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Author Topic: help with getting into this old server  (Read 6782 times)

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DangerousRaccoon

    Topic Starter


    Beginner

    • Experience: Familiar
    • OS: Windows 7
    help with getting into this old server
    « on: January 05, 2009, 05:20:52 AM »
    It has like 4 gigs of RAM and a 3.0ghz processor but it's running on 'Windows Server 2003'.

    It requires a password and I don't know what it is. It comes from a business that was taken over by the business that my dad works for and they didn't need it so he gave it to me.

    I didn't need the information on there so I was going to put on a new Operating System, but when I was about to install it the setup told me there was no hard drive disk connected. But I've looked inside and there are a few of them. I looked it up and I found it was a common problem caused by incompatible drivers or something and I couldn't change the SATA mode to IDE in BIOS on this particular computer. Which I read would fix it.

    I also tried using a program that would allow me to change the passwords by booting from the cd with the program on it but it didn't work because I needed to shut it down cleanly and it's not possible because I can't shut down on the login screen,the option is not selectable.

    If I format the disk I'd need to install a new OS which I can't.

    There isn't a guest account just an administrator.

    I also can't go into safe mode because F8 goes into some other menu that doesn't help.

    Now I don't know what to do from here? What can I try? If you need more information ask me.

    DaveLembke



      Sage
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    • Computer: Specs
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    • OS: Windows 10
    Re: help with getting into this old server
    « Reply #1 on: January 05, 2009, 01:21:06 PM »
    Look up the drivers for the controller and upon installation of the new OS press F6 for RAID/SCSI drivers, then use floppy drive or thumb drive to mount the hard drive controller drivers, and then you should be able to destroy all that data on that system, wipe it clean and turn it into a clean build.

    Other easier option is install a new PCI Hard drive controller and use that to run your IDE or SATA drives and set that as the primary boot controller in the bios if you cant find drivers or a way to mount those other drives with F6 on install of OS from CD or DVD.
     Hard Drive controllers are cheap usually $20 to $50 depending on brand and features.