Hello there and welcome to my first post. My first post covers the installation of Windows Server 2008. I am happy to report that the installation is extremely simple and quick indeed. The minimum requirements for installing Server 2008 are:

Processor
• Minimum: 1GHz
• Recommended: 2GHz
• Optimal: 3GHz or faster
Note: An Intel Itanium 2 processor is required for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems

Memory
• Minimum: 512MB RAM
• Recommended: 1GB RAM
• Optimal: 2GB RAM (Full installation) or 1GB RAM (Server Core installation) or more
• Maximum (32-bit systems): 4GB (Standard) or 64GB (Enterprise and Datacenter)
• Maximum (64-bit systems): 32GB (Standard) or 2TB (Enterprise, Datacenter, and Itanium-based systems)

Available Disk Space
• Minimum: 8GB
• Recommended: 40GB (Full installation) or 10GB (Server Core installation)
• Optimal: 80GB (Full installation) or 40GB (Server Core installation) or more
Note: Computers with more than 16GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files

Drive
DVD-ROM drive

Display and Peripherals
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor
• Keyboard
• Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

So now you know the minimum requirements onto the installation! I am using the Beta 3 version as the final release isn’t out till next year. Interestingly enough it looks like it uses the Windows Vista GUI for installation as you’ll see below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first page that you see when you have booted your computer in with the DVD, it gives you the option of choosing your language, time and currency format and keyboard language. After making your selections click on next

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next screen is just to confirm your settings

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next select which version you want to install – the full GUI version or the core version. If you dont know what server core is, its a new version of windows with the GUI. It is completely command line based. I’ll be doing an article at a future date of how to use this version. Advantage are that the attack surface is greatly reduced as alot of components have been removed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next screen is the option as to which installation method you require. To use the upgrade option you will need to run it from Windows Server 2003. Not sure if Server 2000 is supported? Guess I’ll have to find out unless anybody knows??!! Obviously custom is where you selection which partition and directory to use for a clean installation.  Hit next to begin the installation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When installation finishes and reboot has finished you get the following screen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there you have it, your brand new Server 2008 installation! Goodbye from me until next time!