Sign in
Microsoft.com
 
Microsoft
 
 
 

locked
WHS Acer Easystore H340 with graphics card? RRS feed

 > 

  • Question

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Hi! As I locked myself out of my WHS by disabeling the actual onboard-network card, I would like to use the built in PCI-e x4 slot to attach a graphic card. Has anyone tried this successfully with the Easystore H340? The service manual describes a debug-board (for connecting an external monitor), but I don't think that this is available to the public.

    Greetings, Werner

    Sunday, June 27, 2010 3:20 PM

Answers

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Dear WHS friends!

    I successfully installed a GForce G210 with 4 PCI lanes only. I had to dismount the bracket at the end - but it worked. Booting this config lead to a bluescreen which disapeared without being readable. Booting with F8 (VGA only) did not work - but booting with F8 (cmd-prompt only) worked. Pressing alt-ctrl-del lead to "task manager". Entering there "explorer.exe" helped me to find the GUI and so on ... until leading to "enabling the network adapater again".

    For all others with the same problem: YOu have to set a jumper on the mainboard to enable KEYBOARD/MOUSE before doing anything. THe jumper can be found between the battery and the heatsink.

    And greeting to the WHS team at MS!! I used to work for MS (for 7years until 2000) - it was a great time - but at thi tme we never brought out a product which works so perfectly like WHS!!!

    Greetings,

    WernerE from Vienna/AUSTRIA

     

    Sunday, July 4, 2010 11:14 AM

All replies

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    I think you would need a card with a low profile bracket.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Sunday, June 27, 2010 11:23 PM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

     On 6/27/2010 10:20 AM, WenerE wrote:

    Hi! As I locked myself out of my WHS by disabeling the actual onboard-network card, I would like to use the built in PCI-e x4 slot to attach a graphic card. Has anyone tried this successfully with the Easystore H340? The service manual describes a debug-board (for connecting an external monitor), but I don't think that this is available to the public.

    Greetings, Werner

    Actually the debug board allows you to connect a keyboard, mouse, and graphics card to the server.  So, even if you're able to put a graphics card in, you'll still have to come up with a way to connect the keyboard and mouse (I'm not sure if you can just hook a USB keyboard/mouse up or not).

    You may want to check on their site to see about the debug board (or check ebay for one).  Or contact them for support (especially if it's still under warranty).

    Hope this helps, and have a great day:)
    Patrick.

    Smile... Someone out there cares deeply for you.
    Have you updated today?
    http://update.microsoft.com

    Smile.. Someone out there cares deeply for you.
    Monday, June 28, 2010 5:01 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Acer won't sell you a debug board. Certainly not for this, given that there's a simple method of recovery...

    The supported way to recover from this issue is a server recovery, which will refresh the OS from the recovery media without affecting data in the storage pool. Unless the OP managed to somehow disable the NIC in the BIOS, which seems unlikely. A video card will work, as long as it will fit, and you should be able to connect USB keyboard and mouse.

    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Monday, June 28, 2010 12:21 PM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

     On 6/27/2010 10:20 AM, WenerE wrote:

    Hi! As I locked myself out of my WHS by disabeling the actual onboard-network card, I would like to use the built in PCI-e x4 slot to attach a graphic card. Has anyone tried this successfully with the Easystore H340? The service manual describes a debug-board (for connecting an external monitor), but I don't think that this is available to the public.

    Greetings, Werner

    Hi Werner,

    I was thinking about this today (this morning), and if you have another Network Interface Card laying around, you may be able to install that in the server (just long enough to get your onboard working again).  You'll probably have to bend the metal piece backwards so that it will fit inside of the slot (which is why you only want it in there long enough to re-enable the onboard NIC).  And this is also assuming that it's something common like a Realtek compatible card.

    Ken or someone else may be able to answer whether this would work (since you're not able to physically log into the server to perform the "Add Hardware" wizard).  If you're going with a graphics card, I would find the cheapest half-height card that you can (or if the card will fit, but the metal piece is too long, bend it back).  Note that you only want to bend enough of it back to slip under the metal bar at the top of the expansion slot (you most definitely don't want it bending anywhere near the card itself).

    Hope this helps, and have a great day:)
    Patrick.

    Smile... Someone out there cares deeply for you.
    Have you updated today?
    http://update.microsoft.com

    Smile.. Someone out there cares deeply for you.
    Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:52 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Dear WHS friends!

    I successfully installed a GForce G210 with 4 PCI lanes only. I had to dismount the bracket at the end - but it worked. Booting this config lead to a bluescreen which disapeared without being readable. Booting with F8 (VGA only) did not work - but booting with F8 (cmd-prompt only) worked. Pressing alt-ctrl-del lead to "task manager". Entering there "explorer.exe" helped me to find the GUI and so on ... until leading to "enabling the network adapater again".

    For all others with the same problem: YOu have to set a jumper on the mainboard to enable KEYBOARD/MOUSE before doing anything. THe jumper can be found between the battery and the heatsink.

    And greeting to the WHS team at MS!! I used to work for MS (for 7years until 2000) - it was a great time - but at thi tme we never brought out a product which works so perfectly like WHS!!!

    Greetings,

    WernerE from Vienna/AUSTRIA

     

    Sunday, July 4, 2010 11:14 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    For the record, you can get a debug board from here: http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8066
    Monday, July 5, 2010 5:12 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Yeah, I just did the same thing of accidentally disabling my network. I actually considered the PCIe a plus in case of something like this. Turns out it didn't work at all for me after tearing the box halfway apart to put a jumper on to get video out of a card I borrowed.

    What did work for me is this: I put the drive in another computer and found the drive letter. Using regedit I selected HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then went to File and Load Hive. I browsed to X:\Windows\System32\config (X: being the letter of my home server drive) and loaded the SOFTWARE hive. Name it something unique. Then I browsed to \Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce and created a new String Value and called it EnableNet but it could be called anything. For the Value Data I entered C:\Devcon Enable =Net. I got Devcon.exe from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272 and copied it to the System partition of my home server drive. I also made another registry change to auto logon as administrator. \Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\. Change AutoAdminLogon to 1, DefaultUserName to Administrator, and create a new String Value and name it DefaultPassword and set the value data to your administrator password. I then highlighted the name I called the mounted hive and went to File then Unload Hive. Put the drive back in the server and turn it on. The Administrator account automatically logs on and runs the devcon command which reenables the network. And it's FREE. Hope this helps somebody.

    • Proposed as answer by Pat Reynolds Wednesday, October 6, 2010 3:26 AM
    Wednesday, October 6, 2010 3:25 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Hi, I am also trying to install a video card in my Acer h340. I installed an Asus EAH4350 low profile HDMI card. It installed into the mainboard/case with no problem, but upon boot up it blue screened with no error code. So I started it in safe mode and installed the drivers for the card. No problem there, but the is a problem with one of my system devices. There's a yellow exclamation mark beside wistron whs hardware monitor driver I have tried finding a "better/new" driver, disabling it, and uninstalling it, all unsuccessfully. After what ever I do, after rebooting the system its there again, enabled and not working properly. I can only assume that this is what causing WHS to blue screen.

    On a side note my hdmi video card "worked" right out of the box. I didn’t have to install any drivers before I got video. And my usb mouse and keyboard also worked with no jumpers required.

    Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks  

    Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:09 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Can you advise what "hdmi video card" worked right out of the box ?

    Paul

    pchancel@post.harvard.edu

    Monday, October 31, 2011 2:19 PM