Can I install Windows 2008 R2 Server on a PowerEdge 2850?

You can use the Windows 2003 x64 PERC driver. This one does work:

http://bit.ly/QlP7Cu

Regards,

Yes, it runs 2008 R2 beautifully :)  Just remember, that because the PERC does not support non-RAID, you must first configure and initialize the RAID array before attempting to install, then you will need to load the RAID driver for the PERC 4e/Di in order for 2008 R2 to see the drives.  If I remember right, you may need to use the 2008x64 video driver for proper display resolutions.

Geoff ... why use the 2003x64 driver when there is a 2008R2 driver?  I have installed two dozen or more of these things using the 2008R2 driver with no problems (make sure to download the 'hard drive' version):

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/2684/DriverDetails/Product/poweredge-2850?driverId=9K3D3&osCode=WS8R2&fileId=2731109791

btw ... your link is broken (again) ... sorry, you know it is nothing personal, but you might know already how much I hate those shortened links

sorry dev :)

Flash,

Its the same driver for 2003 x64 as it is for 2008 R2 and 2008 x64: ftp.dell.com/.../perc-w2k3-6.46.3.64-A01.exe

Microsoft nor did Dell write a 2008 driver for the Perc 4.

Regards,

theflash1932, the link you providers sends me to a folder directory on downloads.dell.com /Pages/Drivers.  Is that where you wanted to send me?

??  They aren't the same, Microsoft has 2008 drivers, and Dell has 2008R2 drivers.

2003 - driver required, supported by Dell
perc-w2k3-6.46.3.64-A01.exe, driver version 6.46.3.64
http://downloads.dell.com/scsi-raid/perc-w2k3-6.46.3.64-A01.exe

2003R2/SP2 - I believe the 6.46 driver is now native to Windows

2008 - driver native to Windows
driver version 6.50.3.64 (?)
http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/os-applications/w/wiki/windows-server-2008-early-adopters-resource-guide.aspx

2008R2 - driver removed from Windows, supported by Dell
LSI-LOGIC_MULTI-DEVICE_A00_R227150.exe, driver version 6.53.0.64 (no textsetup.oem, so cannot be used with 2003)
http://downloads.dell.com/scsi-raid/LSI-LOGIC_MULTI-DEVICE_A00_R227150.exe
http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/os-applications/w/wiki/major-peripherals-support-status/revision/10.aspx

Yeah, Dell broke their support page again ... you can get to it from there, but until it comes back up, you can get it here:

downloads.dell.com/.../LSI-LOGIC_MULTI-DEVICE_A00_R227150.exe

So then, let me see if I understand how things are supposed to go.  First, we flatten the old OS.  Second, we install 2008 R2.  Third, I apply the SCSI RAID drivers?  Do I have it correct, or no?

So, I'll download the drivers and put them onto a USB or CD/DVD, before I start the installing of 2008 R2. Then when I reboot the system, during the boot processing I enter the CTRL-M utility and follow your instructions the rest of the way (with the exception of having gotten the drivers before hand)?

You got it.

I would like to resurrect this thread... six years later. 

Same situation, got a used 2850. Was already running WIN S2008 R2. The RAID seems to be recognized, as I can go in (CTL-M) and reconfigure the RAID, which i have done. Reconfigured RAID, cleared drives, initialized. 

Trying to install Server 2008 R@ from ISO usb, I get Win boot Mngr error. 0xc0000001 "\win\sys32\boot\winload.exe"  "application is missing or corrupt". 

That message probably means you have a bad ISO download/rip.