Firmware update on PE 1950: Where are detailed steps?

Sounds like you may have the correct utilities,  but they just are not working.  Just to be clear however ...

You need to boot to the SMTD DVD (System Management Tools and Documentation - 2 DVD ISO's merged together using copy /b at command prompt):

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&deviceid=17861&libid=36&releaseid=R250023&vercnt=4&formatcnt=0&SystemID=PWE_1950&servicetag=&os=WNET&osl=en&catid=-1&dateid=-1&typeid=-1&formatid=-1&impid=-1

Then you will need the SUU DVD as the update repository (Server Update Utility - 3 DVD ISO's merged together using copy /b at command prompt):

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&deviceid=16823&libid=36&releaseid=R256418&vercnt=11&formatcnt=0&SystemID=PWE_1950&servicetag=&os=WNET&osl=en&catid=-1&dateid=-1&typeid=-1&formatid=-1&impid=-1

If these are the ISO's you downloaded (and you DID merge the images for each utility to form a single DVD ISO using copy /b *important*), then you might have something else going on with the media/download or even the system itself.  You mentioned that it sees the updates and identifies which are needed ... what kind of error are you getting when you attempt to run the updates? 

What OS are you running?  If Windows, you can run SUU from Windows or even run the updates individually.

I can't give you any advice, but I can tell you that you are not alone and I feel your pain.  I have been trying to updata a rack full of 1950's for weeks, and I must say that tech support has been very responsive and have tried to help, but so far, none of the packages or the SUU DVD have worked.  If I find anything that works I will be sure to post the solution.  And, if you do, please let us all know.  My rack is about to become boat anchors.  :)  I hope Dell or the admins here don't delete this post - they like to censor me a lot (and I never say bad things) - oh well.

But your servers are OEM, aren't they?  If his are Dell-branded 1950's, he would not have the "same" problem as you are having.

Mine are 1950’s , his are 1950’s – to me it’s Apples and Apples (or is it better to say Oranges and Oranges?). Neither of ours will update. Period. Instead of trying to find semantic errors in my post or deleting my posts, why not spend some energy in finding a solution for us? Thanks – oops, I feel another post being deleted …It’s no fun spending hours upon hours, wasting DVD after DVD trying to do a simple BIOS update, over and over, to only get the same result. It is very frustrating. We come here for help, maybe peer-to-peer help.. hoping that someone in the world had conquered this beast. Please don’t be condescending to us here begging for help.

The post wasn't intended to be condescending, nor do I think it sounds condescending (nor do I have any affiliation with Dell or moderation of this site).  You previously piggybacked a post by someone who was trying to update OEM servers, which is where the confusion came from.  Thinking you were that original poster, I wanted to point out that the files used to update OEM servers are different and not everyone experiencing a certain problem have the same cause.  While I can understand your frustration - I've been there before - your taking it out on everyone makes us not want to spend any of OUR personal time searching for answers to YOUR problems.  While I know of several things that can cause updates to be unsuccessful, I am out of ideas for you.  If the original poster of this thread is on the right path, as I think he probably is, then I will be out of ideas for him as well.  I sincerely wish you luck in resolving your problem.

fletch, did you try this on your system?

Try this, found this on a forum: get the bios update you run from a dos prompt( not the windows based one), then run the filename.exe -forcetype

reybeast1,

I have pages & pages of notes and I had to wait to get to the office to see if (-forcetype) was one I tried, and I do not see it in my notes.   I will try that today

THANK YOU for a positive suggestion!