PowerEdge R420 not allowing to install Windows Server 2012 R2 asking for drivers in the installation process

Hello thanks for choosing Dell and welcome to our community.

It seems like you have outdated driver pack.

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000130160/how-to-install-the-operating-system-on-a-dell-poweredge-server-os-deployment?msockid=1a5e8444c37364fc023690acc29e65bd

We ask that you install the latest and LCC will have an option for 2012.

https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER03180280M/2/Drivers-for-OS-Deployment_Application_37FRW_WN64_15.07.07_A00.EXE

Could you please send us your service tag for further support? https://www.dell.com/community/en/direct-messaging

Oh well.....

when trying to install something on a RAID you should create a RAID(Virtual Disk) first and please ensure that the intitialization was finshed. Otherwise select "Fast Init"

If you try to install a OS that comes earlier than your hardware please expect that drivers for "unknown" Hardware are needed.

• Download the needed OS Driver for the hardware. Most likely for the PERC RAID Controller. Extract the package and store the files on a usb thumb

or

• use the LCC to install the OS which can inject the needed Drivers if you have the OS_Package within the LCC/iDRAC up to date. Than its some kind of piggyback.

Regards,

Joerg

First of all I appreciate your help a lot and also the quick reply. I'm new to server installation and still in the process of understanding the main difference between regular PC and server install. That is why I'm setting this one without the RAID controller at first. I have a SSD connected to the internal SATA port. I want to install the OS in there. It's been detected by the BIOS. I dont know what is the best installation option for this scenario, either the F11 boot menu or the F10 Lifecycle controller. To your points, when I try the LCC the windows 2012 R2 is not showing. When I tried the F11 Boot install then I get the error of missing drivers on the installation. I tried to put the Dell OS driver pack on the pendrive but that did not work either, maybe I did it wrong. If is not too much to ask can you guide to a step-by-step installation. I did not update my LLC because is at the latest version. Thank you

Hello,

You need to update the OS driver pack that Young provided. This will provide the WS2012R2 drivers needed for installation.

Put the exe file:   Drivers-for-OS-Deployment_Application_37FRW_WN64_15.07.07_A00.EXE

On to a thumb drive.

Boot to F10 and supply the exe in the Update section and apply

Save exit and power off.

Insert your thumb drive with the OS ISO

Boot to F10 and do the OS Deploy wizard. It is menu driven to help you install the OS.

The Drivers-for-OS-Deployment_Application_37FRW_WN64_15.07.07_A00.EXE is for uploading into iDRAC/LCC similar to a BIOS upgrade or LCC/iDRAC it self. Same is true for the Diagnostics.

Iam unsure that you can extract the PAYLOAD of the Drivers-for-OS-Deployment_Application bundle but you will have a hard time to locate the right folder. If you copy ALL folders onto a USB stick and provide these during Windows installation iam unsure if the Installer is smart enought and can work recurisve through all of the folders.

Note:!

The *.xml within the payload will give you the info... the windows driver for a Hardware PERC is located in the "XYPYC" folder.

I habe more in mind that you have "show" the path within the MS Installer.

Anyways... if you have ther PERC S110 the windows driver is locatet

https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER01758009M/4/SAS_RAID_DRIVER_WS2012R2_S110_3.2.0-0008_A00_ZPE.exe

For a real HW PERC i was unable to locate the windows driver.

Regards,

Joerg

Thanks again guys. This is what I have so far

I have tried to update the system with the Dell Server driver pack and I can't because my USB drive is not detected. I have try the usb in NTFS and FAT partition system, I have tried in front and back USB. This is the same USB that I've been using to install the OS using F11 and it gets detected fine in the BIOS and runs the OS installation process until the point that asks for the drivers.

Believe me guys something odd is happening in here. I even took the SSD out, put it on a SATA/USB adapter set it up as a bootable device and install disk and the installation stops in the same point asking for drivers but it does not specify which drivers. I losing my mind in here. Thank again

If a OS installer doest find any kind of a "disk" it will ask for the a driver to get the storage controller working.

I'll bet that Windows 2016/22 comes with a inbuild driver for a PERC S or H.

Otherise i already post the driver for PERC S   and the PERC H is within the payload\mas021.zip\XYPYC\w2008r2_64  folder when you extract the large OS-Deployment package.  Place both folders on a thumb drive and than point onto it when the Installer tell you to install the driver.

I havent found your STAG within the current Dell Database so i cant tell you if your server shipped with a PERC S or H.  Also within the BIOS you can select RAID or AHCI.

Hello,

For the firmware update not seeing the USB drive, try the rear UBS ports and also try 4G or 8G USB drive.

You'll want to go into the System Setup and set boot mode to UEFI before installing OS.

Boot to <F2> System Setup > System BIOS > Boot Settings: select UEFI. Save and exit.

Then boot to <F10> run the OS Deploy.

This is for after you have the OS installed and you are ready to update firmware.

As of the end of 2022 the 12th generation platforms reached the end of support life.

You can use this Server Update Utility (SUU) to update your firmware to the latest it has at end of support.

Windows Server 2012 R2

Release date: 14 Jan 2019

DELL EMC Server Update Utility, Windows 64 bit Format, v.19.01.00

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=p003w&oscode=ws8r2&productcode=poweredge-r520

1. Download the Full ISO file.

2. Use ISO mounting software and mount the downloaded iso image.

3. Browse to the folder.

4. Double Click suulauncher.exe.

Sorry I missed you already tried front and rear.
Format the USB as FAT32

Advances:

USB 16GB formatted with FAT32 is detected

Ongoing Issues:

using F11 and boot options

-PERC H is within the payload\mas021.zip\XYPYC\w2008r2_64  is not recognize as the missing driver

- i have manually selected one by one on the payload non work

using F10 - Firmware update

-https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER01758009M/4/SAS_RAID_DRIVER_WS2012R2_S110_3.2.0-0008_A00_ZPE.exe is not been installed due to error: unable to verify the digital signature of the update package (SUP0525) 

- Drivers-for-OS-Deployment_Application_37FRW_WN64_15.07.07_A00.EXE no install same as above

- iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller v. 2.65.65.65 no install same as above

-tried to copy the installation from the ISO file to the pendrive formatted in FAT32 impossible since there is a large file in the install that cant be copied

- this is the service tag <private information removed by MOD>

What are my next options?

The DUPs changed from SHA-1 to SHA256 ages ago. Your LCC/iDRAC needs to be updated first.  Try the next one because the latest 2.65.65 is also SHA256.

Take a look to the "other Version" from https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=0ghf4&oscode=ws8r2&productcode=poweredge-r420

Regards,

Joerg

I see from the service tag that you have a H310 mini.

You can find the driver by mounting this SUU iso and browse to the folder:

repository\FOLDER03636177M\1\SAS-RAID_Driver_CFHFJ_WN64_6.805.03.00_A09.EXE

Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 64 Bit Driver for Dell PERC H310/H710/H710P/H810/SPERC8/SPERC8-E Controllers

Extract the files and put the content of the payload folder on a thumb drive and supply when prompted

SUU ISO:

DELL Server Update Utility, Windows 64 bit Format, v.22.11.00

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=72h31

I was able to update the LLC

But still having issues when installing OS using F11 Boot option