Power Cycle Corrupted Boot on R720 with 3.5” Slots – Need Suggestion

Hi,

Here are a few steps and suggestions to troubleshoot this problem:

1. Boot Order and Device Detection

The first thing to check is that your M.2 SATA drive is being detected correctly in the system's BIOS.

Enter System Setup: During POST, press F2 to enter the System Setup menu.

Check Boot Sequence: Navigate to the Boot Settings or Boot Sequence section. Ensure that the M.2 SATA device (or the PCI-e slot it's in) is listed and is at the top of the boot order.

Verify Drive Visibility: Go to the System BIOS or Integrated Devices section to confirm that the M.2 drive is being recognized by the motherboard. If it doesn't show up here, the issue is not with the OS installation but with the physical connection or adapter card.

If the drive is not showing up, the power cycle may have caused the M.2 adapter card to lose its configuration or the card itself may be the problem. Try reseating the adapter card in the PCIe slot. You can also try a different PCIe slot if one is available.

2. BIOS vs. UEFI Boot Mode

Another common culprit is a mismatch between the boot mode and the OS installation.

Check Boot Mode: In the System Setup menu, look for a setting related to Boot Mode. It will typically be set to either BIOS (Legacy) or UEFI.

Consistency is Key: The bootloader on your Proxmox M.2 drive must match the boot mode selected in the R720's BIOS. Since you reloaded the boot software from the 2.5" server, it's possible the new installation is in a different boot mode than what the 3.5" server's BIOS is expecting.

Troubleshooting: If the system is set to UEFI, try switching it to BIOS (or vice-versa) to see if the server can detect and boot from the drive. If it boots successfully, then you've found the mismatch. You can then either keep the new boot mode or reinstall Proxmox on the M.2 drive with the original boot mode.

3. Clear NVRAM and Power Drain

Power loss or fluctuations can sometimes corrupt the non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM) where BIOS settings are stored.

Power Down: Shut down the server and unplug both power supply units.

Drain Power: Hold down the power button for 20-30 seconds to drain any residual "flea power" from the system.

Clear NVRAM: Open the server's chassis and locate the jumper for clearing the NVRAM (often labeled "CLR_CMOS" or "NVRAM_CLR"). Move the jumper to the clear position, wait about 10 seconds, then move it back to its original position.

Restart: Plug in the power cables and turn on the server. You will likely see a message about the configuration being reset. You will need to re-enter the BIOS to configure your preferred boot order and other settings.

This procedure can sometimes resolve stubborn detection issues by forcing the system to re-scan and re-enumerate all connected hardware. It's a fundamental troubleshooting step for many server-related problems after a power event

@Dell-Martin S​ 

So it was no being detected and NVRAM_CLR did the trick, but now I have no outbound connection with it. So I can guess that it clears the network card on the server, I got it pre configured so what all is the steps to re set it back up?

Hi,

I'm unsure of what do you mean by outbound connection, are you referring to iDRAC IP? Can you further describe it. If it's iDRAC, you can refer to this article: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-my/000177212/dell-poweredge-how-to-configure-the-idrac9-and-the-lifecycle-controller-network-ip#:~:text=To%20change%20the%20default%20IP,to%20the%20table%20of%20content