# [SOLVED] Server 2003 - No disk drive detected on Windows install



## sevep (Dec 30, 2008)

Can anyone help please?

I'm trying to install Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition on a Dell Poweredge 2800 but it's failing to detect any hard drives.

I have 5 SCSI drives installed, all showing online in BIOS, on a Adaptec 39160 SCSI card.

So far I've attempted to install the drivers for the SCSI card and also the PERC 4e/Di drivers on each attempt, when prompted on 'F6' 

Windows advised that these drivers are already available on the installation disk, but either way it won't detect any hard drives which all seem to be online?

Once installed I'm aiming to run these as as a RAID 5 array

Is there anything I've missed, as I'm getting the same results when installing Ubuntu for servers too?

Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
Steve


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## Klint (Oct 18, 2007)

*Re: Server 2003 - No disk drive detected on Windows install*

Do you have the poweredge installation disk? (its in the group of disk that came with the pe)


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## bilbus (Aug 29, 2006)

*Re: Server 2003 - No disk drive detected on Windows install*

Download the Perc 5i drivers off the dell site. Or use the Dell CD ( i forget if the drivers are slipstreemed)

Press f6 during windows setup (you will see it on screen)

You will need to put it on a floppy, usb floppys will work.


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## djaburg (May 15, 2008)

*Re: Server 2003 - No disk drive detected on Windows install*

Don't you have to create and initialize the array first for RAID 5, BEFORE you do the install?


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## bilbus (Aug 29, 2006)

*Re: Server 2003 - No disk drive detected on Windows install*

sure, i thought he did that already =)

Are you sure they are on the 39160 SCSI? If so no raid for you. Check the Perc config ... Control R or E during bootup i beleve.

Anyhow if its on the perc card, you need to create the array. Once thats done do the f6 thing, and load the driver, windows will see the disk. Windows does not see the disk because you have no logical drive in the array.

You can not install windows, and then create a raid array. If you are planing on doing software raid 5 .. dont.

Note, you cant boot your OS off of a software raid 5 disk. You can boot off of a raid 1 software array though


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## sevep (Dec 30, 2008)

*Re: Server 2003 - No disk drive detected on Windows install*

Hi all,

I had overlooked the controller card setup in BIOS which was set to RAID.

I did'nt realise RAID would work without the array being setup in advance, many thanks for the info on this.

I switched the card to RAID, set up RAID 5, and a logical disk appeared during boot up.

OS now see's the drives and installed succesfully!

Thanks again for the info which was a great help.

Steve.


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