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DELL PE R610 Major Issue - Windows can't create a systems partition
I have a brand new DELL PE R610, straight out of the box. However I am experiencing major issues with it when I'm trying to install Windows Server OS.
Boot up is fine, no errors (Also ran Diagnostics and it is fine).
Configure the RAID no issues (have tried every possible config of RAID to prove it was not that)
The system goes through the SBUU with no errors, configures the RAID, pre-installs the OS etc and reboots cleanly. I'm then prompted to insert the OS CD which it reads and I start the install. It goes through the first few steps and gets to the point where it asks me to select where I want to install Windows. At this stage it fails, with the error:
'Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. Check system logs bla bla bla.'
I have tried using diskpart to create/modify/delete partitions etc, refresh the disks but get the same error again and again.I just can't create that system partition that Windows needs !!
The interweb has lots of examples pointing to this error, a lot of them factored around disabling/removing disks etc, but I don't believe that is the problem. What I have noticed is that when I go into System Services (UEFI) on the Home Screen it gives me a warning that a system update is recommended since some components are potentially out of date. Great, sounds logical to me. However I try to go via Platform Update to do this, after configuring a network adapter, but it does not like it.
So essentially this is a 2 part question: How do I get around the WIndows Install error? And how do I run a systems update without the ability to get on the internet - I can't find any location to download an iso image that I could use or similar?
Desperate for help, being in Africa does not help me as there is no DELL support here.
Boot up is fine, no errors (Also ran Diagnostics and it is fine).
Configure the RAID no issues (have tried every possible config of RAID to prove it was not that)
The system goes through the SBUU with no errors, configures the RAID, pre-installs the OS etc and reboots cleanly. I'm then prompted to insert the OS CD which it reads and I start the install. It goes through the first few steps and gets to the point where it asks me to select where I want to install Windows. At this stage it fails, with the error:
'Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. Check system logs bla bla bla.'
I have tried using diskpart to create/modify/delete partitions etc, refresh the disks but get the same error again and again.I just can't create that system partition that Windows needs !!
The interweb has lots of examples pointing to this error, a lot of them factored around disabling/removing disks etc, but I don't believe that is the problem. What I have noticed is that when I go into System Services (UEFI) on the Home Screen it gives me a warning that a system update is recommended since some components are potentially out of date. Great, sounds logical to me. However I try to go via Platform Update to do this, after configuring a network adapter, but it does not like it.
So essentially this is a 2 part question: How do I get around the WIndows Install error? And how do I run a systems update without the ability to get on the internet - I can't find any location to download an iso image that I could use or similar?
Desperate for help, being in Africa does not help me as there is no DELL support here.
Peter Tsai
272 Posts
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February 7th, 2011 11:00
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
Saw a duplicate thread here - responding to this one:
http://www.delltechcenter.com/thread/4459663/DELL+R610+-+Windows+cannot+install%2C+can%27t+create+system+partition
chudless
25 Posts
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February 7th, 2011 14:00
Thank you once again.
chudless
25 Posts
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February 7th, 2011 14:00
I truly appreciate the response and effort. However your 'solution' seems to be way ahead of where I am and from the issue I have. I can't even install Windows so the solution seems based on the fact that I have Windows Server 2008 installed already. Basically, when I get to the position that I must select where I want to install the OS, I select the disk/array and even create a smaller partition, I am told I cannot as 'Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. Check system logs.'
Thanks
John
chudless
25 Posts
0
February 7th, 2011 23:00
I'm now trying to do it via the RAW method but I don't hold out much hope. Any other ideas?
Thanks
John
Peter Tsai
272 Posts
0
February 8th, 2011 07:00
Hmm, sorry you are going through all of this. That's an interesting error. sysman/SUU_40.cab doesn't exist on the server... not sure how you got there.
Let me try to uninstall Repository Manager from my computer and walk through what you are going through now to see if I encounter issues.
I know the Dell FTP server has some issues sometimes (probably due to high traffic).
Peter Tsai
272 Posts
0
February 8th, 2011 11:00
The latest version of the plugin file you is located here - ftp://ftp.dell.com/sysman/SUU_640.cab
After digging into the issue you recieved, I found the following thread:
http://www.delltechcenter.com/thread/3699512/SUU+Plugin+for+Dell+Repository+Manager+download+issue
Perhaps you can manually download the file through your browser or even an FTP client and try dropping the CAB file into your Payloads directory.
Sorry again this is causing you pain.
Peter
chudless
25 Posts
0
February 8th, 2011 13:00
chudless
25 Posts
0
February 8th, 2011 13:00
chudless
25 Posts
0
February 8th, 2011 13:00
Well to be honest I'd think that normally in most of the locations I've worked but this is pretty good really, considering I'm on an expensive VSAT connection but a quality one I'm getting download speeds of 240kbits a/sec on all downloads from FTP but it's just that one that fails at the Plugin stage. I did get it once or so I thought so I have no idea what's wrong.
However I went to the FTP site through a browser and found the cab file, downloaded it in about 20 minutes but I sitll cant export to a SUU directory. I too found that article and tried it but now joy.
I'm at such as loss right now, and so close to sending my server back to the UK. I need it live yesterday, it's delaying my company so much and it hurts. I've had a call logged with UK Dell Support and have been communicating with them today on email (no mobile coverage, that is how remote it is) but everything they've asked me to do I've tried - and incidentally, everything they've asked me to do is totally different/separate from what you are asking me to do.
John
Peter Tsai
272 Posts
0
February 8th, 2011 17:00
About getting different advice, we're the unofficial support channel so sometimes we suggest different things. I saw that you had a 2 part question and I knew the answers to part 2, so thought I would chime in. I'm not sure that reinstalling will resolve the issue - I would try to close RM and reopen a couple times to see if it detects the cab file in the payloads directory.
About part 1, it sounds like it should work... not sure what is going on. You sound pretty advanced so you've probably already deleted and reinitialized the partitions. Pretty sure your partitions aren't over 2TB, that's the only other reason I can think of as to why they wouldn't show up during the install.
Heard a rumor that there was an obscure issue on some RAID controllers a while back where you have to sit at the Load drivers screen for 10 mins before the drives show up. Apart from that, not sure what you can do apart from extract all of the RAID drivers available for the R610 to a USB key and see what comes of it when you try to load drivers.
Again, sorry - wish I could somehow quickly fix your problem.
Peter
chudless
25 Posts
0
February 8th, 2011 23:00
The worst thing about this is the server worked when I first set it up, as I spent some time doing some testing of different RAID configs and running Hyper-V. Then when I'd finally settled on how I wanted to configure the box for the services I need to provide from it, this happened. And nothing had been changed on firmware/bios/drivers etc.
Advanced? Well, I'm no guru but lets say I've been doing it a long time :-) Yes I've recreated the RAID in varying flavours many times now to try and figure if it was one particular config.
The biggest partition is only 1.4Tb so that one isn't the issue.
I simply can't comprehend why it sees the disks at the install page but says it can't create a partition or locate one. Diskpart didn't help either.
I've tried the RM Export to SUU again this morning and it's still giving me that error.
Oh well, one server destined for the scrap heap at this rate LOL. I appreciate your effort though.
chudless
25 Posts
0
February 9th, 2011 01:00
John
chudless
25 Posts
0
February 9th, 2011 02:00
I was looking in BIOS for any clues and I basically decided to set it as the following:
Boot Mode BIOS
Boot Sequence Sata Optical Drive
Hard Drive C: (integrated RAID Perc 6/i)
Hard Disk Drive Sequence Integrated RAID perc (I moved this from position 2 to 1)
But in reality nothing changed, so why has it miraculously started working?
I don’t understand how that happened, as I don’t recall changing any BIOS settings other than making sure virtualization was enabled.
I want to test a couple of RAID configs but before that, can I ask a quick question, if you cannot answer it’s fine? I shall be running Hyper-V on this box and ideally I want to run RAID10 but I lose too much storage space.
So would you recommend having a single RAID5 disk and partition it, or have a RAID0 for the Hyper-V and a RAID5 for the remaining 4 disks with one hot spare? I need to run 3 virtual machines on it, I have 16Gb memory and 6 x SAS 300Gb 10k disks?
John
Peter Tsai
272 Posts
0
February 9th, 2011 09:00
I saw that someone had replied to you in the Dell Server Forum - perhaps he has some inside knowledge about some known issues on our PERC cards. I'm not sure what the difference is between the two integrated RAID cards in the boot order is but I'm glad someone spotted this.
Glad that RM finally worked as well.
I'm not the expert on best practices on RAID configs but I asked one of my Dell collegues to take a look at your question.
DELL_LanceB
49 Posts
0
February 9th, 2011 09:00
Typically the recommended config for a Windows OS install would be a RAID10 setup. Understanding that you want to enable the Hyper-V role as well would use a shared storage config to a SAN array. Since you are using local disk for everything, I would recommend a RAID6 setup. That gives you an extra parity strip. If you reserved one of the disks for a hot spare that leaves you with 5 for the raid config with a little over a terabyte for everything. You can partition the disks with a OS / boot volume and the remainder for the Vm's.
Lance