Skip to main content
  • Place orders quickly and easily
  • View orders and track your shipping status
  • Enjoy members-only rewards and discounts
  • Create and access a list of your products
  • Manage your Dell EMC sites, products, and product-level contacts using Company Administration.

How to install Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 on Dell AMD Rome and Milan based PowerEdge Servers.

Summary: This document talks about the different symptoms that a customer might run into while trying to install Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 on Dell AMD Rome and Milan based PowerEdge Servers. The steps to successfully install Windows Server are detailed and provided below. ...

This article may have been automatically translated. If you have any feedback regarding its quality, please let us know using the form at the bottom of this page.

Article Content


Instructions

Windows Server 2016 Installation

Symptoms:     
During OS installation, system(s) at the windows logo appear hung or result in a blue screen.

Issue 1: WS2016 does not support x2APIC mode.
Issue 2: Older WS2016 OS builds (earlier than build version 14393.1378) do not support IOMMU.

Solution:      
  1. Boot to System BIOS (F2).
  2. Go to the Processor Settings section.
Perform Steps 3 and 4 only if the system configuration consists of 2 CPUs and 64 cores and above on each (total 128 physical cores and above). With 128 physical cores and above, Logical Processor must be kept disabled. Enabling Logical Processor enables x2APIC by default and results in a blue screen even after Windows Update.
  1. In the System's BIOS, disable the Logical Processor settings and save the settings.  
image.png
  1. Reboot the System, Boot to System BIOS (F2) again, and go to Processor Settings section.
  2. In the System's BIOS, disable the x2APIC Mode setting.
  3. In the System’s BIOS, disable the IOMMU support setting. (This step can be skipped if using OS builds later than version 14393.1378 which carries the IOMMU Support).
image.png
  1. Save the settings and Reboot the system.
  2. Install WS2016 OS.
  3. Update Windows to the latest available update or make sure at minimum SSU KB4509091 and CU KB4512495  August 17, 2019 build 14393.3181 is installed.
  4. Reboot the System.
  5. Enable IOMMU support and Leave the x2APIC Mode disabled.
image.png
  1. Refer to the BIOS settings table for correct BIOS settings with different CPUs.
Figure 1. BIOS Settings Table
1 Socket Server
CPU Logical Processor x2APIC Mode IOMMU Support
64C x 1 Enabled Disabled Enabled
32C x 1 Enabled Disabled Enabled
24C x 1 Enabled Disabled Enabled
16C x 1 Enabled Disabled Enabled
8C x 1 Enabled Disabled Enabled
 
2 Socket Server
CPU Logical Processor x2APIC Mode IOMMU Support
64C x 2 Disabled Disabled Enabled
32C x 2 Enabled Disabled Enabled
24C x 2 Enabled Disabled Enabled
16C x 2 Enabled Disabled Enabled
8C x 2 Enabled Disabled Enabled
 

Note 1: X2APIC always needs to be kept disabled, toggling it on results in a system hang even after installing Windows Update.
 
Note 2: To mitigate Issue 2, make sure to be at minimum CU KB4022723 June 27, 2017 (build v14393.1378) is installed during step 9 in the above solution. 

Refer to the link from MS for more details.
 

Windows Server 2019 Installation

Symptom:      
The below symptoms may be observed during the WS2019 OS installation.

Issue 1: The system might appear hung at the windows logo during installation.
Issue 2: The keyboard and mouse will be dysfunctional after OS installation.
Issue 3: The system may lose network connectivity.
Issue 4: Blue screen may be observed.

Solution:      
  1. Boot to System BIOS (F2).
  2. Go to the Processor Settings section.
Perform Steps 3 and 4 only if the system configuration consists of 2 CPUs and 64 cores and above on each (total 128 physical cores and above).
  1. In the System's BIOS, disable the Logical Processor settings and save the settings.
image.png
       
  1. Reboot the System, Boot to System BIOS (F2) again, and go to Processor Settings section.
  2. In the System's BIOS, disable the x2APIC Mode setting.
  3. In the System’s BIOS, disable the IOMMU Support setting.
image.png
  1. Save the settings and Reboot the System.
  2. Install WS2019 OS.
  3. Update Windows to latest available update or make sure at minimum SSU KB4512937 and CU KB4512534 August 17, 2019 build 17763.720 is installed.
  4. Reboot the System.
  5. Go to System BIOS, enable Logical Processor, X2APIC Mode and IOMMU Support.
image.png


Refer to the link from MS for more details.

Refer to Dell KB article 130134: Windows Server support and installation instructions for the AMD EPYC 7xx2 series of processors. for more details.

Article Properties


Affected Product

PowerEdge C6525, PowerEdge R6515, PowerEdge R6525, PowerEdge R7515, PowerEdge R7525

Last Published Date

05 Apr 2022

Version

4

Article Type

How To