SOLVED: VIDEO: How to Properly Wipe & Reload an Old Windows Server Like a Dell PowerEdge R620

We are often asked about how to revive older servers when all you have is the physical server.  How can you wipe out server and install a fresh copy of Windows Server 2012 when you don’t even have a copy of Server 2012 and you are new to working on physical hardware?

In this video we explain and demonstrate how to:

1. source a legal copy of Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019
2. convert the download Windows Server ISO to a bootable USB stick using a free utility named ‘Rufus’
3. boot from the USB stick, source and install RAID controller drivers for a Dell PowerEdge R620 server (PERC710 controller)
4. get around error KB2533623 by installing KB4457144
5. install network and chipset drivers
6. flash the BIOS, RAID Controller, NIC’s and more
7. activate the 180 day demo copy of Windows Server using your COA key