Hello everyone,
I start a new topic just to have a piece of advice on a matter that making me crazy. I have a ex470 that used to work quite well, but as I got bored one day I decided to install whs 2011. That was obviously a bad idea, I broke everything and didn't manage to bring the server back, despite all the recovery discs and so on.

In a last attempt to make something with this otherwise good hardware, I decided to switch to freeNAS.

Try 1 : I installed the image on a usb key, it didn't work. I tried on all the usb ports but it never worked.
Try 2 : I set up freenas on an external hard drive that would have been dedicated to the OS (I know it is stupid but it isn't the stupidiest thing I've done with this server). I tried the disk with another computer, and without any configuration, the command console gave me an ip address to reach the WebUI. So I plugged the hard drive into the EX470 and nothing happens. the blue / red light appears and then only a blue light is flashing.

The last chapter of this story is to buy an overpriced VGA PS2 cable on ebay and see what the hell is going on in this thing, but before this, I would like to have your opinion ifever you have a clue about what I am doing wrong this time. I would love something else than a 40 euros cable from santa this year !

Hi artemon welcome to the forums!

There are many ways others have gotten another OS installed onto their EX470 but its often tricky to do this blind and best down with a DEBUG board which is my recommendation to you if you ever want to install another OS onto your EX470.

As for the status of the LED's with another OS they are actually useless to use because they are basically controlled by software that no longer exists. The only status they will properly display is the Power and NIC but the health light will just blink blue even if another OS loads properly and the Drive LEDs will not function at all unless you remove power from the server then reapply power then they will all turn on RED for a brief moment.

Many people have reported that after installing WHS2011 onto an EX47x and EX48x and attempted to reinstall the original OS they were unable to because something occurred to their SMI areas. The solution is often to get a copy of the SMI Files for the specific server model, place them on a BOOTABL USB Flash Drive, plug it in to the lower back USB Port, back out the system drive and turn the server on. When the server displays its recovery blink code just seat the system drive in and run the server recovery software from a client.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Hi Comp1962,

First of all thank you very much for the quick reply and all the good pieces of advice you gave on this forum. I have followed your recommendations as well as other you wrote previously and here is what happened :

- I created a Bootable USB drive (tested on another PC) with the ex47x SMI files.
- I tried to boot with it I correctly go to the AQUA/RED light meaning if I'm right the recovery mode. I put back a previously erased system drive and I start the recovery procedure with a client. It didn't work, never, the recovery didn't discover the server.
- When trying to recover WITHOUT the USB key, however, it was recognized and I managed to make the recovery successfully. But when I boot back the server, it kept rebooting in a loop.

Important thing, when booting without USB key or system drive, the server appears on my network console as a minit-xxxx . From what I read previously, it might mean that the SMI file are healthy. But when I plug back drive or USB, it disappears and nothing happens.

I think about giving up, which is a real pity because I am fond of the Mediasmart server with its nice and classy look, far better than my routeur and its 3 external hard drives. I hesitate taking a debug kit, considering my lack of knowledge in servers and the time I already spent on it without any success.

Anyway, this was my complaining moment, and thanks for all the help you bring to noobs like me

When the EX47x boots into its recovery mode the correct health light blink code is Purple/Red not Aqua/Red. There are 2 versions of the SMI floating around the first is for the EX47x and the other for the EX48x and they are similar but completely different as there are hardware differences between the two servers. The EX47x is AMD and the EX48x is INTEL and both have different NIC's and Drivers to run them.

The fact that your server can boot and display the name starting with MININT indicates its in its recovery mode and that the NIC is working properly. The question I have is do you have the correct Server Disk Sets for your server as they too are specific for each model of server be it the EX47x, EX48x, LX19x, EX49x, x310 x510?

If you have downloaded the SMI or Server Disk Sets from some site then you may have the wrong disk sets and I can help you correct this just send me a PM and I will be more then happy to get you taken care of.

If you want to install FreeNAS on your EX47x the easiest way would be to use a Debug Board. Your issue may have more to do with Drivers then anything else and without the proper drivers to run the motherboard particularly the NIC your not going to be successful. I am off from work the first week of Jan and I can look at installing FreeNAS something I am unfamiliar with to see what it needs to actually run properly on an EX470.

Regardless of getting the EX470 to run with its supplied OS or FeeNAS I am here to help so let me know what you want to do and hopefully we can get things back working for you.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8

Thanks Comp1962,

Each time I'm about to give up you give me an answer and reboost me to do 'one more thing'. Indeed I have been using EX490 recovery disc, first because I mistaken myself and thought it was a EX490. And also because it is the only recovery discs I have been able to find on the internet. I'll PM you to ask you a recovery disc for the ex470.

Thanks a lot !

I personally know what its like to have your only server not functioning properly. Although my experience was only a for a couple days I have never forgotten how it felt and since then I have taken what I have learned and use it to assist others. Aside from that I have been assisting others with their computer issues since the 1980's and one thing about WHS I recognized early on is how useful it is for a Client Backup & Recovery Solution with central file storage and data redundancy its all a win win.

_________________
Exploring the possibilities!

Migrated from WHS2011 to WS2012E: HIGHLANDER

~ Norco 4220 Enclosure
~ Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
~ AMD Phenom II X4 995 3.2 GHz
~ 8 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
~ 3 Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8