Having issues installing Win 2012 R2 on R310

You have to update the LCC ... the original LCC didn't know anything about Server 2012.

When you boot directly to the OS DVD, what exactly is the message you get?

When installing from the Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials Disc, I click Install Now, then get this error: 

"A media driver your computer needs is missing.  This could be a DVD, USB or Hard Disk driver.  If you have a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive with the driver on it, please insert it now.  Note:  if the installation medial for Windows is in the DVD drive or the USB drive, you can safely remove it for this step"

Is there a disc I need to get by this message?

And regarding the LCC:  can you give me a link on how to update it?

Thanks.

Be sure that SATA is NOT set to RAID in the BIOS and/or make sure that embedded RAID is disabled. The onboard SATA, when RAID-enabled, is the PERC S100 ... you shouldn't be using that at all.

9/10 times, however, the missing driver message means your installation media is bad.

Like others I'm having issue upgrading my Dell R310 to Window Server 2012R2.

I do not appear to have a life cycle controller on my Dell. I have Unified Server Configuration where I have tried to follow the process to install from USB but I do not understand what the catalogue location is? Is it a path and filename? Just path? linux path? What???

When I attempt to proceed in "Unified Server Configuration" I see the following error "Catalogue file not found. Ensure Windows(R) Catalogue, and Dell(TM) update packages for Windows(r) used. 

If you're having issues with the USC/LCC, you can bypass using it entirely. If you're using a RAID volume, you'll need to create that in the RAID controller menu, then you can boot to the Windows installer, and begin the install. Depending on the RAID controller you have, you may need to pull the driver file off of the support site. You can download the .exe, extract the driver files from it, then load those when the Windows installer asks, "Where do you want to install Windows?" You'd just need to click the "Load driver" button.

As to the error, if you can share a direct image of what you're seeing, that may be more helpful. I'm wondering if perhaps the OS driver pack hasn't been installed, so there aren't any drivers to provide.

When you say that you downloaded them and tried running them straight from USB, are you trying to provided .exe files to the installer, or am I misunderstanding?

Since this is an add-on to a 5 year-old questions, tough to say what is the same and what is different. A new thread would have been more helpful.

LCC (USC) needs to be updated before proceeding to install with it - and best practice for computers in general would be to update the hardware before installation anyway. Skip LCC/USC. Which controller are you using? If using the onboard RAID (or any of the S-series), they are NOT compatible with Server 2012+ ... you will need to turn it off (onboard S100) or remove it (S300 card).

I believe my raid controller is SAS 6/IR.

I've downloaded the OS drivers listed in the dell support area for my server and tried installing straight from Windows Server 2012r2 bootable usb but when attempting to add the driver windows setup can't find any capable /  Signed drivers.

IF you are adding drivers during setup, AFTER having extracted them (so you can see the .txt, .inf, etc. files), then try this driver:

https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER00353765M/1/SAS-RAID_Driver_8VMD9_WN32_1.28.03.01_A06.EXE

(Again, must run this on another machine to extract the contents before using.)