IBM X3650 M3 Windows

[messenger1316]

I was given an IBM X3650 M3. I am unable to get any operating system to work on it. I am now just trying to get windows 10 on it. I know that this is stupid and not using the machine to its full potential and thats ok. I get into the windows 10 installer but it does not recognize my drive. The sas backplane is hooked up to an LSI raid card. I have read that I need to load the drivers to a usb. When I do this and select the flash drive under load drivers in installation, it is unable to find any drivers. Please help. What am I doing wrong?

[leadeater]

17 minutes ago, messenger1316 said:

I was given an IBM X3650 M3. I am unable to get any operating system to work on it. I am now just trying to get windows 10 on it. I know that this is stupid and not using the machine to its full potential and thats ok. I get into the windows 10 installer but it does not recognize my drive. The sas backplane is hooked up to an LSI raid card. I have read that I need to load the drivers to a usb. When I do this and select the flash drive under load drivers in installation, it is unable to find any drivers. Please help. What am I doing wrong?

During boot you need to go in to the BIOS and configure a RAID array under the storage menu, without an array there are no visible disks for windows to use for install. If it's not in the BIOS there will be a prompt during boot to go in to the RAID BIOS, on my x3500 M4 I can get to it via the system BIOS but M3 is slightly older generation and may be different.

 

The x3650 M3's I've used all had remote storage so don't actually know if its in system BIOS or a boot prompt.

[messenger1316]

6 minutes ago, leadeater said:

During boot you need to go in to the BIOS and configure a RAID array under the storage menu, without an array there are no visible disks for windows to use for install. If it's not in the BIOS there will be a prompt during boot to go in to the RAID BIOS, on my x3500 M4 I can get to it via the system BIOS but M3 is slightly older generation and may be different.

 

The x3650 M3's I've used all had remote storage so don't actually know if its in system BIOS or a boot prompt.

Awesome thank you! I will try that, also do you have any experience with unRaid on these machines?

[leadeater]

1 hour ago, messenger1316 said:

Awesome thank you! I will try that, also do you have any experience with unRaid on these machines?

Nope I'm a VMware user so never used unRAID before. unRAID is based off KVM which is very good but I see no reason to change but I would say it is a good choice as a starting point and does things ESXi doesn't do.

[messenger1316]

23 hours ago, leadeater said:

Nope I'm a VMware user so never used unRAID before. unRAID is based off KVM which is very good but I see no reason to change but I would say it is a good choice as a starting point and does things ESXi doesn't do.

I keep getting an error when trying to install windows. I made the raid and was able to partition them but as soon as the installation starts I get an error.

[leadeater]

38 minutes ago, messenger1316 said:

I keep getting an error when trying to install windows. I made the raid and was able to partition them but as soon as the installation starts I get an error.

You'll probably also have to set that array you created as the boot array in the RAID bios, if you don't it doesn't prep it properly during boot for Windows to be able to install to it.

[Mikensan]

per the drivers on your USB drive... did you unzip them?

[messenger1316]

22 hours ago, leadeater said:

You'll probably also have to set that array you created as the boot array in the RAID bios, if you don't it doesn't prep it properly during boot for Windows to be able to install to it.

Ok thank you I will try that.

[messenger1316]

On 12/5/2016 at 5:45 PM, leadeater said:

You'll probably also have to set that array you created as the boot array in the RAID bios, if you don't it doesn't prep it properly during boot for Windows to be able to install to it.

I keep getting this error.

[leadeater]

Weird, I would try re-downloading the install ISO and burning it to a DVD (this might be important for a server this old) and deleting all partitions and re-creating them during the Windows install.

 

If that doesn't work try an older OS just to confirm you can actually get something installed.

[messenger1316]

11 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Weird, I would try re-downloading the install ISO and burning it to a DVD (this might be important for a server this old) and deleting all partitions and re-creating them during the Windows install.

 

If that doesn't work try an older OS just to confirm you can actually get something installed.

I am using a dvd to install it. What OS do you think I should use?

[leadeater]

Just now, messenger1316 said:

I am using a dvd to install it. What OS do you think I should use?

Try Windows Server 2008 R2 trial, also I would still re-download the ISO just in case it's corrupt or the DVD has an error on it when it got burnt.

[messenger1316]

20 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Try Windows Server 2008 R2 trial, also I would still re-download the ISO just in case it's corrupt or the DVD has an error on it when it got burnt.

The dvd has worked in the past but I will still burn a new one

[BOBWARPATH]

Hey yo this may sound weird but i have the exact same unit and am trying to achieve the exact same thing. Did you end up ever figuring out how to put an os (windows 10, server, 7 anything?) on the ibm x3650 m3? i have been trying for ages and am stuck on the exact same screen as the picture you posted. Please respond soon i need it working as soon as possible.

[AbsoluteFool]

1. You need to enter BIOS or the RAID controller itself and make a virtual disk.

2. You then need to install OS

3. UnRAID does probably not work with the RAID controller. As it won't give unRAID dirrect access to the drives, but instead one or more virtual drives.

You might have some luck with UnRAID but wouldn't count on it.

 

Note: Those servers are not made for desktop OS, and probably not supported for a good reason. If you want Windows 7 - 10, consider installing ESXI and create virtual machine for Windows. Or install a server system like CentOS, ubuntu server (Not as hard to learn as it sounds.)

[Jay Deah]

I wouldn’t bother with a hypervisor. Just download a copy of server 2016 (the one with 2016 in the title not ‘windows server 1709’) you can get Evals off the internet easy enough. That’s assuming you have a 64bit processor which I think M3 generation all are.

 

the error you’re seeing is related to not reading from the install.wim on the install media it’s not a problem with your destination drive. I’d just re-do a new 2016 dvd or install it via the lights out management interface virtual console (I can’t remember the IBM name, IMI maybe?)

[leadeater]

13 minutes ago, Jay Deah said:

(I can’t remember the IBM name, IMI maybe?)

IMM, cos everyone needs their own name for IPMI.

[NelizMastr]

4 hours ago, leadeater said:

IMM, cos everyone needs their own name for IPMI.

Why should it be easy for the customer? Silly thoughts.

 

iDRAC... iLO.....IMM.... 

[BOBWARPATH]

i have tried everything... after getting raid set up i lost contact with half my memory, cmos rebooted, and half my hard drives show up. however there is one in ther with windows 10 the server just wont recognize it. On a channel called MyPlayhouse a guy was able to run windows 10 on the exact same unit... if anyone could do some research and help me i would really appreciate it. PLZ HELP.