PowerEdge 2450 & Win2k3

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Help!

I tried installing Windows Server 2003 and each time I get the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 logo and the little status bar moving from left to right and that's when I get a stop error, or the system hangs. I tried the installation about 20 times so far with same result. I ran full diagnostics from the utility partition and no errors were reported on any hardware. During the server installations I tried the following so far:

1) Swapped out memory, hard drives, SCSI back plane.
2) Updated PERC & BIOS firmware.
3) Tried installing with the PERC and also tried installing using the onboard SCSI conroller.
4) Installed using server assistant.
5) Installed not using server assistant.
6) Tried windows server 2003 microsoft original media.
7) Tried windows server 2003 sp1 slipstream.
Tried installing as NTFS.
9) Tried installing as FAT32.

I'm out of ideas on what to do/try. I haven't been able to find any useful information on Dell or Microsoft or anywhere else. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Any help would be greatly appreicated. Thanks.

Riley

 

My first instinct would be a hardware problem of some kind. It's the most likely reason (if it's hanging during the install itself). Does it have any kind of IDE or SATA connection on there so you could try installing onto a non SCSI controller?

It may also be worth trying installing the files from a network share (create a boot disk that allows you to access the share). That could eliminate a possible problem with the CD/ DVD drive.

Also, is it still under warranty? If so, get Dell of their arses and have them fix it for you. That's what I'd be doing at this point.

 

I would also say that theres a hardware conflict of some type going on.

 

Do you have any idea what the STOP error you are getting is?

 

If it's ....



STOP!

















HAMMER TIME! Then he's really in trouble.

 

I would definatly go with calling out the dell guy, you've done lots of work to it (thats what the warranty and support contracts are for, Im sure you have better things to do with your time!) What was the server doing before, is it a new one or was it chugging along doing something else.

 

LOL MC Hammer is a vicar now, so you better watch out, he has friends in high places

 

The 2450 is an older model that might have been released before Server 2003. Does the system manager disk list Server 2003 as an installation option? Is the system manager disk for that model of server?

 

Agreed. I found the press release for this server and it's dated January 2000:

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/...ice/en/2000/2000_01_25_rr_000?c=us&l=en&s=gen

I don't know if Dell will still support this model, but it wouldn't hurt to give them a call and see if they have a work around for this.

 

Thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately I do not have any support agreement with Microsoft or Dell.

The server does support windows server 2003 sp1 which is what I am using.

I figured it was either a hardware problem or a driver problem. But, I ran the diagnostics from the server assistant CD and everything checked out OK. As far as a driver problem, I first tried F6 during installation and pointing to the latest PERC driver that I downloaded from the dell web site. After that didn't work I just removed the PERC and attached the drive cage to the onboard SCSI controller. I got the same results with the installs as well.

I swapped out the memory and SCSI backplane as well as hard drives.

 

This has been asked before... but hasn't been answered: what is the exact STOP error? You know, all those little numbers...

 

You might want to try calling Dell support. Even if the warranty is up on the system, they may still provide phone support after the warranty is expired.

 

Just a thought ... Try sticking Server 2000 onto it (assuming you can get hold of it) and assuming that works ok, then upgrade it to Server 2003.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm using the latest server assist CD from Dell. The filename I downloaded is 4.5_ISM_A00.ISO. I am using that along with a slipstream I made of Win2k3 Enterprise server sp1. Both the server assist CD and Win2k3 CDs work fine for installations on a PowerEdge 2550. Just not with this 2450.

Sometimes I get the following error:

*** Hardware Malfunction

Call your hardware vendor for support

*** The system has halted

I get this error after the windows setup process. After copying the files from the Windows server 2003 sp1 CD the server reboots, I get the Windows logo status screen, it finishes copying files and then goes to the grey screen where it says the following:

The type of the file system is FAT32
A disk check has been scheduled.
To skip disk checking, press any key within 10 seconds
Windows will now check the disk.
Volume serial Number is 4715-FF7E
Windows is verifying files and folders...
3 percent completed..

Usually it hangs during the countdown. For the first time it actually started checking the drives but hung after 3%. I just rebooted and it got past the countdown and got hung right after saying Windows is verifying files and folders... Usually it just hangs and every once in a while I get a stop error. After a few reboots I got it to produce the below stop error:

MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION

STOP 0x0000009c (0x00000001, 0xF772D2B0, 0XB2000000, 0X00000115)

I checked out all the connections again, re-connected everything, CPU's, voltage regulator, all data/power cables... Everything....

One thing I did fined was that the two CPUs in this Dell server are labled Compaq. I bought this server used and now I found there are Compaq CPUs in this server. I guess a CPU is a CPU. I don't know if CPUs are manufactured differently for Dell and Compaq.

 

Did the 2450 have enterprise on it originally?

 

The MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION STOP 0x0000009c errors are usually caused by faulty hardware. This error is reported by your processors, but it could be almost anything... bad CPU, failing PSU, bad memory, bad add-in card, bad motherboard...

Have you tried the following:
- checking to see if the CPU fans are working (to prevent CPU overheating)
- checking to see if the PSU fan is working (to prevent PSU overheating/failure)
- running a memory testing program
- removing all add-in cards and devices except what is required
- trading out potentially faulty components with identical known-good components, one at a time (if you have any)
- checking BIOS to ensure that everything is set correctly (this error often happens when a computer is overclocked - overclocking too high is a hardware failure in itself...)

You say you've got Compaq CPUs... what do you mean? It says Compaq on the CPU? That'd be interesting... I've never seen a branded CPU, other than the Intel or AMD brand...

That said, it's not good that whoever sold you the system decided to swap out components... have you contacted the seller about this?