Help installing Win7 on Dell T5400 server with Vista drivers

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  1. Posts : 69
    Wind7 64 x 3 | Win Vista 32 | Ubunto
       #1

    Help installing Win7 on Dell T5400 server with Vista drivers


    I bouoght a dual quad Xeon workstation on eBay that I want to use for 3d graphics rendering. Price was right but if came with no OS. It has a Vista key label but I want to install Windows 7 Pro 64 on this machine.

    I found a number of forums where people talk about successfully using W7 and on the Dell site it says the machine is compatible with basic W7 functions so it should work. Most of what they say involves issues with RAID drivers. I really have no need for RAID and have just one drive in the box. (It is currently running Linux just fine)

    Problem is cannot get it to install because it can not find "suitable drivers". I have all the drivers available from Dell for Vista. There are no Win7 drivers for this machine so have to use Vista 64 drivers.

    How can I get past that driver barrier and install Windows 7 and install the Vista drivers? Is there a way I can load it using another machine as a source? I have the same OS on a couple other machines although the other is an i7 quad. The video cards are the exact same model.

    What if I got a Vista install disk and use the key on the box then upgrade to 7?

    Shame to have a really fast linux door stop! :scratch:

    Dell T5400 / Dual Quad Xeon / 32 GB RAM / Nvidea 730 GPU

    /
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 3,785
    win 8 32 bit
       #2

    Go onto dell site and see what drivers are available for it if there are win7 drivers you can just install 7 is there a tag number on it if so enter that to get all drivers
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 69
    Wind7 64 x 3 | Win Vista 32 | Ubunto
    Thread Starter
       #3

    It is always better to read the post prior to offering a reply. Original post clearly stated I did look for drivers and there are no Win7 available.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,785
    win 8 32 bit
       #4

    Funny that I found most of the win7 drivers
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  5. Posts : 69
    Wind7 64 x 3 | Win Vista 32 | Ubunto
    Thread Starter
       #5

    URL


    Can you post a URL for those? I used Dell support site and the product ID and found nothing but Vista Drivers.

    Product: 2H4DNG1

    I would love to be wrong !! :)
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  6. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #6

    First of all, you have to set BIOS properly.
    Set SATA=AHCI
    Disable RAID controller (LSI 1068e SAS/SATA RAID controller).
    Is your HDD connected to MB SATA?
    Is your Win 7 64 and Pro?
    I also found Vista drivers only - Support for Precision T5400 | Dell US
    Most Vista drivers will work for Win 7.
    When you boot from the Win 7 installation disk, what exactly issue you get?
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 69
    Wind7 64 x 3 | Win Vista 32 | Ubunto
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Megahertz07 said:
    First of all, you have to set BIOS properly.
    Set SATA=AHCI
    Disable RAID controller (LSI 1068e SAS/SATA RAID controller).
    Is your HDD connected to MB SATA?
    Is your Win 7 64 and Pro?
    I also found Vista drivers only - Support for Precision T5400 | Dell US
    Most Vista drivers will work for Win 7.
    When you boot from the Win 7 installation disk, what exactly issue you get?
    The win7 64/Pro install disk boots fine but halts with error no suitable drivers. I think I got bios set right because I was able to install linux and that runs fine so disks video etc. seem to work fine. That pretty much satisfies my hardware function. Assume if bios did not like drive I could not install Linux either. At least Linux knows what to do about drivers unlike Windows.

    I have the original COA/key on the box and an iso for Vista Business 64 so may try to install that instead. Perhaps I can then upgrade to Win7 assuming I even need do that for my purposes.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #8

    Paul, Linux an Win are completely different OS. Linux has drivers Win 7 doesn't.
    I think you will have the same problem with Vista.
    You didn't answer if your HDD connected to MB SATA. If it's connected to the LSI 1068e SAS/SATA RAID controller it explains the missing driver during win 7 installation.
    I'm quite sure it's a SATA or USB driver that is missing.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 69
    Wind7 64 x 3 | Win Vista 32 | Ubunto
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Megahertz07 said:
    Paul, Linux an Win are completely different OS. Linux has drivers Win 7 doesn't.
    I think you will have the same problem with Vista.
    You didn't answer if your HDD connected to MB SATA. If it's connected to the LSI 1068e SAS/SATA RAID controller it explains the missing driver during win 7 installation.
    I'm quite sure it's a SATA or USB driver that is missing.
    I know, but bios does not change between OS so tried linux to see if hardware was actually working as it should. I can't help wonder why Windows cannot install as easily as linux does on almost any hardware.

    I followed the SATA cables and they all connect to the MOBO, not to a separate RAID controller card. Also since Linux installed to the drive as expected, I would assume bios is correctly set to use a single SATA drive not in any RAID configuration.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #10

    Expand the 540_Vista.zip on a usb flash drive.
    Put the usb flash drive on a USB2.0 port.
    Boot the win 7 Installation disk.
    Go to install. When ask for a driver on CD/ DVD browse to USB flash and load all drivers.
    Delete all partitions - create new - install on the big NTFS
    Last edited by Megahertz07; 29 Dec 2016 at 07:35.
      My Computers


 
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