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jtembulkar
Contributor
Contributor

Strange PSOD Error Message when installing ESX 5.5 U1 (DELL Image) on DELL Precision T5500. Need insight/guidance, please!

I have been encountering PSOD's while trying to install ESX-i 5.5 U1 (the DELL image) on a DELL Precision T5500 workstation. The system is running the latest A16 BIOS from DELL, and is configured with dual quad core E5630 CPU and 12GB of RAM.

I have tried enabling/disabling various BIOS settings, but to no avail. The error is the same no matter what. I have searched on the web for the error messages, but have not found anything that is close to what I am seeing.

I am attaching two images. The first one shows the PSOD, and the second shows the output from the last page of the log file.

Would really appreciate any help/insight/guidance.

Thanks,

JawaT

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9 Replies
jrmunday
Commander
Commander

In the BIOS check your L3 cache settings ... is this set to "BSP only" or "All cores"?

vExpert 2014 - 2022 | VCP6-DCV | http://www.jonmunday.net | @JonMunday77
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jtembulkar
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for the suggestion.

The BIOS setup utility limits the # of parameters available for changing. There was no setting for L3 cache.

I ended up installing Windows 7, and then the DELL BIOS configuration utility. Using this, I was able to disable legacy USB support. This seemed to have been the issue, since I was then able to successfully install ESX-i 5.5.

Regards,

JawaT

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marcaljr
Contributor
Contributor

just a information

Dell image is just ESXi 5.5. A DELL ESXi 5.5 U1 image has not yet been released. Maybe in this month.

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jtembulkar
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for teh correction. My original posting should have said DELL image of ESX-i 5.5.

I also forgot to mention that I used the default ESX-i 5.5 U1 image, in order to get a successful install.

Thanks,

JawaT

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vKopp
Contributor
Contributor

Hello JawaT,

I have installed W2k8R2 on T7400 and atm struggling with the ugly GUI from DCCU (Dell Client Configuration Utility).

I guess the setting you meaned is: Post behavior > USB emulation, right ?

But it is grayed out in DCCU and the text shows "unsupported".

Could you please provide the correct name of the parameter to disable legacy USB support?

Thx a lot.

Regards,

Cop

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jtembulkar
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

That is the same utility that I used. I am pretty sure that "Post behavior > USB emulation" is also the BIOS parameter that I had to change. The DCCU has a couple of buttons on the top right. I had to click one of them to make all the parameters to be editable. Or perhaps I had to double click on once of the greyed out parameters. Not sure.

Once I made the changes, DCCU allowed me to export an executable. When this executable was run, I believe it changed the BIOS settings. Unfortunately, I do not recall any more. Since I installed ESX-i on the T5500, the Windows 8.1 instance is history 😞

One other difference is that your system is different - T7400 -vs- T5500, as will be the BIOS and its settings.

Sorry, I have not been much of a help. Please try and fiddle around with DCCU to get it to allow you to change all the parameters.

Best,

JawaT

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aleph0
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

also,

run a full memory test  with memtest86 for at least three days...

I'm worried about physical memory issues

\aleph0

\aleph0 ____________________________ http://virtualaleph.blogspot.com/ ############### If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!
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aleph0
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

did the memtest give some errors?

\aleph

\aleph0 ____________________________ http://virtualaleph.blogspot.com/ ############### If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!
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vKopp
Contributor
Contributor

Two days run memtest86+ v4.20 on my T7400.

Result : 24GB RAM tested with 3 passes. No errors found.

Strange...

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