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Can’t Install OS from Bootable USB Drive on Dell Poweredge
Today I ran into a real muthaF of an issue. We purchased a brand new Dell PowerEdge T430 server for a client, it shipped, we un-boxed and then when we proceeded to ATTEMPT to install Windows Server 2016 via USB we ran into a “small” problem, we couldn’t install a Windows Server OS from a bootable USB drive on a PowerEdge T430.
Every time we attempted to boot to the USB drive, it gave us an error about ‘no bootable media’.
I’ve used this bootable USB drive on other servers and even attempted it on my laptop to confirm it was a bootable USB thumb drive.
I tried other ports, **bleep** around with BIOS settings, tried installing the O.S. through the Lifecycle controller menu and then finally resorted to the Google machine and finally called Dell support who notified me that…
Dell PowerEdge T430’s out of the box BIOS 2.4.2 build doesn’t support UEFI on USB Drives.
What does that mean in layman’s terms? It means Dell is a bunch of dip**bleep**s and they released a brand new server with a BIOS version that doesn’t support installing a Windows Server Operating System via your standard USB configuration.
How does a BIOS version get released that can’t support installing the OS from a standard bootable USB drive format, I mean **bleep**ing really!?
So, here are your options when it comes to installing a Windows Server Operating System on your Dell Server:
Option 1: Create a DVD of the O.S. This is a fine solution except for the fact that the ISO of Server 2016 is 6.8 GB and a lot of people are probably googling this in a scenario where they don’t have a dual layer DVD on them.
Option 2: I received a comment from one, Jack , who recommended a program that will properly format a USB drive to adhere to the standards set forth by the buttholes over at Dell.
1. Format your USB stick to UEFI and GPT by downloading the tool
2. Start the tool as administrator
3. Select the USB storage device then make the partition scheme and target system type to be GPT “partition scheme for UEFI”.
4. Give it the ISO image of windows server 2016 or whichever O.S. you are installing and let the tool create the bootable USB.
5. In the server boot settings make it UEFI and then make the partition GPT.
If for some reason those options don’t work, here is a last ditch option for you…
Nuclear Option: Install the Windows Server OS via the iDrac
For those of you unfamiliar with the iDrac, it’s a fairly convenient piece of hardware in Dell servers that allows you to remotely control the server via a Web GUI. You can power the server off/on, take remote control at the BIOS level and do some really cool stuff that comes in handy for remote admins lime myself
So, if you can’t get the DVD, like me, or you don’t have a USB stick because you are working remotely, the iDrac mighty be your only option.
Problem with this is that you will need to install a trial 30 day license of the paid iDrac product (which Dell had to send to me during our support session).
We had to put the Server 2016 ISO on my laptop, boot the server to virtual media using the iDrac and then wait FOREVER while the OS installed over the network.
If you want to know how to install a Windows Server operating system via the iDrac here you go:
1. Copy the ISO of the O.S. you want to install to a local machine
2. Configure the iDrac from the BIOS settings of the server
1. Plug a network cable into the iDrac NIC on the server
2. Give the iDrac card an IP address via the BIOS
3. Now, from your local machine, go the Web GUI in Chrome using the IP Address of the iDrac card
1. The login is root/calvin
4. From the Virtual Console in the iDrac, go the ‘Virtual Media‘ menu on the iDrac remote session and select the ISO
1. Remember, this requires a fully licensed iDrac
5. Go to the ‘Next Boot‘ menu and choose the ‘Virtual CD/DVD/ISO’ option
6. Reboot the server from iDrac and it should boot directly to the installer or at least recognize it as bootable media
Note – We actually had to run the OS install by booting to the Lifecycle controller instead of directly from the USB to get it to work and then we still had to choose ‘manual mode’
If your doing the iDrac option be aware that the process is extremely slow. Hopefully you can go the DVD route or Rufus, or perhaps by the time your reading this there is a new BIOS version out there and can avoid this headache.
bthorsberg
3 Posts
1
February 9th, 2019 09:00
https://www.lmeservices.com/bootable-usb-drive-dell-poweredge-t430/
perhaps this is the tool and information that you attributed to "Jack"?
bthorsberg
3 Posts
0
February 9th, 2019 09:00
Where can I find the tool you mentioned in Option 2?
TheAccuser
4 Posts
3
August 22nd, 2019 14:00
I just wanted to report back what happened to me today. I'm setting up a new PowerEdge T430 and ran into the same issues. Could not get a Server 2019 USB to boot. Tried both GPT and MBR and couldn't get either to boot. My final solution ended up being creating the USB as GPT, but it would only successfully boot from the rear USB ports! If plugged into the front, it wouldn't boot. Not sure if this will help others, but thought I would report my findings.
TMDESIGn
3 Posts
0
August 5th, 2020 16:00
Setting up a backup drive for a linux server:
I used the PC tool "Rufus" to format the external backup drive for GPT UEFI NTFS and then mounted it on linux using the terminal commands:
fdisk -l (to list all disks, my external drive showed up as sdbm1 but yours could be different)
mkdir /mnt/usbdrive (to make a directory for the usb drive to mount to)
mount /dev/sdbm1 /mnt/usbdrive (to mount the external drive [/dev/sdbm1] to the folder [/mnt/usbdrive])
the command line told me that windows had left some junk on the disk and it was cleaning it up, then it mounted perfectly. I then used cd /mnt/usbdrive to change directories into the usbdrive folder where the disk was mounted.
Now I could back up my linux system using the following commands:
rsync -arv /home /mnt/usbdrive/backup
rsync -arv /var /mnt/usbdrive/backup
rsync -arv /etc /mnt/usbdrive/backup
(alternatively, i could use rsync -Prv instead of -arv to show a progress bar instead of each file being copied)
Some more directories to consider are:
And finally unmount the disk:
umount /dev/sdbm1
tommy333
74 Posts
0
August 6th, 2020 13:00
Follow the following steps;
Start the device as chairman.
2. Select the USB stockpiling device then make the segment plan and target framework type to be GPT "segment plot for UEFI".
3. Give it the ISO picture of windows server 2016 or whichever O.S. ...
4. In the server boot settings make it UEFI and afterward make the segment GPT
JohnnyDeath666
1 Message
0
September 25th, 2020 03:00
4. In the server boot settings make it UEFI and afterward make the segment GPT
What do you mean, 'make the segment GPT'? Where? In the server BIOS settings?
Gincasty
1 Message
0
January 6th, 2021 21:00
Hi this is so informative. I was stuck on the "NO MEDIA " error. with your help, i found a turn around. This is how I do it.
I access the IDRAC, navigate to configuration>BIOS settings>BOOT setting>
Then I ENABLE the "Generic USB Boot" and applied/save the settings.
Back to the error page, I back track to the point where it ask for what OS I want to install, I opt windows server 2016>
it installs the drivers then boot to USB option is shown. Hallelujah!
By the way, the installation media was a USB created through RUFUS in NTFS format
Thanks again.
I'm Gino, I'm a physical therapist (PT) been doing IT services for 20 years (minor, that is)
This time on a brandnew DELL PowerEdge T430
Potshy
9 Posts
0
April 29th, 2021 03:00
I try usb Gpt it is read boot OS but canot read raid 5 because to do raid 5 must boot bios not uefi
Any solutions
PeterJones
31 Posts
0
July 15th, 2021 02:00
Thanks for such a detailed description Jack. I am having a similar problem with the DELL T40.
New Dell T40 Does Not See USB3 Drive on Book For OS Installation - Dell Community
zsoltvarga
1 Message
0
March 28th, 2022 23:00
The same situation with me with server R240 and Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS uefi installation:
Only from the rear USB port booted successfuly the instalation USB drive but not from the front port!
Darklurker
2 Posts
0
March 1st, 2023 11:00
I had a similar issue on an R430 after rebuilding my array and needing to re-install ESXi. I couldn't get it to boot from the USB. I tried front ports, back ports, went through everything I could find in iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller, even set the boot order so the USB boots before the array. I finally realized it was because Rufus had used GPT for the partition scheme, but I had set the R430 to BIOS booting. Maybe that's Rufus' default these days? So I re-wrote the USB drive but had Rufus use MBR for the partition scheme, and that was all it took. Booted fine and the ESXi installer had no issues.
toughdata
1 Message
0
October 25th, 2023 05:04
This was super easy for me to fix thanks to previous comments. All i had to do was boot from the back USB port instead of the front
okcorallo
1 Message
0
November 13th, 2023 16:31
Using the Virtual Console option outlined by JackSparrow worked for me - yahoo...! I connected the iDRAC and my laptop (with ISO) to a local network switch. The Server 2022 OS installed within 15 minutes without having to go across the LAN.