Unable to Install Windows 2003 Server on Dell Poweredge 1950 II with a Perc 5/I Raid Controller

RAID config is fine.  The only step you are missing is driver related.

You didn't say which driver you were using, but this is the one you should start with:

ftp.dell.com/.../DELL_MULTI-DEVICE_A07_R211422.exe

You need to run it to extract the contents ... there should be 6 files.  Those files can then be loaded onto a floppy disk and used at the F6 prompt.  Since this method can be pretty flaky (and the USB utility is even worse), I would suggest using nLiteOS.com to integrate the driver into your installation media.  SP2 media may be required for this latest driver.

Another option would be to use Dell's installation utility:

ftp.dell.com/.../cdu_1.6_core_173_A01.iso

You boot to this utility first, walk though the steps of the wizard, then insert your 2003 disc in when prompted.  This WILL require SP2 media (nlite can be used to add SP's too).  You mentioned the 2003 media as "DVD" ... if this is really a non-standard media, like DVD, then the installation utility will NOT work with it (must be a standard retail or OEM CD).

Thanks for your quick response. I downloaded the driver and setup the USB Flash with it (fortunately that seems to work for me) But it is stating that the driver is 32 bit and I am installing 64 bit Windows 2003 Server. Is there a 64 bit version of that driver or can I not use Win 2003 64 bit Enterprise?

Thank you very much. That driver does the trick and now I am off to the races to format the drive, update and harden the server OS patches and then on to using it. I was not able to find the correct driver on my own by entering the service tag but the link you provided works.

BTW just a lingering question as to why the BIOS shows the Disk Group that the VD is in as having 0 MB. Just curious.

Kevin

In the CTRL-R utility, the 0MB is the amount of RAID space AVAILABLE, AFTER the RAID array was configured.  0MB just means it used all available space on the disks to configure the array.  You could, if you wanted to, create a 20GB RAID 1 and a 60GB RAID 1 on the same disks - it is called 'slicing'.  After configuring the 20GB RAID 1 and before creating the 60GB RAID 1, it would show 60000MB of available space on the disks that can be used in a RAID array.

Entering the Service Tag is pretty hit/miss right now ... I would just select your model when looking for something.

Hi

I am looking at the same thing here.

This is My PowerEdge 1950

USB trick isn't working for me and I don't know why. I need to go with the third method, I downloaded the "Dell System Build and Update Utility" 

http://ftp.dell.com/sysman/cdu_1.6_core_173_A01.iso

Burned it into a DVD but I am trying to boot from it without getting any success. I was able to boot from the original Windows 2003 CD that I've purchased but not from this one. 

I am stuck here:

Appreciate your support THEFLASH1932.. 

What "USB trick" (sorry, I didn't go back and review the thread)?

"I need to go with the third method, I downloaded the "Dell System Build and Update Utility. Burned it into a DVD but I am trying to boot from it without getting any success."

I'm sorry to ask this, but it is a common error, even for seasoned IT personnel.  If you browse the contents of the DVD you created, what do you see?  Do you see the ISO file, or do you see files and folders?

First of all, thanks for your fast response,

Second, after burning the iso into a DVD I can see the contents of the iso (folders and files). I didn't burn it as an iso file inside the DVD. 

USB trick that I've mentioned was the method of emulating a diskette (having raid driver files) using a USB stick.

Well, I didn't think of that honestly. I admit it. I have to double check it to see. If it is a CD drive, I will tro to have it replaced by a DVD rom and check. I will try to boot another DVD capable PC using the DVD that I have created and see if it works.

I tried to go with the nLite.com option but actually didn't find any ini file among the files extracted from the raid driver rar file that I've downloaded. The nLite.com requires the ini files to be imported to the software so it can merge them into the final CD. To be honest with you, I prefer going with this method but I didn't dig too much searching the Internet about it, is it possible that I am trying to include the wrong files??

Thanks for you fabulous follow up and support. 

DVD drives were still considered 'optional' with the 9th generation servers ... does it have a DVD drive or CD?  If DVD, you might try booting it on another system (it won't boot all the way into the utility unless it is on a server, but you can at least see if it boots properly or if something happened during creation).

Yeah, the USB "trick" is a utility designed to feed the drivers to Windows like a floppy, but it is extremely flaky (rarely works).  I would recommend using nLiteOS.com to integrate the RAID drivers into your installation media (will create a new CD to install from).

Which RAID controller do you have?  You shouldn't have to use a "rar" file to get the drivers.

I have UCS-61 SAS Controller (SAS 6 Controllers) and I am intending to build RAID-1.

By the way, I've attached an external CD/DVD RW and modified the boot sequence so it will be my first boot option, and the same thing: its not booting from the DVD and stucking at the same place mentioned before. here are the contents of the DVD:

Thanks.

Hi again...

I found that the server is equipped with CD-ROM, exactly as you mentioned. I replaced it with DVD drive but the server didn't detect the new one so I used an external DVD drive. The server detected it normally

I tried many versions of Dell SBUU (booting them using the external drive) but the server didn't boot using any of them!!

I went back to using the USB to emulate the diskette and load the driver of RAID controller.. The read me of Dell software that should be used to to build the disk states that it should be run under Win XP, Win 2000 or Win 2003 server environment. I tried to create the USB disk under Win XP and it showed non of the errors that were displayed previously and for the first time, when I booted the server using Windows  2003 Server CD, the OS detected the array that I've created previously using the driver loaded to the USB and it went through formatting it as NTFS. But it asked again for for another driver for the same RAID controller for (Windows Server 2003 32 bit)!! I halted everything at this moment because I didn't know how to proceed.. Any further suggestions? 

It is great to hear about the CD version of the SBUU. I will try that out plus trying the driver you mentioned. I actually didn't absorb the the last condition completely!! I am not sure but why I am constrained to use 2003 SP2 media? I am booting the utility first and after going through the options in the utility's GUI, Windows Disk will be inserted.. the utility should be booted all the way to the end regardless of the version of the Windows, is that right? 

Thanks and please excuse my horrible English..