RIS "unable to format partition" error

[Tom Jones]

Hi there,
I have a problem with RIS which seems to be pretty widespread on the net
but I can't find any answers to. I am using a Windows 2003 server as my RIS
server and it fails to install Windows XP SP1a and Windows 2003 Server with
the following error:

Setup was unable to format the partition. The disk may be damamged.

From reading online though many people had said this seems to be caused by
an update to XP. To rule that out I made a plain Windows XP template and
that installs prefectly so it is diffinitely something in SP1 which is
causing the problem. I wonder has anyone here got past that problem?
Cheers for your time
Tom.

 

[NIC Student]

How are you slipstreaming the image with the service packs?

1. copy the cd-based image to your drive,
2. extract the SP to a separate folder on the drive
3. slipstream the SP to the cd-based i386 folder
4. run RISETUP on the RIS server and point to the slipstreamed i386 folder.

--
Scott Baldridge
Windows Server MVP, MCSE


"Tom Jones"

 

[Tom Jones]

Hi there,

I have a problem with RIS which seems to be pretty widespread on the net
but I can't find any answers to. I am using a Windows 2003 server as my RIS
server and it fails to install Windows XP SP1a and Windows 2003 Server with
the following error:

Setup was unable to format the partition. The disk may be damamged.

From reading online though many people had said this seems to be caused by
an update to XP. To rule that out I made a plain Windows XP template and
that installs prefectly so it is diffinitely something in SP1 which is
causing the problem. I wonder has anyone here got past that problem?
Cheers for your time
Tom.

How are you slipstreaming the image with the service packs?

1. copy the cd-based image to your drive,
2. extract the SP to a separate folder on the drive
3. slipstream the SP to the cd-based i386 folder
4. run RISETUP on the RIS server and point to the slipstreamed i386 folder.

Thanks for the reply Scott, yes that is how we're slipstreaming the service
pack and of course Server 2003 doesn't have an SP yet, but I have since
found what I believe is the problem. When we added the updated drivers for
our network card to the OemPnPDriversPath in the sif file the XP SP1 image
now works. Who would have though a "Setup was unable to format the
partition. The disk may be damaged" error is really telling you that the NIC
drivers are incorrect.
Unfortunately we still haven't got the Windows 2003 Server image to work
as we can't find appropriate win2k3 driver for our onboard intel pro100 VE
card. I've gotten in touch with Intel so hopefully they will be able to
point us in the right direction.
For people with the same problem who come across this thread in the
future, have a search for "how to add a Third-Party OEM Network Adapter to
an RIS Installation" the microsoft page that deals with this is currently
here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;315279 don't
forget that you may also have to add a chipset driver before the NIC is
recognised.

 

[NIC Student]

Thanks for the tip(s), Tom. I'm sure future Googlers will thank you also.
The point about the chipset drivers is often missed.

Have you tried the Win2k drivers for the Intel 100VE in your image? The
dos-mode drivers may be able to get you through the RIS install although the
machine may come up with bangs on the device manager for the nic.

I have Intel VE/VM drivers that work on XP & 2K on this site if you want to
try them:

http://www.mvps.org/serverstuff/RIS/Intel/Intel100VM.htm

--
Scott Baldridge
Windows Server MVP, MCSE


"Tom Jones"