jtgerdes
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Dell PowerEdge 2850 won't boot to Server 2008 DVD - but will boot to Server 2003 CD
I have a Dell PowerEdge 2850 that I picked up cheap and wanted to load Server 2008 R2 on it. For some reason unknown to me, I cannot get it to load Server 2008 - R2 or the original. If I try to boot to any Server 2008 DVD it flashes up a message for split second then reboots the server. The message says - Blinitializelibrary failed 0xc0000001 (I had to video the screen then go frame by frame to be able to read the message). Also I have the Dell systems build and update utility version 6.2 DVD which will load and let me choose Window Server 2008 R2 Standard x64. It will go through the next steps and create the partitions and go all the way until it pops the DVD out and reboots, then when it reboots it's just stuck in an endless reboot cycle. This is with no disk in the DVD drive.
The odd thing is that it will boot directly from a Windows Server 2003 CD fine. In fact, I used the Dell systems build and update utility to install Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 and it went all the way through the install no issues.
Server has a PERC RAID controller with three 36 GB 15k drives configured as one logical disk in a RAID5 array.
Not a critical issue - if I don't get a solid fix for it, I'll just run it with 2003, but am curious enough to see if anyone knows that the issue is here. Thanks.
The odd thing is that it will boot directly from a Windows Server 2003 CD fine. In fact, I used the Dell systems build and update utility to install Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 and it went all the way through the install no issues.
Server has a PERC RAID controller with three 36 GB 15k drives configured as one logical disk in a RAID5 array.
Not a critical issue - if I don't get a solid fix for it, I'll just run it with 2003, but am curious enough to see if anyone knows that the issue is here. Thanks.
Did you try loading the RAID driver manually?
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Try booting from an external USB DVD drive...
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Also ... where did you get the 2008 media ... is a a disk burned from and ISO, or a retail copy?
I have a mix of 2008 and 2008 R2 running on all my 2850's, so I know it should install.
I have a mix of 2008 and 2008 R2 running on all my 2850's, so I know it should install.
ASKER
It is a DVD drive - the Dell utility disk is a DVD and it boots to that no problem. I've tried lots of 2008 disks - a Dell OEM one (not R2), an MSDN one, and one burned from an ISO from TechNet. Same thing - and same error when using the Dell Utility after it loads up the OS loader stuff and reboots - it gets stuck in the endless reboot cycle.
I really bet it's the PERC 4e/Di RAID driver that needs updated - since the issue is the same with either a DVD or a Dell OS loader utility especially. Only thing is, it looks like I should only update that if I'm committed to installing 2008 on it, which now that I've got 2003 all patched up I'm not sure if I want to go to all that work. We'll see...
I really bet it's the PERC 4e/Di RAID driver that needs updated - since the issue is the same with either a DVD or a Dell OS loader utility especially. Only thing is, it looks like I should only update that if I'm committed to installing 2008 on it, which now that I've got 2003 all patched up I'm not sure if I want to go to all that work. We'll see...
ASKER
No go - it actually got me thinking though. The drivers are no good to me since it won't even boot from any kind of 2008 disk or loader utility, but I thought maybe the PERC controller needed a BIOS upgrade for it to work. Downloaded the latest one from Dell's web site and installed it with no problems - but it didn't fix the issue...
ASKER
Well, in the end we opted to keep the server at 2003 since we couldn't come up with a rock solid solution. I'm guessing that the question that Big Steef linked to may have been a solution - but not one that I was willing to try. Still curious about what causes it.
Think of how old the 2850 is....the originals shipped with CDRom drives, not even DVD drives, so the fact it can even boot from USB is impressive.
go download
Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool
it makes a snap of converting an ISO image to a USB drive.
go download
Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool
it makes a snap of converting an ISO image to a USB drive.
The 2850 is not even 5 years old. The 2850 always had the option of a DVD drive - even the later 2650's had a DVD option.
the 2850 were shipping in 2004, and in server years, that is old :)