HP DL380 G6 "The BIOS is not fully ACPI compliant..."

[NickC1]

I have an HP DL380 G6 that has been running Windows Server 2003 (32 bit)

I would like to install Server 2008 R2, and have tried several times, but I keep receiving the message stated in the title. I have performed several updates to the hardware/firmware (including the BIOS which is 7/2013)

Am I overlooking something? (obviously I am, but what? )

I would be happy to provide any additional information that is pertinent to helping me resolve my problem.

Thanks in advance!

*Additionally, I have removed all of the memory except for 2 sticks of RAM. (4GB each) I have also removed the PCI card, and the 512MB cache and battery for the P410i. I have 8 drives (SATA) configured in RAID 1+0. I haven't seen an ACPI setting in the BIOS, so I assume that it is in the actual update. I also assume that Server 2008 R2 reads the HAL and perhaps that is where the issue is stemming from? The BIOS I have "should" be ACPI compliant, right?

**So the Technical Information reads:

**STOP: 0x000000A5  (0x00000011, 0x0000006, 0x0000000, 0x0000000)

*Update* 9/10/2015

I removed the RAM and reseated it, just to check. Still no success. I checked all connections on the mother board also, just to verify that none were loose. I have scoured the internet as well as these forums, and tried just about everything suggested. This server certainly has the hardware to run Server 2008, just not sure how to overcome this roadblock. Would REALLY appreciate some insight.

 I am at a bit of a loss here. Anyone have any suggestions?

*BUMP 9/11/2015* Anyone?

**UPDATE* 9/14/2015

Ran another series of updates for Server 2003, hoping that maybe one of them would be the ticket...no luck. Anyone have any  ideas? Please? Can the ACPI requirement be bypassed somehow?

Help???

**UPDATE** 9/15/2015

I have installed all of the latest Firmware and BIOS updates from HP. I am still getting the ACPI non compliant BIOS error.

Can anyone out there, anyone at all, help steer me in the right direction?

Please?

**UPDATE** 9/15/2015

Is it possible that the 750W power supplies are what is causing this issue? Maybe someone from HP could comment?

**UPDATE** 9/17/2015

I tried using the SmartStart cd this morning to boot from (8.70-B) and this is the message that I receive:

(see attachment)

It hangs at this screen. Any ideas? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

[Jan Soska]

Hello, have you tried install win2008r2 directly without smartstart?

Jan

[Jimmy Vance]

Have you tried resetting RBSU back to factory defaults?

[NickC1]

Hi Jan, and thanks for the reply. Yes, I have tried installing Server 2008 from the DVD as well as a USB drive. Same error.

Any suggestions?

[NickC1]

Hi Jimmy, and thanks for the response. Yes, I have tried resetting the RBSU back to defaults as well as completely clearing the cache. I have also replaced the BIOS battery just in case.

Any ideas?

[Jimmy Vance]

Quick guess without checking anything is the CPU is 32bit only?  2008 R2 is a 64bit OS

[NickC1]

Good suggestion Jimmy. I was thinking that too originally, but the CPU's are both Intel XEON E5540's which are x64bit.

It's odd that the error message says BIOS is not ACPI compliant, since it is a 2015 BIOS and I have verified with HP that it is indeed ACPI compliant.

I am baffled...

[Jimmy Vance]

A note I found here states that 2008 R2 is only supported with Service Pack 1

http://h17007.www1.hp.com/us/en/enterprise/servers/supportmatrix/windows.aspx#.VhJ_9rEo6fA

You have to click the previous servers button and select 2008 R2

[NickC1]

Great catch and good information.  I do have Server 2008 R2 with SP1, so I agree that it "should" work.

 I even made a custom installer with a modified HAL just to be sure.

So far, you have given me some really good info though! Please, keep it coming. I am open to trying anything at this point!

BIG THANKS!

[Jimmy Vance]

That's about all I have, it shows as tested and supported with 2008 R2 and 2012 so I really don't know why you are getting the error.

[NickC1]

I truly appreciate all of your suggestions.  Like I said, I am baffled. I even purchased a new 512MB cache card, thinking maybe it was causing an issue.

2003 x32 runs great, so I dont understand why 2008 will not from the perspective of the BIOS anyway.

I really am at a loss here. I welcome ANY suggestions that you might have though. Again, at this point, I am willing to try ANYTHING!

Thanks again, I really do appreciate it!

[waaronb]

Are you trying to update your Windows Server 2003 32-bit to Windows 2008 R2 64-bit?  Or are you wiping your partition info and doing a clean install?

If you're doing an update installation, maybe it's a problem with Windows.

There isn't anything with the DL380 G6 that would prevent Windows 2008 R2 from installing... I've done it on several DL360 G6 (and even DL360/380 G5 servers), both with 2008 R2 and 2012/2012 R2.

But I've never tried an update from Server 2003 32-bit...  If you can, try doing a full reset of everything in the BIOS and also do a new install, wiping all of the old partitions on the array.  Of course that means you'll have to backup all of your data, install everything fresh, and restore the data you need, but that might be the only way to go.

[NickC1]

Thanks for the response WaaronB.  I have tried both an upgrade as well as a full, clean install including wiping the drives. I have even tried new drives thinking that maybe the drive firmware was the issue...no luck.

I have reset the BIOS settings (dip switches/maitenance switch) and still receiving the same error message.

I know that this server can easily run Server 2008...just not sure why it is getting stuck with the ACPI / BIOS issue.

Any ideas?

[NickC1]

Anyone? I am still unable to run Server 2008 on this machine and we have another server identical to it that runs it with no issues.

Can anyone else make any other suggestions as to why I am getting this error? The BIOS is certainly ACPI compliant, so the error message makes no sense.

HELP!!

****UPDATE***

So this morning I started poking around in the system32 files, and located the hal.dll file. I looked at the properties and under the version tab, in the "original file name" heading, it lists the value as halmps.dll. So, looking in the Device Manager under the Computer, it is listed as MPS Multiprocessor PC, but should be ACPI Compliant. Strange that it is loading this hal instead of the ACPI hal.  So, I edited the script to run the ACPI hal, rebooted, and still, no go. So, even when forcing it to load the ACPI hal, it still does not work. I re-edited the script again and placed the hal.dll file back in and it boots up again, but stilll no luck on installing Server 2008 or 2012. I even reflashed the BIOS (again) just to be sure...

Surely someone out there has run into this before?

HELP???!!!

[NickC1]

I spent some time Friday researching this issue on the system hardware level. I removed everything down to bare bones minimum and booted the server. I then logged into the HP online diagnostics and ran a report. I noticed that the two processors that I have installed, Intel Xeon E5540, indicate that they do not support 64 bit according to this report. That seems odd to me as I have other servers with the same Intel Xeon processors which DO support 64 bit. So, this begs the question, are there models of these Intel Xeon processors that only support X86 (32bit) processing? I was under the impression that all Xeon E5540's support 64 bit. Based on the information on Intels website, it seems to validate this, but I thought I would pose the question here just to see if anyone has had a similiar experience. The report also stated that Hyperthreading was not supported, but again, I was fairly certain that these processors DO indeed support hyperthreading.

Anyone out there have any input on this?

Thanks!

[NickC1]

***UPDATE***

Trying to boot from the Smart STart CD, I get the following screen after everything starts to load:

* See attachment

[NickC1 · Accepted solution]

**SOLVED** !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, after wrestling with this thing for months, I decided to replace the main-board. I contacted HP, and they wanted to charge $1700 to replace it. Um...no thanks.

So, a little digging around on a popular auction site, and I bougtht a replacement board for $40!

Installed it...updated...BINGO!   Server 2012 R2 is up and running just fine! 

...and that is that.