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HPE DL160 Gen10 Storage Driver Injection

Procedure for manual storage driver injection during Windows Server 2025 installation on HPE ProLiant Gen10 hardware.

1. Problem Statement: Missing Storage Drivers

The DL160 Gen10 utilizes the embedded HPE Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 controller (Software RAID). The native Windows Server 2025 installer does not include the required drivers, resulting in zero detected disks during setup.

2. Solution Specification

Manual injection of the Windows Server 2022 driver is performed during the installation process. This driver is validated for compatibility with the Server 2025 environment.

Requirements

  • USB storage device (minimum 2GB).
  • Administrative workstation for driver preparation.

3. Preparation Procedure

A. Driver Retrieval

  1. Download the HPE Smart Array S100i SW RAID Driver for Windows Server 2022.
  2. File Reference: cp052316.exe.

B. Extraction

Precaution

Executables (.exe) are not recognized by the Windows installer. Files must be extracted.

  1. Execute cp052316.exe on the administrative workstation.
  2. Select Extract (do not select Install).
  3. Target a dedicated folder (e.g., S100i_Drivers).
  4. Transfer the extracted folder to the USB device.

4. Installation Procedure

  1. Boot the server using the Windows Server 2025 installation media.
  2. Navigate to the empty drive selection screen.
  3. Select Load Driver.
  4. Browse to the S100i_Drivers folder on the USB device.
  5. Select HPE Smart Array S100i SR Gen10 SW RAID.
  6. Click Next to refresh the disk list and proceed with installation.

5. Troubleshooting and Verification

  • BIOS Configuration: Verify that the storage controller is set to Smart Array SW RAID Support in the System Options (F9). The "AHCI" setting is incompatible with this driver.
  • Intelligent Provisioning: If automated provisioning fails or hangs at "Network Detection", manual injection as outlined above should be prioritized.