Today I ran into a real muthaF of an issue; we purchased a brand new Dell PowerEdge T430 server for a client, it shipped, we un-boxed and then when we proceeded to ATTEMPT to install Windows Server 2016 via USB we ran into a “small” problem, we couldn’t install a Windows Server OS from a bootable USB drive on a PowerEdge T430.
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Every time we attempted to boot to the USB drive, it gave us an error about ‘no bootable media’.
I’ve used this bootable USB drive on other servers and even attempted it on my laptop to confirm it was a bootable USB thumb drive.
I tried other ports, screwed around with BIOS settings, tried installing the O.S. through the Lifecycle controller menu, and then finally resorted to the Google machine and finally called Dell support who notified me that…
Dell PowerEdge T430’s out-of-the-box BIOS 2.4.2 build doesn’t support UEFI on USB Drives.
What does that mean in layman’s terms? It means Dell is a bunch of dipshits and they released a brand new server with a BIOS version that doesn’t support installing a Windows Server Operating System via your standard USB configuration.
How does a BIOS version get released that can’t support installing the OS from a standard bootable USB drive format, I mean fucking really!?
So, here are your options when it comes to installing a Windows Server Operating System on your Dell Server:
Option 1: Create a DVD of the O.S. This is a fine solution except for the fact that the ISO of Server 2016 is 6.8 GB and a lot of people are probably googling this in a scenario where they don’t have a dual-layer DVD on them.
Option 2: I received a comment from one, Mohsen Badrani, who recommended a program that will properly format a USB drive to adhere to the standards set forth by the buttholes over at Dell.
- Format your USB stick to UEFI and GPT by downloading the tool from: https://rufus.akeo.ie/
- Start the tool as an administrator
- Select the USB storage device then make the partition scheme and target system type to be GPT “partition scheme for UEFI”.
- Give it the ISO image of windows server 2016 or whichever O.S. you are installing and let the tool create the bootable USB.
- In the server boot settings make it UEFI and then make the partition GPT.
If for some reason those options don’t work, here is a last-ditch option for you…
Nuclear Option : Install the Windows Server OS via the iDrac
For those of you unfamiliar with the iDrac, it’s a fairly convenient piece of hardware in Dell servers that allows you to remotely control the server via a Web GUI. You can power the server off/on, take remote control at the BIOS level and do some really cool stuff that comes in handy for remote admins like myself
So, if you can’t get the DVD, like me, or you don’t have a USB stick because you are working remotely, the iDrac mighty be your only option.
The problem with this is that you will need to install a trial 30-day license of the paid iDrac product (which Dell had to send to me during our support session).
We had to put the Server 2016 ISO on my laptop, boot the server to virtual media using the iDrac and then wait FOREVER while the OS installed over the network.
If you want to know how to install a Windows Server operating system via the iDrac here you go:
- Copy the ISO of the O.S. you want to install to a local machine
- Configure the iDrac from the BIOS settings of the server
- Plug a network cable into the iDrac NIC on the server
- Give the iDrac card an IP address via the BIOS
- Now, from your local machine, go to the Web GUI in Chrome using the IP Address of the iDrac card
- The login is root/calvin
- From the Virtual Console in the iDrac, go to the ‘Virtual Media‘ menu on the iDrac remote session and select the ISO
- Remember, this requires a fully licensed iDrac
- Go to the ‘Next Boot‘ menu and choose the ‘Virtual CD/DVD/ISO’ option
- Reboot the server from iDrac and it should boot directly to the installer or at least recognize it as bootable media
Note – We actually had to run the OS install by booting to the Lifecycle controller instead of directly from the USB to get it to work and then we still had to choose ‘manual mode’
If you are doing the iDrac option be aware that the process is extremely slow. Hopefully, you can go the DVD route or Rufus, or perhaps by the time your reading this there is a new BIOS version out there that can avoid this headache.
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I’m in the same boat right now! And I tell you what, the BIOS approach doesn’t work either. I’ve tried both UEFI, BIOS, and DVD. Upon booting from DVD, I get an error stating there’s an error or missing file. This is after of course, two separate ISO files, DVDs, USB drives, etc. Still can’t get the OS to load. So not looking forward to calling Dell in the morning. I’m so frustrated, and I have 4 of these servers I need to roll out. Thanks for letting me vent.
No problem, when I spoke with Dell support I made sure to complain about a BIOS release that had such a major issue. I even got a call back from a manager who wanted to get more info and I lit into him as well
Worked for me. Via Rufus ISO but uninh GPT, in the bios go to bios boot set to GPT finally saw the external USB drive and installed server 2016.
I can’t have THAT call because I now have to wait 10-15 days for the product registration process to complete to get “support”. So I have a multi-thousand dollar brick for now…
I happen to have a support contract we may be able to use…
Dell Bites for doing this to us. I had to use the virtual drive method through the remote java console. love the use of Clown Shoes as a direct comparison to these guys for releasing it this way.
Clown shoes only begins to describe a company that would release a server without the capability of having an OS installed via USB. My real thought is probably closer to clown shoe asshats that shouldn’t have god damn jobs
We had the same issue back in April on a R330.. I was in Phoenix for a 3 day install of a new server at a branch office. We tried every media we had, even drove to a few different stores to find double density disks. Finally realized we could do this via virtual media in the console of the iDrac. It was at this point I discovered the server was ordered with a Basic license instead of Enterprise as is our standard. We got Dell to provide a 30 day Enterprise license which allowed the use of the virtual media. The whole process sucked up the whole afternoon, evening of the first travel day. The following day the server would boot properly because the iDrac didn’t read the system properly. Another 2 hour support call initiated. Eventually we got the whole project completed in the 3 days but were working a lot later than expected and missed out going to Top Golf one night!
Let it all out Sendak 🙂 We have a Top Golf out by me in Chicago so I sympathize with missing out a drinking and golf due to the fact that Dell engineers are bunch of fuckers.
I’ve got a crazy amount of hits on this post so hopefully someone someday comes up with some hacky fix that will allow people like you and me to avoid this misery in the future (or if Dell gets their heads out of their asses)
Dell; all I see is clown shoes, and fuck’n fuck knuckles! LOL
I have just got a small tool to fix this issue,
promise i will prepare a guide and upload the tool which used to install Windows server 2016 on the Dell server with UEFI and GPT.
Just wait till tomorrow.
Thanks Mohsen, myself and the 20 people who hit this blog post a day eagerly await your guide
Install windows server 2016 on Dell server using USB stick UEFI and GPT.
Steps, download the tool from the below link:
https://rufus.akeo.ie/
Start the tool as administrator
Select the USB storage device then make the partition scheme and target system type to be GPT “partition scheme for UEFI”.
Give it the ISO image of windows server 2016. Let the tool create the bootable USB.
In the server boot settings make it UEFI and then make the partition GPT.
For convert partition MBR to GPT please ask me if you need help doing this. mohsen@etime.bh
You are all good to go boot from USB 😊
another solution is there to burn windows server 2016 on DVD R+DL dual layer, ISO image which is enough to burn the image on. but a bit difficult to find it in the market.
use option A is better.
I have not tried this so please, if someone can confirm this works let me know and I will adjust my post to include these instructions.
Thank you Mohsen, helped me so much after spending two days figuring out how to boot UEFI based Server 2016 on my old Dell R530. Your step by step guide works just like magic.
I went ahead and updated the blog post with these instructions
Hi, I created stick using Rufus from my 5.someting odd GB Windows2016 ISO to boot UEFI and it worked Perfectly!
Glad we’re able to help. Mohsen is the real hero, cause my dumb ass was pimping the iDrac setup option.
MOHSEN BADRANI, you the MAN, dawg! Also, many thanks to Admin/LME for continuing to host this fix, as I was about to pull out what is left of my hair during a deployment! No thanks to Dell for hamstringing us with this setup; nobody uses optical media these days. To LME admin, thanks for a good laugh while reading your descriptions of the Dell techs and tactics – very fitting.
You are most welcome
I find myself in the exact same situation with a new T330. I formatted a usb drive using Rufus but it still is not seen as a boot device. I’ve been through every setting imaginable. I’ll try the virtual drive option next
You can install OS via Idrac virtual drive, configure the idrac. ip address , user name and password. configure your laptop ip address. Dell server and your laptop will be on the same network. Just connect it point to point(idraclaptop). Open your browswer, https://ipaddress of idrac, make sure to disable the browser popup blocker.. Login to the idrac, select overview->Server->virtual console – then click the Launch Virtual Console. It will be a pop window , select connect Virtual Media. , map cd/dvd click the dropdown, you can now select for the ISO image in your laptop. Then change your boot settings to uefi and boot via virtual media. Start your installation.
OK…I actually remember having to do this before.
My usual method is what Mohsen described.
Would not work on new server.
GET THIS: I had to install from the back USB, would not work from the front. Then I remembered having to do this on Dells a few years ago.