Has anyone actually configured server 2012 R2 on a Dell PE2950 Type III running BIOS 2.7.0? A search of these forums will result with many mentions of the keywords in my question but a reading will soon show that the subject always leads to some other dell model or a different BIOS etc. If someone has managed this feat please be so kind as to give detail info on how you managed this. Thank you all. I have tried the many Dell internal service tag programs but in each case they fail with not for this model error.
you need to flash with this Bios first I ran the bios flashing system you linked and all it did was tell me I had BIOS version 2.7.0 and did I want to flash the same version I said yes and rebooted but no joy. I ran Run spsetupas administrator. Was there perhaps some other steps that need happen first?
expand full bios I have two PE 2950 III running 2012R2 Standard w/o any problems (one as a RDS Server and the other as a test server). Have you tried running the SLIC Toolkit yet to see if you have a valid SLIC table? Since you flashed the BIOS linked above, most likely you need to expand the BIOS so the full SLIC table is visible to the OS. This can be done by entering maintenance mode using the DELL ASSET utility. You only have to do this once. Future BIOS upgrades will not reset it. Refer to this post: forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/3486-How-do-OEMs-like-Dell-license-their-machines—all-about-asset-tags
running asset I ran the asset program with both PASS: 12/31 and PASS: 12/34 both times it set the BIOS into BIOS Manufacturing Mode. Nothing about no drives and use ALT 7 as explain in many other post. only a message sayin MFG mode will be closed before the next boot. System reboot required for normal operation. I Also ran the SCLI toolkit as you suggested and all the green tabs seem to be saying it was all correct except the Pkey it was very different from the OEM key I used to install the OS. Is there anything else I need to do? Perhaps the order in which one does all these different actions is a problem?
I installed the OS server 2012 R2 from the ISO I found here on this forum: it was a retail ISO not a Dell OEM version. Then I did the /ipk with the Dell OEM key I found on this forum and it must have executed correctly because some tools pick up that key. However, SLIC toolkit still picksup on the retail key. I used the Dell OEM key to install the OS. In any event when I run -ato it fails to activate.
Yes I did install the cert many steps ago using slmgr.vbs -ilc C:\DELL.XRM-MS. Or is there some-other action needed in-order for the cert to be read?
I wasn't aware I had. To the best of my recall besides clicking on the tabs the only other thing I did was point the advance tab to where the cert was located on the HD: which was on the C:/Dell etc. Can you sort me out on how I incorrectly installed the cert and on the correct way to install it?
I guess in my haste I pointed to the phones toolkit folder but in truth it really does exist on drive C:/
yes I ran again as you instructed and it gives the positive response that it was accepted which it has done for the other 3 times I've ran that cmd.
Re-run the toolkit & post the screenshot of the Advanced tab. Please don't select the external cert. Also post the output of Code: slmgr.vbs /dlv
Tito thanks for your patients while trying to aid me. Above you can see a screen shot where I ran the advance tab showing indeed I have the Dell digital License on the C:\ drive. the /vdl seems to show a mix of OEM and retail from my limited inexperience on these matters