Install Windows Server 2012: Archived Setup and Storage-Driver Walkthrough

This archived OEM walkthrough describes a new Windows Server 2012 installation, optional storage-driver loading, partitioning, and the first administrator sign-in. Except for the original English Loading files capture, the figures are English illustrations of the Chinese source screens. Several source figures come from different example sessions or older installers; their original states and values are retained and identified below.

Before installation, protect all required data, identify the intended installation disk or RAID logical drive, and verify the exact server/controller/firmware, operating-system media and driver combination. New installation, partition creation, deletion or formatting can overwrite existing data. A source screenshot does not establish current hardware support, licensing entitlement or production readiness. No server, RAID configuration or operating-system installation was changed while preparing this article.

1. Boot the intended installation media

Boot the appropriate USB, optical or supported virtual installation media using the target server’s supported boot menu and intended firmware mode. If a Press any key to boot/continue prompt appears for the initial install, respond before it times out. Wait for the loading and startup screens:

Original English Windows installer Loading files screen

In Windows Setup, choose the appropriate installation language, time/currency format and keyboard/input method, then Next. The source selected Chinese (Simplified, China) and Microsoft Pinyin; the English illustration translates those labels without changing the choices to English or a US keyboard:

English illustration of Windows Server 2012 regional and input choices

Choose Install now to start the intended installation workflow. Repair your computer is a separate recovery choice:

English illustration of Windows Server 2012 Install now

2. Choose the intended edition and installation option

For the desktop-based workflow described by the source prose, choose the appropriately licensed edition with Server with a GUI, then Next. Server Core Installation does not include the normal desktop/GUI. Microsoft’s Windows Server 2012 documentation distinguishes these options and describes supported later changes between them.

English illustration of the Windows Server 2012 edition list — The original screenshot actually highlights Windows Server 2012 Standard (Server Core Installation), not Server with a GUI. The illustration preserves that selection; choose the GUI row if the source’s intended desktop workflow is required.

Read the actual license terms for the selected media and entitlement. If you accept them, select I accept the license terms and Next. The illustration preserves the source’s checked box and displayed EULA identifier; it is not a replacement for the actual agreement or a new acceptance performed here:

English illustration of the source license-terms screen — The source EULAID ends in zh-cn. It is an identifier, not an activation key; the source reused this same older screen in both articles.

For a new installation, choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced). The source marks this option with a red rectangle. Upgrade is a distinct workflow for supported running installations; Custom does not migrate the existing files, settings and applications as an upgrade would:

English illustration of the source Custom installation option

3. Load the correct storage driver only when needed

Windows Server 2012 installation media do not contain every possible storage-controller driver. If the expected target disk or RAID logical drive is absent, choose Load driver. An empty list can also have other causes, including controller mode, cabling, unsupported hardware or the absence of the intended logical drive; it is not by itself proof that a RAID array should be created or erased:

English illustration of an empty target-disk list and Load driver — Next remains disabled while no target is available.

Make the verified, extracted storage-driver files accessible on supported removable or virtual media. Choose Browse in the Load driver dialog:

English illustration of the Load driver media prompt

Browse to the actual driver folder and choose OK. The source folder image shows UDISK PRO (E:) and raid-driver-win2012-win2016. These names are source examples, not proof that the package matches every controller or either operating-system version:

English illustration of the source USB driver-folder selection

Select the driver matching the actual controller, OS release and architecture, then Next. Do not select an arbitrary package solely because its name contains RAID. The source’s next image instead lists Intel(R) C600 Series Chipset SAS RAID Controller from A:\iaStorS.inf; this is a different path/device example from the E: folder image:

English illustration of the Intel C600 SAS RAID driver example — The original A:\iaStorS.inf path and checked compatibility filter are retained. Neither the folder label nor this example establishes support for a different controller such as PM8060.

Once the required supported driver is loaded and the intended disk/logical drive is exposed, inspect the target list. If it remains empty, verify the existing controller/array state and driver match before any configuration change. Creating a new array on disks containing needed data is not a routine remedy.

4. Select the actual target and review partitioning

Confirm the intended physical disk or logical drive by its actual identity and capacity. The first source target screen shows Drive 0 Unallocated Space, with 265.4 GB total and free:

English illustration of the 265.4 GB unallocated target example

If the target is already appropriately prepared and no custom layout is needed, select the intended available space and continue. For an intentional manual layout, use Drive options (advanced) where present, New, the required size and Apply. Do not delete or format unrelated partitions or disks. Review the prompt allowing Setup to create additional system partitions, then OK only for the intended change:

English illustration of the additional-system-partitions prompt — This older installer figure switches to Disk 2 with 278.5 GB. It is a separate source example, not a continuation proving that Drive 0 changed size.

Review the resulting layout and choose the intended OS partition. The source’s separate Disk 2 layout contains the following values:

Source entry	Total	Free	Type
Partition 1: System Reserved	100.0 MB	95.0 MB	System
Partition 2	128.0 MB	128.0 MB	MSR (Reserved)
Partition 3, selected	97.4 GB	97.4 GB	Primary
Unallocated space	180.8 GB	180.8 GB

English illustration of the source Disk 2 partition layout

These sizes and disk numbers belong to the source example. Required system partitions depend on the actual Windows release/media, firmware boot mode and disk layout; do not treat the source’s “two or three extra partitions” description as a fixed count or sizing recipe. Preserve the system partitions required by the intended installation. The newly created OS partition may be smaller than the requested allocation because system partitions consume space.

If you swapped out or unmounted the Windows installation media to load a driver, restore the installation media before continuing. Oracle’s English same-purpose guide also describes restoring/remounting it and refreshing when necessary. Keep the actual installation source available to Setup.

5. Let Setup copy files and complete its restarts

With the intended target selected, choose Next to start installation. Monitor any errors and allow the required restarts. The source first shows Copying Windows files complete and Getting files ready for installation at 0%; it then supplies an older-style Completing installation screen:

English illustration of file preparation at zero percent — Only copying is checked complete; features, updates and finishing remain pending.

English illustration of the source Completing installation stage — Copying, expanding, features and updates are checked, while Completing installation is still the active stage.

The source describes a restart after updates and another after completion. Treat that as its example sequence, not an exact restart count for every installation. On subsequent restarts, allow the installed system to continue rather than starting another fresh install from removable media.

6. Set the administrator password and sign in

When prompted, enter and confirm a password for the built-in Administrator account that meets the actual system policy. Retain it securely; losing access can require a separate recovery procedure. The source displays masked password characters only, and the illustration keeps both fields masked:

English illustration of the masked Administrator password and confirmation — This shared source figure illustrates password entry; no password is supplied or inferred.

Choose Finish as shown by the actual screen. After Setup finishes, use Ctrl+Alt+Delete to unlock/sign in, then authenticate with the administrator credentials created for this installation:

English illustration of the source Windows Server 2012 sign-in prompt

English illustration of the source Windows Server 2012 desktop

The desktop is the endpoint shown by the source. It does not verify all drivers, activation, networking, updates, role configuration or application readiness. Complete the appropriate server-vendor and OS post-installation checks for the actual host.

Source-figure provenance: the original mixes Windows Setup and an older Install Windows interface, along with differing source disk numbers/capacities and driver paths. These inconsistencies are preserved and explained rather than converted into a claimed continuous installation session.

References

Official English sources were checked before illustration editing. The Oracle guide corroborates the same-purpose installation and Load driver sequence on its own platforms; its F8 boot key, edition preference and controller-specific instructions are not made universal requirements for the OEM server here. Exact English versions of this OEM screenshot set were not located.