Sign in
Microsoft.com
 
Microsoft
 
 
 

locked
Will Windows Home Server work on a Dell T110? RRS feed

 > 

  • Question

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Hope I am asking this question in the correct discussion...  Will Windows Home Server work on a Dell T110 server?  The Dell T110 uses an Intel, Xeon, X3430 processor.  I called Dell and although they do not list it as available or for use on the T110 they said it will work.  Can you tell me for sure that it will not or will?  Thank you.
    Saturday, January 30, 2010 3:28 AM

Answers

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Will it work? Probably, but I don't have one to test on, and there's not a lot mentioned here in the forums (Try a search.)

    What you really want to know is this: Will it be easy to install on a Dell T110? And the answer to that is likely to be "As easy as installing Windows XP on random hardware out of the parts bin." If you're lucky, Windows Home Server setup will have all the drivers it needs "in box". More likely you'll need to locate drivers for network, and possibly for storage as well, and install them at the correct times.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Saturday, January 30, 2010 3:59 AM
    Moderator

All replies

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Will it work? Probably, but I don't have one to test on, and there's not a lot mentioned here in the forums (Try a search.)

    What you really want to know is this: Will it be easy to install on a Dell T110? And the answer to that is likely to be "As easy as installing Windows XP on random hardware out of the parts bin." If you're lucky, Windows Home Server setup will have all the drivers it needs "in box". More likely you'll need to locate drivers for network, and possibly for storage as well, and install them at the correct times.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Saturday, January 30, 2010 3:59 AM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Thank You.  Will take your advice and do a search, but sounds like it would probably work with some effort.  Thanks again and have a great day!
    Saturday, January 30, 2010 4:59 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    In this case the search will return a couple of results, nothing terribly useful. But it's where most questioners should start anyway. :)

    "...work with some effort. ..." Pretty much. The amount of effort will depend on two things: 1) how easy it is to obtain/install drivers for your hardware (for the easiest installation see if the system BIOS supports accessing any SATA hard drives in legacy IDE mode), and 2) how skilled/persistent you are when building a computer and installing a fresh operating system on it.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:53 PM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    1
    Sign in to vote
    It would be straight forward to install WHS on a T110, the unit comes with a build DVD. Which if you run in a desktop it loads a web page which hard links to all the drivers for supported OS's. You can extract them to hard drive, usb etc.

    The bios supports ahci as default but you can switch to ata mode. The motherboard has 5 sata ports,  four hdd's, one for the dvd and one eSata on the backplate.

    I run WHS on an SC440 a previous generation of the T100. It runs quick and silent and i've put 4 hdd's in it.

    Hope this helps.
    Saturday, January 30, 2010 3:21 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Thank you Tom.  On another forum I asked the same question.  I received this answer:  "Shouldn't be any reason why not ... the version in Beta right now is really just Server 2008.  The older version [of Windows Home Server] is Server 2003 underneath, so you might need to wait for the new version.  You might be able to install the original Home Server, BUT the T110 only supports 2003 R2 SP2, so I don't know if [current] Home Server matches up to this version of 2003 or not."  This reply indicates that if the current Windows Home Server is not the same as Server 2003, R2, SP2, that the T110 might not like it.  What do you think?  Thanks.
    Sunday, January 31, 2010 1:45 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    The underlying OS is Server 2003 SP2. So it will work, you just need Server 2003 drivers
    Monday, February 1, 2010 9:46 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    I have received the Dell T110 machine and the Windows Home Server software and am in the process of installing the program.  I found the way to force a boot from the DVD drive (Whew...).  It has started to load the program by formating the disk drive and it copied the installation files.  The it went to Installing and tried to reboot.  That is when the screen went blank and then the original Dell black and white screens came up.  Next I got a blue screen that says "A problem has been detected and the windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.  Check you hard drive to make sure it is properly configured and terminated (It is).  Run CHKDSK /F to check for hard drive corruption, and then restart your computer.  Technical Information:  ****STOP:  0x0000007b  (0xf789EA94, 0x00000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)."   I don't know how to run CHKDSK /F so simply tried to reload the program again.  Exactly the same thing happened.  Any suggestions?  Thanks.
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 2:12 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Go into the BIOS settings and change SATA AHCI Enabled to something like IDE Legacy.  You'll have to hunt around for it as I don't know where it lives on the DELL T110.

    Assuming you didn't go for the SAS drives and PERC controller. In which case you should follow what Ken says and install the drivers from floppy - I'm sure I got a USB key recognised by WHS when I installed on a Dell PE 2950

    --
    • Edited by Al West Tuesday, February 9, 2010 2:54 AM
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 2:38 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    You will probably need to prepare an F6 floppy for your storage controllers, and load drivers twice. The first time is in the first phase of setup, when you're asked about detected hardware. The second time is immediately after the first reboot, when the message to "Press F6" to load additional storage drivers appears at the bottom of the screen. You'll almost certainly have to supply your drivers on floppy disk, I'm afraid.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 2:39 AM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Press F2 for BIOS menu - If you have any further problems then raise a new thread as this one was marked as answered - you'll get more people looking at the unanswered threads who can help you.
    --
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 2:40 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Al:  I found the BIOS settings.  There are four choices:  RAID (which it was set for), OFF (Can't make DVD drive work), AHCI and ATA.  I tried ATA and I didn't get as far as even the first reboot.  Then I tried AHCI and got to the blue screen that says F6 for drivers on a line at the bottom of the screen.  I pressed F6 and there was some indication of searching at the bottom of the screen and then the screen went black and then the DELL black and white DOS type stuff came up again leading me to the various menus to get to the BIOS etc..  I got no screen that asked me for a driver just the blue screen that said to press F6.  Any ideas now?  Thanks.
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 4:02 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Ken:  When I set the SATA BIOS to ATA (See reply to Al) I ended up with a blue screen asking for me to press F6.  When I did the system seemed to do a search as a lot of characters were flashing across the bottom of the screen.  Then Black screen and back to the DOS screens to get to the BIOS.  I didn't see any screen asking me to load a driver???  Thanks.
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 4:06 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    You must press F6 during the *Windows Home Server* Installation - I think you are pressing F6 duing your BIOS power on sequence, which starts the DELL sys prep - bad of dell to use blue too.

    Read http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2009/09/30/using-server-recovery-on-a-diy-windows-home-server/ until you are familar with the installation process and then give it another try.

    You have to be vigilant for the PRESS F6 to Load drivers part because it only comes up for 5 or so seconds.
    --
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 10:53 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Hi Doc Boone,

    I created a weblog as I couldn't find anything easily with a neat progression of screen shots detailing installing windows home server with stroage drivers not present in the Installation Media.

    You can find it here:
    http://albal21.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/setting-up-windows-home-server-with-alternative-disk-drivers/

    Should help you locate when you need to be ready with the F6 key! ;-)
    Cheers,
    Al

    --
    Tuesday, February 9, 2010 5:18 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    2
    Sign in to vote

    I know this thread has been dormant for a while, but wanted to quickly comment for anybody who comes across this issue in the future.

    Just purchased a PowerEdge T110 to run as my new Windows Home Server.  I went to Microsoft's Windows Home Server site and downloaded the most recent trial version, which at the moment is PowerPack 3.  I burned it to disk and started to install only to get the same exact error that Doc Boone above received on his Tuesday, February 09, 2010 2:12 AM post.  I then went into the BIOS and did exactly what Al West above recommended in his Tuesday, February 09, 2010 2:40 AM post.  The correct setting in the PowerEdge T110 server, BIOS version 1.2.1 is ATA.  There is ATA, RAID and ACHI.  Choose basic ol' ATA.

    Rebooted and installed flawlessly.  We're up and running full steam ahead.

    Any drivers that don't install in the Device Manager, just download the most recent driver directly from Dell's site.

    Voila

    Michael R. Lawrence
    co.nexus exchange

    Wednesday, June 9, 2010 10:42 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Michael:

     

    Thank you for taking the time to post an update after you got everything working. Now I can order a T110 and be certain that it is possible to run WHS on it.

     

    porsche2009

    Wednesday, August 11, 2010 7:12 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    In the case of "Vail", as a base, start with Windows 7 Home Premium x64, as the two products (and Windows Server 2008 R2) start with the same core code (and the same HCL, oddly enough); the differences lie pretty much entirely in options (such as Aero, which is not necessary for servers, and certain types of specialized controllers that are primarily aimed at servers, as opposed to workstations).  Generally, any hardware supported by Windows 7 directly will also be supported by WHS "Vail" (and even Server 2008 R2).
    Thursday, August 19, 2010 12:17 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    I also have the poweredge T110 and I tried using a downloaded copy of WHS with powerpack 3 but when it asks for the key I put it in and it says key Invalid what key did you use. I own WHS so I tryed to use my key but it doesnt work. any Ideas?
    Thursday, August 26, 2010 3:21 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    You can download the V1 with Power Pack 3 trial from the Microsoft web site. No keys are provided by Microsoft; it's a trial and will expire after 30 days.

    If you want to try V2 (Vail) you can join the Windows Home Server program on Connect and download it from there.

    There is no other official (read legal) download source for Windows Home Server. The X-Files download is more or less tolerated but it will use a standard system builder product key and doesn't try to distribute product keys on it's own.

    Your product key won't work with any of these versions because it's been used, and because different channels use different product key batches (MSDN and Technet may use one set of keys, Connect a different set, OEMs may have their own VL keys, system builder packages come with single use keys).

    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Thursday, August 26, 2010 4:06 PM
    Moderator
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Thank you for the help Ken. I am getting all the way to finalizing the install then I get this error ( Restoring the archiver data failed because of an error in external component) I have installed all updates. I am not sure what else to try.  Thank you for any help 
    Friday, August 27, 2010 3:09 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    I am considering installing windows HS 2011 on a Dell 310 and found this thread.   My biggest question is if I can install WHS will there be any conflict with my RAID Perc HD200 controller card doing it's job?  I ask  because apparently you need to tell WHS to use ata setting but I definitely need the RAID config to work.

     

    FWIW I am getting the Dell t310 with dual sata 250 GB HDs , Perc H200 controller and having it preset for RAID 1

     

    Original post question still valid for my needs (Will WHS 2011 work on a Dell T310) but also I need to know about the RAID part as well.

     

    Any help greatly appreciated.

     

    Thanks!

    D_

     

    Friday, May 27, 2011 3:53 PM