Windows XP Pro for a Server

[Guest]

I have a brand bew Dell SC1420 Server and want to run Windows XP Pro on it
for a Server. The system will not recognize the operating system as a
protential Server operating system and will not let me load the OS. Can
anyone suggest way aroung this. This is a Small Home Office and I really
don't want to run a Full Blown Server OS as I am connecting an Embroidery
machine to this server to upload embroidery files to the machine.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a brand bew Dell SC1420 Server and want to run Windows XP Pro
on it for a Server. The system will not recognize the operating
system as a protential Server operating system and will not let me
load the OS. Can anyone suggest way aroung this. This is a Small Home
Office and I really don't want to run a Full Blown Server OS as I am
connecting an Embroidery machine to this server to upload embroidery
files to the machine.

What do you mean "The system will not recognize the operating system as a
protential Server operating system.."?

As long as you have drivers for the hardware - you can install whatever OS
(clean install) you want onto the system.

What are you seeing/doing?

 

[Guest]

When I open the system with a Bootable OS disk in the CD. It opens a Dell
Software program call OpenManagement. This program will only allow Windows
Server Programs such as Small Business Server 2003 or 2000, RedHat Linux
Servers, etc. No place will it allow Windows XP or XP Pro to be loaded.

 

[Richard Urban]

You apparently bought a server class machine and it is locked in to only
accepting a server class operating system. Why Dell would do this is best
answered by Dell. Call them.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I'm trying to wrap my mind around what you say. I always thought that
the boot sequence goes like this:
1. BIOS boot program.
2. Hand over control to the selected boot media (hard disk or
floppy disk or CD)

You're now claiming that even though you're booting from a standard
WinXP bootable CD, you still get interference from OpenManagement.
I find this a little difficult to swallow. Perhaps you would care to carry
out this little test:
1. Download a Win98 boot disk from www.bootdisk.com.
2. Make a bootable floppy disk with it.
3. Boot the machine with it. Does it work? Does it get you to a DOS prompt?
4. If yes, burn a bootable CD (e.g. a CD-RW), using the floppy boot disk
as a boot mediuml
5. Boot the machine with this bootable CD.

If you now get a DOS prompt this proves that you ***can*** boot from
a bootable CD. You could push this further by inserting your WinXP CD
now and running this command: d:\i386\winnt. Note that it will only work
if your primary partition is a FAT32 partition.

On the other hand, if OpenManagement cuts in again then I'm wrong.
I will have learnt something new.

 

[Michael Stevens]

In

I'm trying to wrap my mind around what you say. I always thought that
the boot sequence goes like this:
1. BIOS boot program.
2. Hand over control to the selected boot media (hard disk or
floppy disk or CD)

You're now claiming that even though you're booting from a standard
WinXP bootable CD, you still get interference from OpenManagement.
I find this a little difficult to swallow. Perhaps you would care to
carry out this little test:
1. Download a Win98 boot disk from www.bootdisk.com.
2. Make a bootable floppy disk with it.
3. Boot the machine with it. Does it work? Does it get you to a DOS
prompt?
4. If yes, burn a bootable CD (e.g. a CD-RW), using the floppy boot
disk as a boot mediuml
5. Boot the machine with this bootable CD.

If you now get a DOS prompt this proves that you ***can*** boot from
a bootable CD. You could push this further by inserting your WinXP CD
now and running this command: d:\i386\winnt. Note that it will only
work if your primary partition is a FAT32 partition.

On the other hand, if OpenManagement cuts in again then I'm wrong.
I will have learnt something new.

This is an enterprise server and it is only configured for these validated
server OS.
Microsoft Windows® Server 2003, Standard Edition; Microsoft Windows

Server 2003, Small Business Edition; and Red Hat® Linux® Enterprise 3.0

It can possibly be reconfigured for other server OS's, but it would
undoubtedly lose the server features Dell programmed into the system.

To benefit from the Dell server setup they will need to use one of the
specified server OS's
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

In

This is an enterprise server and it is only configured for these validated
server OS.
Microsoft Windows® Server 2003, Standard Edition; Microsoft Windows

Server 2003, Small Business Edition; and Red Hat® Linux® Enterprise 3.0

It can possibly be reconfigured for other server OS's, but it would
undoubtedly lose the server features Dell programmed into the system.

To benefit from the Dell server setup they will need to use one of the
specified server OS's
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

Thanks for the explanation. So how does OpenManagement get into the
act when the OP boots the machine with his own boot CD?

<snip>

 

[Michael Stevens]

That I am not sure of., but most likely a somesort of format of the hard
drive could be forced and would create a generic system with hardware suited
for use in a server enviourment
I am not personally familiar with this system.

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[Guest]

Do you think I could pul the Hard Drive and put in a new Drive and then run
Windows XP Pro as a operating System. If not, what is the most economical way
os installing a Server OS?

 

[RWS]

You need to be talking to DELL about this!!!!!!

Do you think I could pul the Hard Drive and put in a new Drive and then
run
Windows XP Pro as a operating System. If not, what is the most economical
way
os installing a Server OS?

 

[Guest]

They won't discuss it because Windows XP is not a supportted OS but when I
purchased the unit the sales man told me I should have no problem running XP
Pro. That is part of my pproblem, I have posted to Dells forums and have had
no response over there.

 

[RWS]

Who in the heck was the Sales Man?
It sounds like he did not know what he was talking about
and you should probably take this computer back to him
and demand your money back.
You already have your answer from DELL:
XP Pro is NOT a supported OS for this computer.
XP Pro is NOT a Server OS.
If the DELL supported Server OS's are more than
you want to pay for, and if you do not even require
a Server OS, then again, get a refund from that Sales Man.
Then do some research as to exactly what kind of computer
you really require and purchase one that will support XP Pro
if in fact that is what you want.

 

[Star Fleet Admiral Q]

Note: You were suckered by the Dell Salesman, as Dell OpenManagement is an
extra "perk" that you actually pay for, the is part of the system BIOS. You
can choose, when ordering online whether you want OpenManagement or not, if
not, then you are not bound to the OS's Dell thinks should be run on the
computer, but if yes, then you're stuck, unless you can get a BIOS flash
update from Dell to remove it.

 

[Diane McCorkle]

Dell's Server Assistant is set to hook off the hidden utility partition and
load on first boot to help in setup.

I see it all the time in our non-OS server purchases,

There is however no reason one can't reset the boot order to boot off the CD
Drive first and use the XP Pro CD to wipe the hidden partition and all the
other fun Dell items.

It's not a hardware limitation in any way.. it just means you have to be a
little extra savvy in going around it.

Diane