Part 1: Unboxing video here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z5d7os5jzsDelIU.html Part 2: Testing video here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bNJ9f8eTy9TIaGw.html Part 3: This video Part 4: Repairing the motherboard: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gc11adKKu6q4eaM.html

I used to test IBM servers back in 2000-2001. I worked at IBM at RTP testing their RAID controllers.

Sorry to learn about the bulging caps. I was going to point out that on the boot menu it seems to have a + sign next to the removable and hard drive options. In BIOS like that, you have to press the + key to "break out" the other options. I've noticed that most of the times when you've selected "removable drive" the floppy led flashes for a second. And on older machines, like that one, the USB stick may be in the "hard drive" option and not on "removable drive, specially bigger capacity USB drives. Also, I would check with CPUid, or on intel ARK which features that CPU has or lacks - had a similar problem in a computer with an older CPU that you just not install Windows 10 (32 or 64 bit) because it lacked some CPU feature/instruction set that was required.

When you were installing ram around the 3:20 mark, I noticed at least four bulging or blown capacitors, that might have something to do with a few of the problems you're experiencing with this server.

Can't wait for your video!

Servers have IPMI and BMC which handles both fans and temperature Speedfan is inadequate here. Speedfan was designed for standard hwmon cups like lm75 or winbond97xxx, nothing of such is being used in any recent server (by recent I mean anything after first xeon). If you have everything right and it is NOT HPe server, then it should be surprisingly quiet. I have Dell PowerEdge R715 (2x socket G34, AMD Opteron 6180SE each) and R815 (4x socket G34, AMD Opteron 6180SE each) and they are fine for bedroom (not while sleeping tought, as I barely can bare Hard Disk Drive spinning while sleeping)

That’s a cool project! So weird that windows 10 is the one working here! Thanks for the video!

I use a Dell PERC H310 in my main desktop; this is an OEM version of the LSI MegaRaid 9211-8i. I put an IT mode BIOS on it and it works very well in my setup.

Honestly, for this use case you don't need a server. My argument for having a server instead of a regular PC (or a workstation, if better hardware, e.g. Xeon CPU and ECC memory are needed) is remote management capability, so you can turn on the computer over a web interface, use a virtual console and mount ISOs to a virtual CD/DVD drive. And since no powerful hardware is needed for a file server, I would go down the Atom/Celeron route. For example, a Celeron N3150 has a TDP of only 6W. You can cool that thing passively. The HP Microserver line could be another alternative. I've used a Gen7 Microserver with an AMD N36L CPU for years running Synology DSM 6.1.2 without a single hiccup.

Not all USB drives are created equally. Had a server install a while ago where I had serious problems, it trued out that a bunch of different USB drives would not install cleanly on that server (primarily Adata drives) but found that Kingston drives worked. Might be something to try?

Awesome video. I have just got an Eserver X232 8668 and after the latest bios but have the same issue as you

I have this old HP DL585 G1 server. Well they don't really call it a g1. But the next model was a G2. Anyway the os support on it was 2008 server but not 2008R2. So I'm thinking how stupid that is. Dell servers around that time could do R2 for most of them. Anyway the discs that automated the setup for windows server could not be used. But I never use those disks anyway. I was able to do a clean install with all software and monitor software. The stupid part is I forgot what was not suppose to work on it. Couldn't find the article again. But the ILO, System heartbeat, and all monitor stuff for raid worked just fine. Then again hp is wondering why they are having issues competing against Dell. My personal fav was when they said unless the bios was needed to fix a major issue. Like the server locking up randomly. You needed to pay for the bios. A day or so later Dell said the bios for Dell servers are free and will continue to be.

I'd personally go the Linux route for this type of older server. You should also be able to rule out/in 64-bit support by looking up the official Intel spec sheet for the CPU.

You can get PC fans with built-in temperature probes, which may be an easy way out of your fan issues. There are also separate controller boxes which let you do the same thing with standard fans.

No Execute and NX bit are the same thing, you turned off the setting that needed to be on

Too bad about the Boulder FTP site. That's where I got my copy of PC-DOS 2000.

If it's just for storage, I would have gone the TrueNAS route. I haven't checked but in general you have a lot less hardware compatibility issues. For cheap SAS/SATA I have used the Highpoint RocketRAID 2720SGL. There do exist non-RAID versions as well (Rocket) allthough the RocketRAID can be used as JBOD. It has the possibility for 8 SATA drives through Mini SAS to SATA forward breakout cabled (the forward bit is quite important otherwise it doesn't work). Highpoint doesn't have the best of reputations but I haven't had any issues with these things (I own two). They work just fine with Windows as well. There are a lot of HBA's that can be used as well. But what I found that a lot of them have low max disk size limitations. I didn't run into that with the 2720SGL.

I bought a LSI SAS 9212-4i that supposedly came pre-flashed in IT mode (non-RAID), which was pretty cheap off eBay. I think I paid

Cool

Your videos are fantastic, but I can't decide; do YOU sound like Christopher Walken, or does Christopher Walken sound like you? All joking aside, please keep making your fantastic content! I'm lovin' it!

I always use Open Hardware Monitor for CPU/GPU temps and fan speeds

is the bios UEFI enabled as windows 10 64 requires it for installation

The error you get there (0x000000C4) may be because of the CPU. It may be missing some instructions (CMPXCHG16B I saw somewhere). So, you may try an older OS, another version of the OS, Linux or try to upgrade the CPU.

I wouldn't even bother with windows. Once you fix those bulging caps I would just install OpenMediaVault, which is made for being a file server and will run on basically anything as it is just Debian. Its all set up and managed via a WebGUI and its great. I use it. If there isnt a specific package for OMV, you can just install debian packages and they work just fine. You can either install it from an OMV dedicated distro installer, or install it on top of an existing Debian install if one doesn't exist for your specific architecture.

I went back to your first video on this computer and the Capps looked good. However in this video they look bad @ 3:20 ?? Does that mean they started to bulge as soon as you started to used the computer / turn it on ?? Also make sure to check the PSU caps :) Just out of interest it would be cool to see how well this file server can game and encode films over the network.

Bro i just want the case the rest is prety usles

I’m so friggin relieved that the BIOS at least loaded! I’m going to pretend that it had absolutely anything to do with you eventually being able to get at least Windows 10 installed. Did you happen to try running the “Advanced Setup Utility” I included? I doubt it will help, but I’m curious whether it has some sort of management engine that provides access to firmware level settings not available in the BIOS. AAAAnyway, here’s “Evan’s (possibly not completely) stupid suggestions” Round 2: --------------- PROBLEM NUMBER FIRST (The gotdamb installer not loading) 1. Using a SATA to USB dongle, connect a second 2.5” Drive to whichever system is running Rufus. 2. Making sure to check the Rufus ‘Advanced Options > List USB Hard Drives’ option, burn your Windows 10 or Server .ISO to your new Windows Installation Boot Drive. 3. On completion, remove this drive from the USB to SATA dongle and install it (via SATA) in the 226. 4. Boot from this new SATA installation drive. You might need to change the boot order to prioritise this new drive, though I would probably reformat|remove|replace your current Windows drive just for isolating any new/existing gremlins. --------------- PROBLEM TWOMERO DOS (The thingy doesn’t start automagically) The problem with your fan control software not loading at boot is inherent to non-server editions of Windows in that third party / program services don’t run until user login. There is a clean-ish solution though, direct from the Microsoft Sysinternals admin tool suite. 1. Ensuring you indicate and shoulder check, zipper merge on to the information superhighway following the signage for “Google”. 2. Go ahead and smash on your keyboard the search query “Sysinternals Autologon”. 3. The first-ish result should be a “learn.microsoft.cantWriteDotComOnKZfaqDotCom(ments)” page. I mention this, because that’s what you want to click on. (So click on it). 4. Congratulations, you’ve found TheThingYouNeed.exe (and the documentation on how to use / secure it). 5. There is no step 5, but I’m taking this time to recommend that if you do end up using Windows 10 (or any non-server Windows OS) that you also look at the Sysinternals Autruns. 6. It gives you significantly greater control over what services / programs run at boot. Since you’re running a modern OS on a “people un-ironically listening to the Black Eyed Peas” era system, using this to manage your limited resources by trimming unnecessary processes (RIP gamebar.exe) is probably (maybe) a good idea. 7. Look more at all of the Sysinternals suite. It once saved me after weeks of troubleshooting an issue caused by an Azure GMSA account having the wrong Date/Time format. --------------- P.S. Thanks for the shoutout! I’m going to go ahead and update my CV with :
Author of the Acclaimed Vintage IBM Service Manual “Notes and Descent into Madness.txt” Speaking of both my CV and abrupt segues, I’m currently funemployed! If anyone is looking for a UK based Canadian to do [Pretend this says the specific IT Role you’re hiring for] at your place of Business, I know a guy (me) who knows a guy (me again). I’m passionate about [Thing you do at TechJobsForEvanPlease Corp Ltd]. I consistently achieve [Gross Exaggeration] in [Buzzword], am certified in [Relevant Skill] while maintaining thorough(ly sarcastic) documentation.

I found Argus Monitor to be a good fan controller. Not free but worth the low price IMO.

Have you thought of taking a windows server iso and a windows 10 iso and you swap the wim files over. That might help find a way around the boot for install issue. Just a thought.

Many thanks for this video. I happen to have an IBM eServer 226 and I was surprised to learn that IBM has quit their ftp support of old files. Happy for the BIOS-info given here. I will upgrade ASAP... Edit. Seem like the link to the file is expired...Could you reactivate the link, please? 😄

Mod the bios to add in intel matrix raid conntroller. Will boot the ssd. Had to do that on old dell vostro systems in the office many years ago

i use Open Hardware monitor, seems to see most information on motherboards

I wonder if TP Fan Controller would work, you know like what we use on ThinkPads? I still think you should have tried one of the Windows Home Server versions! 😆

W10 as a server also not bad. Just he sure to disable all the telemetry and debloat all the junk before deployment.

Now you can start an 8 part series trying to get some Linux running on this machine. Either that or it just works first try.

you might try and app called real temps it works in placed that core temps does not

What happens if you boot it from Linux?

Tried to post a suggestion but both times it was deleted. Wish I could help....

Nice hardware, shame about the OS. These would work great with a build of Gentoo Linux - I don't see the point of installing a sub-standard Windows version that isn't even supported any more.

So, yah, i would ditch windows and just install Linux and use ZFS

Get Linux!

Why does everyone want to use shitty USB drives for windows.... use a DVD or CD rom.