Cannot install Windows Server 2008 r2 on HP Proliant Microserver Gen8

[Graham Harrison]

Seriously not happy.  Have spent 3 days trying to install Windows Server 2008 R2 onto a HP Proliant Microserver (Gen8) with a SSD in the CD/DVD SATA port on the board (the four bays will be used for HDD with data only on) and no matter what way I try to install it, it consistently fails.  Have tried to use Intelligent Provisioning (and yes, firmware is all up-to-date) but it fails when it gets passed the Windows Set Up screen when it just hangs and then I get error 0xC000000E.  I have tried just installing by one time booting to Windows disc on a USB DVD drive and installing the old fasioned way, but that fails.  I have even gone to the point of turning off the RAID controller in BIOS and resorting to AHCI but when I get passed the bit where I select the partition to install on, it says I can't install on that partition so that ends up a complete fail.  Just seem to be going around in circles and getting nowhere.  And yes, done all the usual things like going into IP and deleting the arrays and resetting new arrays (put into RAID0).  I'm using a HP ROK install disc, which I had running on a former HP Microserver running for about 5 years until it recently died when the PSU failed.  I'm simply trying to configure this server in the same way I had the old one..  Any help with what or where I'm going wrong would be extremely helpful before I throw this machine thru' the office window.

[Jimmy Vance]

The ODD port was never  tested nor inteded to host a hard drive.  That beign said, others have reported being able to boot from a drive connected to the ODD port but only when they have the controller in B120i mode.  From what I recall, the ODD port will show up as a device. I don't recall if they were creating a RAID one on the ODD port drive, or if they were just using leaving the drives as JBOD SATA.  Search through the forums here and over on Home Server Show

[Graham Harrison]

To be honest, the reference to installing on the CD/DVD SATA port is probably a bit of a red herring.  I've tried to install the OS with the SSD installed on the first bay of the HDDs, whilst I was waiting for a power adapter to change the four pin power lead to a SATA power connector.  i was getting exactly the same issues around being unable to install the OS with all the results as in my original post.  

[Graham Harrison]

Trying another route....

...attempting another set-up outside of IP and it's asking me for the SATA drivers as it can't find drives. Where can I find the drivers? All the drivers I've found are executable filess (.exe) which are no good. Any ideas?

[Graham Harrison]

Well blow me.  Solved.  In the end, did one thing that I hadn't tried (ie, last thing on the list) and that was to go into BIOS and amend the SATA setting to legacy support.  Then did boot from installation CD and it just installed like good old fashioned days.  Just in process of downloading the 103 updates and seems to be working OK.  Still got to install the 4 HDDs into the bays so only hoping that will go OK when that time comes.  I still have all the data on them from my deceased server.  Assume I will be able to access those OK but we will see.

[Jimmy Vance]

Glad you figured it out. Now that you mentiuon it, I seem to recall having to use that setting, but I don't recall what OS I was working with at the time