Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
5 Posts
0
89313
OptiPlex 3020 - Windows Setup cannot install boot-critical drivers
I'm running into an issue with these new 3020 machines. Whenever I attempt to install a different version of Windows, I get the error message "Windows setup cannot install boot-critical drivers". I re-image all of the 3020 machines to Win7 Professional using an AutoUnattend.xml file. Has anybody been able to figure out which drivers are needed in order to install a different version of Win7 without having to jump through hoops?
I am able to install Windows with no error messages if I run GParted on the disk first.
Thanks.
osprey4
4 Operator
4 Operator
•
34.2K Posts
0
April 3rd, 2014 17:00
Hi Storm311,
Did you see this Dell article?
storm311
5 Posts
0
April 4th, 2014 12:00
I never had this problem with the Optiplex 3010 machines. My question now is, what did Dell change to break installations? I can use GParted to delete everything on the disk and the install goes fine.
speedstep
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
•
47K Posts
0
April 4th, 2014 12:00
Dell does have support for this but its not free.
http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/os-applications/w/wiki/dell-factory-customization.aspx
http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/services/ximage_datasheet.pdf
Same with microsoft
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721940%28v=WS.10%29.aspx
storm311
5 Posts
0
April 4th, 2014 12:00
I have even tried with a basic Win7 disk with no better results. I don't call out to a share that includes the drivers, they are all located on my installation media.
Even with the standard Win7 ISO it's the same issue. I can delete the Dell recovery partition and the installation goes fine, but I want to stay away from this process due to the number of machines we order and re-image for deployment.
storm311
5 Posts
0
April 4th, 2014 13:00
They don't come with Windows 8. Windows 7 is the pre-installed operating system.
speedstep
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
•
47K Posts
0
April 4th, 2014 13:00
The change is the Windows 8 partition. Windows 7 can't delete it.
If you started out with blank hard drives it would work fine.
speedstep
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
•
47K Posts
0
December 2nd, 2014 07:00
Starting on May 10th of 2011, Dell began shipping some configurations of Enterprise Client systems (Latitude, Optiplex, Precision) with Advanced Format (AF) hard drives.
Windows 7 RTM and SP1//WinPE 3.0 patch for AF support - This KB article was updated 4/28/2011 with a new version of the KB982018 patch- v3 which now applies to SP1 also.
Dell Advanced Format Detection Tool
F6 drivers are not optional.
http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-021701.htm
udi.zam
4 Posts
0
December 2nd, 2014 07:00
Hello Everyone,
so i just received my OS-less optiplex 3020 and as described above cannot install my genuine win7 x64.
It claims to miss some device driver.
Any solutions? i have no idea what driver should i provide and from where. drivers from Dell are all for after-OS-install stage.
Thanks, in advance.
storm311
5 Posts
0
December 3rd, 2014 13:00
I did find one workaround that works for me. The first time you image one of the Dell 3020 machines, use a USB formatted to boot with GParted (gparted.org). When you boot in, delete all of the partitions and create a new NTFS partition using whatever space is necessary.
Once this is complete, shut down the computer and proceed with normal installation. I have done this multiple times, and whatever Dell has on the drive is wiped out using this process.