Hi Doubleloop,

Install these files in order:

Dell System BIOS, Dell PowerEdge 2300, A15
FileName: PE2300-BIOSA15.exe [513 KB]     &nbspRelease Date: 4/24/2003

Dell ESM Firmware, A40
Filename: a40cust.exe (563 KB)
Note: Extract the files to a DOS bootable floppy disk. Boot the server to this floppy disk, and run smflsh.exe.

This system did not ship with a hardware raid controller, if you have not added one, at this point just boot to the Win2000 CD and follow the prompts. Win2000 will have all the drivers needed native to the Operating System.

Once the Win2000 upgrade is complete, you will get an "unknown" device for the Scsi Backplane in the Device Manager; This is not a hardware error, simply Win2000's way of identifying hardware. The "Driver" does nothing more than put a name to the "Unknown" device.

There is one "workaround": Win2000 may not autodetect the backplane, but if you choose Update Driver > Select from List > Show all Hardware > choose any of the backplanes in the list.

Thanks for using the Dell Community Forums!

Mark, thank you so much for your prompt response and the helpful information you've provided me.  I will give it a try and let you know the outcome.  Once again, thank you.

 

- Doubleloop

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@DELL-Mark A wrote:
Hi Doubleloop,

Install these files in order:

Dell System BIOS, Dell PowerEdge 2300, A15
FileName: PE2300-BIOSA15.exe [513 KB]      Release Date: 4/24/2003

Dell ESM Firmware, A40
Filename: a40cust.exe (563 KB)
Note: Extract the files to a DOS bootable floppy disk. Boot the server to this floppy disk, and run smflsh.exe.

This system did not ship with a hardware raid controller, if you have not added one, at this point just boot to the Win2000 CD and follow the prompts. Win2000 will have all the drivers needed native to the Operating System.

Once the Win2000 upgrade is complete, you will get an "unknown" device for the Scsi Backplane in the Device Manager; This is not a hardware error, simply Win2000's way of identifying hardware. The "Driver" does nothing more than put a name to the "Unknown" device.

There is one "workaround": Win2000 may not autodetect the backplane, but if you choose Update Driver > Select from List > Show all Hardware > choose any of the backplanes in the list.

Thanks for using the Dell Community Forums!

---

Since A41 is the Latest Why is not this recommended?

Dell ESM Firmware, Multi System, A41
Filename: a41cust.exe (396 KB)
http://support.dell.com/filelib/format.aspx?ReleaseID=R13878

EMBEDDED SERVER MANAGEMENT FLASH UTILITY FOR DELL(TM)
POWEREDGE(TM) 2300, 2400, 2450, 4300, 4350, 4400, 6300,
6350, 6400 and 6450 SYSTEMS

Summary Of Build

   Firmware Build A41
     ESM v5.22
     SBP v5.35(5.34)
     PSPB v2.36
     HOTPLUG PCI v1.18
     GBP v1.16
     PE4400 HOTPLUG PCI FPGA v15
   SMFLASH A4.02

Embedded Server Management (ESM) flash utility is a tool to update
firmware(FW) to the Embedded Server Management and all devices connec-
ted to it on the system management bus (SMB). The devices currently
implemented in the utility are:
* Embedded Server Management
* System backplane
* System power supply paralleling board (PSPB)
* Hotplug

As new devices are available, this utility program will be upgraded
to support them. The utility is available on an MS-DOS(R) readable
diskette containing the following files:
* SMFLSH.EXE
* SMFLSHNT.EXE
* README.TXT
* SMSVSTOP.BAT
* SMSVSTRT.BAT
* CHECKSUM.TXT

The "SMFLSH" utility runs under MS-DOS and "SMFLSHNT" runs under the
Microsoft(R) Windows NT(R) operating system. Both utilities includes
the binary code for ESM, system backplane, system PSPB and hotplug.

Hi SpeedStep,

The readme in the A41 version of the Embedded Server Management (ESM) incorrectly includes the PowerEdge 2300. If you look up the downloads by system type, you will find the A40 is the latest listed for the PowerEdge 2300.

In this particular instance, the version does not matter, however on some systems the version is critical. For this reason, I always recommend using the system specific downloads found on the website.

Thanks
Mark