Issue: You need to install drivers and firmware on a Dell PowerEdge Server running Windows
Solution:
1) logon to support.dell.com
2) Enter your service tag and OS which will bring you to a page with all the drivers and firmware for your server. Note: If you have Open Manage installed (step 8) you can see the systems service tag using open manage.
3) The problem here is that the firmware/drivers will show for any hardware that was available for your model of server, not necessarily the hardware in your specific server.
4) In the case of installing hard drive controller firmware and drivers, check device manager on your server to see which controller is present in the server (Perc XX)
5) Now expand the drivers and firmware for the controller you actually have, you want to download the ‘windows installer package’, which is generally the default option.
Important: This ‘windows installer package’ package will inventory/scan your system and verify the driver/firmware is correct and needed and give an option to install it. This is much better than downloading a firmware or driver .exe package that will install irrespective of whether you have the hardware present or if its already up to date or if you downloaded the incorrect driver/firmware.
6) Be sure to check that there are no files open on the server’s shares
7) Proceed to install the driver / firmware. You should see a ‘wizard’ that will scan/inventory the system, this is good and means you downloaded the ‘windows installer package’, which is strongly recommended. The installer will tell you what firmware/driver version you have now and the version in the package. If the packaged version is newer, go ahead and install it.
8) Once you’re finished, if you don’t have it already you may want to install Dell Open Manage. Download this by selecting “Dell OpenManage Managed Node” from the list of available dell software. That list is very long, with many options containing ‘open manage’ in their name. Look for “open manage managed node” which is the software to install on a server itself. OpenManage is also useful as it can tell you the Service Tag of the system.