Installing Windows Server 2008 R2 on my Lenovo T61p

Posted by Wayne on December 13th, 2009 filed in Entertainment, Windows 2008 R2

Morning all!

It’s the first day of my holidays; Kyle is at work teaching a class I would have done except …. I’m on holidays!! Oh, I said that already? Sorry (not). Last week at work I decided it was time to go to Server 2008 R2 on my laptop, a Lenovo T61p. It’s a great laptop, once I push the ram up to 8 Gb and add a second 500gb drive I’ll be even happier!

The install went fine … the third time around. The first time I tried using the Workstation 2008 http://www.win2008workstation.com/ program to convert my server build into a desktop. This utility works fine, for Server 2008 RTM! It trashed my system, so I re-installed … twice! Don’t ask, ok? Oh, you want to know … well, I thought it was something I did first time around .. so I ran the convert utility again … so call me stupid. There is (now) a link to the R2 utility http://www.win2008r2workstation.com/ I turned features on by hand, all works fine, Server 2008 R2 rocks as a desktop!

I installed IIS and Virtual Server R2 sp1 – I need this for the Microsoft courses I run. A link http://blogs.infosupport.com/blogs/ericd/archive/2009/08/31/running-virtual-server-2005-r2-sp1-on-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx helped with the steps, it all works fine.

Next was Hyper-V and modifying the boot order using bcedit. Don’t re-invent the wheel. try http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2008/04/14/creating-a-no-hypervisor-boot-entry.aspx for the full steps and screenshots.

So, it’s Monday morning and I need to read my daily Dilbert … but Lorraine’s working on some flaming project to do with 1959 on the main pc (Lorraine’s the Minister for War, Finance and Entertainment – disturb at your own risk!) No worries, let’s fire up the laptop. No connection to the wireless … ok, troubleshooting, this’ll be easy, probably just a new driver needed. Nope, Server 2008R2 is remarkably up to date … let’s try Intel. Oh good, a newer driver! Hmm, that didn’t work. Time to swear and and sweat a bit, messages about “contact your administrator” don’t really help! My Bing-fu doesn’t help, let’s revert to Goggle-fu. Oh no. (Music in the background changes to “folks are dumb …”) Let’s go visit the Features .. oh look, Wireless LAN Support (not installed by default on a Server) is poking its tongue out at me. *mutter* Shut up Kyle.

Nowhere near as many drama’s or as geeky as Kyle’s previous, just a reminder to those who would like to run a Server build as their Desktop.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

targets down, patch out.

Wayne