Windows Server 2003 Trial Edition Expired!

And I have an application I have been developing on the laptop that had Server 2003 and I need to get it off the hard drive. There was no warning that the expiration date was approaching and I don't have a backup. If I install Windows it will want to reformat that hardrive. Does anyone have any advice they can give me?

 

All I get is a message box saying "The evaluation period for this copy of Windows has ended. Windows cannot start. To continue using Windows, please purchase and install a retail copy of the product." When I press OK I get a blue screen and a "STOP: C000021A {Fatal System Error}

 

Either that or whip hte hard drive out and put it into another NTFS compatible machine.

 

I don't know what type of application you were working on, but if you are just trying to get files off of the hard drive, I believe that there are many LiveCD versions of Linux you could use to access the hard drive and get the files off the laptop. Possibly save them to a flash drive or external HDD if you boot to a LiveCD version of Linux.

Here is a comprehensive list of LiveCD links:

http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php


In the "Primary Function" column, you probably want to focus on the ones that list "Rescue ".

Good luck!

-Rob

 

I'm usually quite good at managing my evaluation periods but inadvertently messed up this time around due to an incorrect date on system, kicking my period well out..Lesson learnt

Got my data back by starting the afflicted machine in safe mode, although to boot normally would bring the same result, and leaving the warning of 'evaluation expired' as is. Don't let it restart you

Then connected to this machine across the network \\unc and copied the data over

It at leasts save your app!!