New HP Server has some serious issues won't load Server 2012 completely.

[knc]

Let me say I am not really asking for help I think the machine is failed but the OS will not load completely with with the HP provisioning service. At some point during the load process the dos window says corrupted bios. The bios update can't find the internet, etc.. etc.. I will call HP monday but I really think it's a failed system board. Also the dvd drive that came with it is not recognizable to the system so I need to load the OS from an iso on a USB stick. I also installed a dvd drive off of another system, it sees that but the OS still doesn't load completely.

When the os finishes loading it has the logon screen. Then after log on it goes to a cmd prompt and sits at the administrator prompt. Tried reloading fresh numerous times. However I never went as far as breaking the raid and going from scratch.

 

[occsean]

I'd still for grins and giggles throw a Memtest CD in there and run a few passes on RAM using that secondary optical drive

 

[Markverhyden]

Which version of Server 2012? OEM? Retail? Been a while but I seem to remember there is a headless installation option which drops you to a CLI since there is no GUI. For grins grab a trial copy from the technet eval center and try that.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Which server?
I had one last week, ML350G9...acted a bit wonky from the build...Intelligent Prov couldn't phone back to HP to check/download the latest. Was installing 2012R2 Essentials. Took a while to build the RAID also, did a RAID 10 with 10k SAS...took unusually long to build the volume.
Ran great for a few days, updates, reboots, latest HP software (I think dated Sept or Oct of 2016).
Went to do a reboot one day, she hung on the down cycle, red light up front. Check HP system logs, lots of PCI Bus 0 errors.
Get on the phone with HP and they were pretty quick to sent a replacement mobo. I was leaving early the next morning to deliver it, so we had a second matching server that just arrived for another client. I put my drives in that, re-registered iLO, seemed to run fine. Deliver it at the client the next day...lots of reboots, join domain, install DNS, DCPROMO, many reboots. I go to install DHCP server service...reboot...she doesn't come up. Call client, she checks..sends me pic from her phone..red light up front. I have her hard power cycle it, it comes up, I check HP service logs...same exact error. Call HP...they're sending a mobo for that one.

So 2x identical servers...same problem.

And I read your post, perhaps there's a bad batch of mobo's that hit the channels.

 

[labtech]

What are the SMART attributes on the drive(s)?

 

[knc]

Well it was a bad build of the HP OEM Server 2012 R2, put one of my other copies in and it built up just fine... it is a ML30 so definitely a different MOBO from yeolde's but it is too squirrely to be happy sending it into service.

One of the dos screens that came up just before intel provisioning was something about a firmware bug.. I don't like that, and the fact it won't see it's own optical drive, and the intel provis won't call home.

 

[KrustyTech]

I vaguely remember a similar problem. I had to install from a USB cd-rom because if i installed from the machine cdrom it had some weird error that you would never suspect the cd or drive from causing.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Well, guess it's not the motherboard. HP tech replaced the motherboard again..and the very next reboot...BOOM..locked up.
So I nuked and paved...installed WIndows fresh, one round updates, installed HP SPP system drivers..N-Able agent and bit defender, several reboots, installed StorageCraft, an active directory replication tool, and one of the reboots after that..>BAM...red light and lockup.

This only happens on a soft reboot, and not all the time.

On phone with HPE support now, he's "MyRoom" remoted in.

 

[labtech]

High chance the drives are worn out, hence why was asking about SMART. Sure they are good?

 

[HCHTech]

So 2x identical servers...same problem.

Oh man, I feel for you - Did you figure out a way to make any of the extra time billable? Kind of a touchy situation when you bring the hardware to the table and it fails out of the gate. I'm sure they know it wasn't your fault, but it wasn't theirs either...

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Oh man, I feel for you - Did you figure out a way to make any of the extra time billable? Kind of a touchy situation when you bring the hardware to the table and it fails out of the gate. I'm sure they know it wasn't your fault, but it wasn't theirs either...

Yeah I don't believe in sticking it to a client like that..bending them over without vaseline? No...when we sell a piece of hardware like this...it's on me to deliver good functional hardware. I imply a certain level of warranty for a short period of time. It's rare...I can't think of too many server builds that have done this in my...20+ years of building lots of servers. But once in a while...it happens. Overall it's worth it. The amount of profit we make from server sales and projects like this....far far faaaaaaaaarrrr outweight the extra time spent on 2 or 3 troubleshoots like this.

FYI, HP sending 3rd tech visit today..to replace RAID card only. And I believe it's not the issue.
I nuked 'n paved the server yesterday after it locked again doing a soft reboot, after having its motherboard replaced. And...after a fresh rebuild...same issue.

 

[AlexanderStJohn]

Had my 1st encounter with the HP DL360 Gen9 recently on a client upgrade. Definitely some quirks, but nothing as described. I must have gotten lucky.