PE 1950 Hangs on Server Install Assistant CD Home Screen

Question

I have inherited a stack of PowerEdge 1950 servers which I'd like to get Windows Server 2003 installed on. I've downloaded the Server Install Assistant CD and have tried booting at least three different units. All get to the Server Install Assistant home screen but get stuck at 'loading.......'

The machines do not lock up. Mouse and keyboard are responsive and I can switch the the text based consoles. No matter how long I leave any of these machines running they just sit at 'Loading.....'

I've tried tried versions OM_5.1_ISM_A00 and OM_5.2.0_ISM_A00 with the same result. I've already re-downloaded and re-burned to make sure there wasn't any corruption in the CD's.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks in advance....

theflash1932 · Answer

Use the latest installation utility, Systems Build and Update Utility (SBUU):

Your Server 2003 media will require Service Pack 2 for this. If it is pre-SP2, you can use something like nLiteOS.com to integrate SP2.

pgarrett42 · Answer

Thanks for the quick response.

I did look at that iso originally but I figured since all of these 1950's I have only have CD-ROMs the DVD wasn't what I needed.

Off to located an external DVD drive to see if I can boot the DVD ISO.

theflash1932 · Answer

You could use the CD version, but it is 2 years old:

pgarrett42 · Answer

I appreciate all the help, but these 1950's are fighting me all the way.

I am able to boot the DVD SBUU from an external drive but get stuck at the message:

'Install Dell Openmanage Server Administrator Version 6.2.0. If installing from CD/DVD install the OS CD/DVD'.

I put my Server 2003 R2 SP2 disk in the drive, it spins for a bit then gets spit out with the message 'Invalid CD/DVD inserted'. This is a fresh CD D/L from MS (and I've downloaded and burned another copy just to make sure it wasn't corrupted.

I then tried the setup CD you link in the previous message and it also asks me for a Dell Openmanage disk. Despite my best attempts at searching I cannot find a link to either Openmanage disk on the Dell support site.

Should I even need this when using the Setup DVD to do a straight installed from an OS CD?

theflash1932 · Answer

During the SBUU setup, it will prompt you to install OpenManage Server Administrator as part of the install - UNCHECK the box.  You can install it once the OS is completely loaded.  This will only work when using the full SMTD DVD (Systems Management Tools and Documentation - which contains SBUU, among other things, including OMSA).

tommo666 · Answer

The invalid disk message is standard as the setup program is expecting the Dell supplied OEM cd.

You can install the os directly from your d/l cd but you will need the raid drivers. THis cd image contains all the drivers you need: http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&releaseid=R146328&SystemID=PWE_1950&servicetag=&os=WNET&osl=en&deviceid=10658&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=4&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=0&libid=36&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&source=-1&fileid=204273

Burn to cd then run it in a desktop, select your server then your os and you'll get a page with all the required drivers. You can extract these to the desktop and use nlite to integrate them into the os cd. Or if your machine has a floppy disk just extract the raid drivers and use F6 during install. Then load the other drivers post install.

theflash1932 · Answer

It depends on which message you are seeing and when you are seeing it, so from what you describe (messages about needing OpenManage disks), it is looking for the CD to install Server Administrator. If this is the case, then do as I suggested and uncheck the box to install Server Administrator - install this after the OS is installed.

If you are seeing an invalid disk message when it prompts you for the OS disk, then it doesn't like your Windows CD. This can happen if you are installing an OS other than what you selected, an OS without the proper SP level (SP2 in this case), or if you are using Volume License media. When you said you downloaded a new copy from Microsoft, then we may be dealing with a VL issue. SBUU and VL media do not get along. It does not have to be a Dell OEM CD, but VL media seems to be the only one it doesn't like.

As stated, if this is the case, you can install directly from the OS CD, but you will need the RAID drivers (F6 with a floppy or nLiteOS.com to integrate them into the install media) in order for Windows Setup to see the hard disk (AND you must configure/initialize the RAID BEFORE booting to the Windows disk).

But, from the sounds of what you described, unchecking OMSA during SBUU setup should do it - the VL question may come into play later :)

pgarrett42 · Answer

This was the problem.  Once I uchecked the Server Admin install box I was able to install 2003 R2 without issue.  Thank you for the assistance.

brmck · Answer

Hello pgarrett42,

when did you see the check box for the Server Admin install?

I have not seen the prompt to install anything, i go from text screen to Dell Open Manage Server Assistant. I cannot get past the Loading....... to set up the server.

thanks...B

brmck · Answer

Hello theflash1932,

The link you have provided does not work.

I have tried OM_50_ISM_A01.ISO - this sits at black screen after replicating message

OM_5.2.0_ISM_A00.ISO - opens to Dell OpenManage Server Assistant page but shows Loading...............

Further down in the posts it is mentioned to uncheck the Server Assistant install but I never see this prompt or check box. I go from text screen to Dell OMSA page but I cannot select Server Setup, View Hardware, or System Tools.

Any ideas?

B

theflash1932 · Answer

The link worked when it was posted - three years ago. Dell has since changed their URL structure, so many of their old links no longer work. Look for and download SBUU (System Build and Update Utility) instead of ISM ... ISM is obsolete. SMTD will work too. If you use SMTD, you don't need to worry about looking for the OMSA install check box.

brmck · Answer

Good afternoon theflash1932,

bios loads fine on the PE1950 (a refurb server with 2x250, 72k rpm drives).

there was a sync error in SAS at start but I removed the array, created a new raid1 array, now loads okay.

when OMSA starts it shows Loading........ But never loads. am I missing drivers for the 250gb hard drives?

will the setup tools you recommended overcome this issue?

thanks for the help, B

theflash1932 · Answer

Yes they will. However, if you install directly from the OS CD, you will need to load the controller driver (there is no hard drive driver).

brmck · Answer

Can I add the controller driver to the DVD I burn with the setup program?

theflash1932 · Answer

To the Windows 2003 Setup CD or the SBUU/SMTD DVD?

PowerEdge Hardware General

PE 1950 Hangs on Server Install Assistant CD Home Screen

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