Can’t install sql-server 2008 on Windows Server 2003 standard edition SP1

Please check the ServerName which you provided. It should match with the below shown Name in the UserName textbox, and that name should followed with \SQLEXPRESS:

I realize this is an old post, but just to throw this out there since it showed as one of the first few entries on a Google search - with SQL Server 2008 R2, Standard Edition also gets backup compression. More information here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb964719.aspx