So for the record, are you trying to install fresh or fix an existing Windows installation?

Nvm, existing installation on disk. Does safe mode work? If not, what's the last line on the monitor? It should display a system file. But is sounds it goes directly to inaccessible_boot_device?

Fix an exsisting windows installation.
I tried looking for the server 2k3 SBS PL ISO but no luck, all were the english versions.
I could try to use the english ISO to repair this installation, but no idea if it'll even allow me to do it.

PD2JK wrote on 2026-04-06, 18:09:

So for the record, are you trying to install fresh or fix an existing Windows installation?

Nvm, existing installation on disk. Does safe mode work? If not, what's the last line on the monitor? It should display a system file. But is sounds it goes directly to inaccessible_boot_device?

Nope, safe mode doesn't work. I don't get any extra error info aside from the stop code being 0x7b.

On archive.org there's a Polish version of Windows 2003 R2 Small Business Server. I'm not sure I'm allowed to share a link...
But you can try a repair installation. I'd clone the disk first in case things go wrong.

Yeah, cloning the disk is a very good idea.
Question, which CD should I use as there's 5 different ones labed 1 through 5, alongside two premium tech disks and a tech disk. I'm used to there only being two like on the enterprise version (1 being the main install one and the other having the additional software and whatnot).

I’d be tempted to try booting a VM from the physical disk using VMWare workstation or something.

I think you only need CD1 and CD2. I am also not familiar with more than two cd's. But you can always burn / mount them later when setup asks for them.

As another option which comes to mind, Acronis has some P2V tricks up it sleeves. Many years back, I had a disk image (TIB file format), and converted it to a Hyper-V machine. You could try that as well, that way the Windows installation is not hardware dependant anymore. A bit time consuming maybe, but that's what this hobby is anyway.

CD1 seemed to install the OS okay inside a VM, it asks me to continue setting up the server but I don't need to go further.
Here's my plan of action since I don't wanna fiddle with the .tib to .vmdk conversion:
1. Backup the current state of the server 2k3 by using Acronis true image
2. Make a 250GB disk under VMware
3. Boot to ATI and try recovering the .tib onto the virtual disk (set to SATA mode)
4. Confirm if vdisk is bootable and gives me 0x7b (or fixes itself)
5. Run the CD1 and hope that it allows me to repair

But before I start, the registry with the apps and whatnot stays the same during the repair process right? I won't lose access to ROOT\Program Files directory, if everything goes to plan that is?

I'm not entirely sure, but repair installations usually replaces existing system folders or the registry with a fresh one. (renames / moves old folders, but does not delete)

The recovery console on the other hand, doesn't do that. The trial and error method.

Recovered the disk in VMware and ran the repair from CD1, but now in the windows setup part (right after copying files under DOS) I get:

LSASS.EXE - System Error, security accounts manager initialization failed because of the following error: Directory Services cannot start. Error status 0xc00002e1.

Please click OK to shutdown this system and reboot into directory services restore mode, check the event log for more detailed information.

Running directory services restore mode from F8 menu renders the same error.

Any ideas?

EDIT:
When I was in the RAID BIOS on the gigabyte 8i945g I recall seeing the raid 1 disk saying something "status: degraded". This might be the cause for this, although my experience with raid is close to none.
Or it could be since the ISO is retail instead of OEM, like the existing install.

How old is the hard disk, and when was it last used before attempting to start it and getting the LSASS error?

If it’s a while ago (greater than the default tombstone lifetime of 60 days) try changing the date in the VM BIOS (and disabling any NTP/VMware time sync) to when it was last powered on.

paradigital wrote on 2026-04-07, 09:24:

How old is the hard disk, and when was it last used before attempting to start it and getting the LSASS error?

If it’s a while ago (greater than the default tombstone lifetime of 60 days) try changing the date in the VM BIOS (and disabling any NTP/VMware time sync) to when it was last powered on.

HDD is a Seagate ST3250318AS, so ~2009 manufacturing date. Last modified on the \windows files was 2015/2016 (excluding my 2026 year).
Changing the date to the last used renders the same issue.

Thinking about swapping the registry files and the folder where the programs are located into a fresh 2k3 r2 SBS install now since I'm starting to run out of ideas

kotel wrote on 2026-04-06, 18:05:

Apply the PCIIDE.reg patch (verified if it actually integrated)

What exactly does the PCIIDE.REG patch do?

Reading here tells me that on XP at least (I assume 2K3 is like XP in this aspect), it is not enough to enable PCIIDE at boot start, you also might need to add the service to a CriticalDeviceDatabase in the registry, based on device ID.

If you’re trying to run 2003 on a machine it wasn’t originally installed on then you 100% need to do a repair install. Clone (backup) the hard disk as you suggested (I prefer https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macr … ee_edition.html) and then perform a repair install via the Windows install. I would even clone the hard drive onto a another disk and use that one instead to rule out any disk issues.

dr_st wrote on 2026-04-07, 09:46:

kotel wrote on 2026-04-06, 18:05:

Apply the PCIIDE.reg patch (verified if it actually integrated)

What exactly does the PCIIDE.REG patch do?

Reading here tells me that on XP at least (I assume 2K3 is like XP in this aspect), it is not enough to enable PCIIDE at boot start, you also might need to add the service to a CriticalDeviceDatabase in the registry, based on device ID.

I used this pciide.reg:
https://www.richud.com/wiki/Windows_XP_Stop_E … _0x0000007B_FIX

I did attempt to add the registry entires in CriticalDeviceDatabase with the ITE raid devID and correct driver name, but then I got either 0x7e or 0x7b BSOD, can't recall.

For now let's stay on the VM.

zuldan wrote on 2026-04-07, 09:52:

If you’re trying to run 2003 on a machine it wasn’t originally installed on then you 100% need to do a repair install. Clone (backup) the hard disk as you suggested (I prefer https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macr … ee_edition.html) and then perform a repair install via the Windows install. I would even clone the hard drive onto a another disk and use that one instead to rule out any disk issues.

Already backed up the HDD and did a repair, but I get the active directory error in setup.

kotel wrote on 2026-04-07, 10:17:

Already backed up the HDD and did a repair, but I get the active directory error in setup.

I was going to say AD is going to be your biggest problem. From what I remember it had to be reinstalled (basically a new domain) from a repair install. You could try repair the issue with ChatGPT/Grok but I think at the end of the day I don’t think you will get this installation of 2003 SBS up and running (as it was) without the original hardware.

Well, I tried doing it with AI asistance, but I got nonwhere (expected it as they suck at this). All I need is to get this OS into bootable state when I can log in and still access the program files directory.

Gemini suggested changing sticky keys exe to cmd, and that allowed me to run commands.
I then tried changing the

1ProductType

in

1HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions

to ServerNT but it always returned to LanmanNT no matter if I did it from the install or by loading the hive from winPE.

Oh well, it's not a big deal if I can't get it to work.