Windows Server 2003 (SBS) login password ... I don't have a copy of Server 2003 SBS but do have the product key"
There is no [legal] way to get the password, and 1) you should not attempt to get it for the company's privacy, and 2) you should not attempt to get it because you are going to want a "fresh" uncluttered installation of Windows to work with.
"Server 2008 and Server ... I am worried I am going to run into driver problems and don't know if the drives are encrypted"
It is unlikely the drives are encrypted, and even if they are, you can probably format over them (this system doesn't support TPM and the controller doesn't support SED's, and unless they had some other hardware encryption implemented, you should be able to wipe it out and start fresh).
You will have to deal with drivers, but drivers for 2008 and 2008R2 are available at support.dell.com. Server 2012, while it might work ok on it, is not supported on the SC1430.
"Once I have two clean drives and I am ready to install Windows is it simply a matter of plugging the drives into the raid card and installing windows or will I need to install raid drivers first?"
It depends on which controller you have and which OS you are going to attempt to install.
"Im sorry for the block text. I did separate it into paragraphs!"
Add dell.com to IE's compatibility list to get the editor options, which will preserve your formatting.
DevaVictrix
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March 19th, 2014 00:00
The company is a two man band partnership (father and son) and the office has three workers, one of which is the daughter (my wife). I feel its disgusting that an IT company has the power to render their computer useless by withholding a password.
I sorted my formatting issues by typing up in html!
Ill apply for the 2008 r2 product key and give it a whirl.
Once again, thank you for your reply!
theflash1932
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16.3K Posts
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March 19th, 2014 09:00
"I feel its disgusting that an IT company has the power to render their computer useless by withholding a password."
As long as they include the license key for the system (IF it was ordered with one) and include any installation media that "might" have come with the system (for Server 2003 and earlier), then there is a way to restore the system to working order for "repurposing". It is irresponsible for a company to give away a computer with the OS still intact AT ALL. Most companies will wipe the drives before giving them away or selling them, and many will remove the drives altogether to be physically destroyed. None of this affects the usefulness of a system - it protects their private information, and for them to give away a system where all you need to do is crack the password to access their system and data, is just plain stupid. If you are the recipient of a donated (or very cheap) system, sure you might have to invest a small amount of time (installing OS) or money (new drives, if drives were destroyed) to get it going, but there should never be an expectation of using someone else's OS without it being wiped or wiping it first. It is for your protection too ... who knows what kind of spying software one might have installed before letting it fall into your hands.
Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions along the way.