Coffee Lake motherboard that supports Server 2016?

[Red Storm]

My dad went and bought himself an 8700K build, with an Asus Z370-A motherboard. When attempting to install the drivers after installing Windows Server 2016, it says the drivers won’t work with the OS. He tried the Windows 10 drivers thinking it would work, but they don’t.

Are there any 1151 motherboards that are known to work with Server 2016 that support the latest Intel processors?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

What is it that your dad does with his computer that he needs a Windows Server OS instead of Windows 10 Pro?

Here is some insight from my personal project. I've had my own Server "kloodge" since the year 2000. For most of that time, I used Server NT and 2000, then Workstation 2000, then XP. After that, Win Home Server (WHS) v.1 and WHS-2011. Now I'm building a 2012 R2 Essentials server with a workstation/desktop Z68 Gen 3 (Ivy Bridge capable) motherboard and an i5-3470 CPU.

There are always driver troubles and struggles if not using a server platform with a Xeon board. But it would be a lot weirder to see someone using a server OS for a desktop /workstation.

Usually, for a server OS, you'd look at the desktop OS drivers of just one generation previous. So with my 2012 R2, I was able to install Win 7 and Win 8.1 drivers. The drivers to my Marvell controller happily specified 2012 R2 compatibility. But the built-in NIC of my desktop motherboard, while "Intel Pro", would not accept the Windows 8.1 driver installed with that OS, and I would get the message similar to yours.

I ran a search on the motherboard and the Intel 82579V network adapter under Win 2012 R2, and someone had dealt with it. You had to edit the driver INF file, so that Win 2012 would recognize the INF file as acceptable for the OS -- changing the OS version number. A few lines of script had to be relocated in the file. then -- voila! I just know that I'm not always going to be that lucky, and neither should you . . .

The experience I've had with desktop hardware, WHS-2011/2008-R2, and Windows 2012 R2 have been what others have called "not a problem" and fairly smooth but for one driver or another, and the remaining problem has so far always had a solution. But maybe your dad doesn't really need server 2016. You tell me -- since I've laid it out for you.

I would be surprised if Win 2016 doesn't work with desktop hardware. It's just not Microsoft's articulated intention: those OSes are meant to run primarily on "server" boards with Xeon processors. They just never excluded compatibility of the server OS with mainstream desktop hardware.

 

[Micrornd]

My dad went and bought himself an 8700K build, with an Asus Z370-A motherboard. When attempting to install the drivers after installing Windows Server 2016, it says the drivers won’t work with the OS. He tried the Windows 10 drivers thinking it would work, but they don’t.

If Server 2016 installed, it installed drivers and should work without the need of others.
Was there a problem and did he allow Windows Update to run and install the most current WHQL drivers ?

I've used a Server OS for my Desktop OS since NT and never has a driver problem using any Intel based board.
I just removed Server 2016 and switched to try out Windows Pro for Workstations, but can assure you Server 2016 works just fine and didn't have driver issues using W10 drivers.
If he absolutely insists of install others, then go directly to the OEM sites for the chipsets and download the correct ones for Server 2016 (i.e. from Intel and Realtek)

 

[XavierMace]

Is your dad trying to install the drivers from Asus's website? Asus has their own installer wrapper for the drivers they provide which (in my experience) reject being installed on the server OS's. If he finds the actual setup file rather than Asus's wrapper, it should work. Or the OEM drivers should work.

That said, which drivers is he having a problem with?

 

[Red Storm]

Is your dad trying to install the drivers from Asus's website? Asus has their own installer wrapper for the drivers they provide which (in my experience) reject being installed on the server OS's. If he finds the actual setup file rather than Asus's wrapper, it should work. Or the OEM drivers should work.

That said, which drivers is he having a problem with?

The Asus drivers downloaded from Asus's website. Where would I find the actual setup file?

 

[XavierMace]

Generally the OEM's installer is in the same folder or the appropriate subfolder for your OS (x86 or x64). IE setup.exe vs asussetup.exe.

 

[Red Storm]

Generally the OEM's installer is in the same folder or the appropriate subfolder for your OS (x86 or x64). IE setup.exe vs asussetup.exe.

This worked, thanks! Everything except the LAN driver worked, I’ve read the various guides for the LAN driver but my dad went ahead and bought a pcie lan card and that worked right away.

 

[fleshconsumed]

This worked, thanks! Everything except the LAN driver worked, I’ve read the various guides for the LAN driver but my dad went ahead and bought a pcie lan card and that worked right away.

It's a known issue, intel blocks desktop driver from installation on server OS, but there is a workaround.
https://blog.workinghardinit.work/2...-i219v-drivers-windows-server-2016-eufi-boot/

 

[XavierMace]

It's a known issue, intel blocks desktop driver from installation on server OS, but there is a workaround.
https://blog.workinghardinit.work/2...-i219v-drivers-windows-server-2016-eufi-boot/

That's a horrifically bad work around.

 

[Micrornd]

That's a horrifically bad work around.

Especially since it wasn't necessary.

It's a known issue, intel blocks desktop driver from installation on server OS, but there is a workaround.
https://blog.workinghardinit.work/2...-i219v-drivers-windows-server-2016-eufi-boot/

It's really not so much that, as it is folks inability to navigate the Intel site.
The date on the blog is 06/19/2017, while the Intel drivers were released 10/11/2016
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...twork-Adapter-Driver-for-Windows-Server-2016-

 

[fleshconsumed]

Especially since it wasn't necessary.

It's really not so much that, as it is folks inability to navigate the Intel site.
The date on the blog is 06/19/2017, while the Intel drivers were released 10/11/2016
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...twork-Adapter-Driver-for-Windows-Server-2016-

Oh no it's necessary. If you look carefully on the downloads page, supported product is I219-LM which is server version of I219-V which is the standard intel NIC on most consumer motherboards. Hardware wise they're identical, but because of product segmentation Intel drivers do not support I219-V on Server 2012/2016.

And I disagree on horrifically bad workaround. Would I do this in a work environment? Of course not. However, OP is already using consumer grade hardware with server software. I think it's safe to presume it's for personal reasons with nothing critical running on the server. I've been running this workaround for several years now without any issues.

 

[Red Storm]

Yes this is for use in a home lab, definitely not a work environment.

 

[Micrornd]

Oh no it's necessary. If you look carefully on the downloads page, supported product is I219-LM which is server version of I219-V which is the standard intel NIC on most consumer motherboards. Hardware wise they're identical, but because of product segmentation Intel drivers do not support I219-V on Server 2012/2016.

I can see as how that may be confusing, but Intel typically provides support for most variations of chips, listed or not.

If you'll take the time to open the download you'll find that the driver inf file (Pro100\Winx64\NDIS65\e1d65x64.inf) supports both the I219v and I219LM with specific entries for both (including multiples on the same board) as well support for both versions of I217 and I218 chips.
Likewise support for the I211 chipset, referred to in the hack posting above, is provided by the e1r65x64.inf file in the same location.

It is also helpful to install the "Intel® Server Chipset Driver for Windows", rather than the standard "Intel® Chipset Device Software" as it plays a part it allowing the correct installation of drivers used in the server OS environment.

 

[fleshconsumed]

I can see as how that may be confusing, but Intel typically provides support for most variations of chips, listed or not.

If you'll take the time to open the download you'll find that the driver inf file (Pro100\Winx64\NDIS65\e1d65x64.inf) supports both the I219v and I219LM with specific entries for both (including multiples on the same board) as well support for both versions of I217 and I218 chips.
Likewise support for the I211 chipset, referred to in the hack posting above, is provided by the e1r65x64.inf file in the same location.

It is also helpful to install the "Intel® Server Chipset Driver for Windows", rather than the standard "Intel® Chipset Device Software" as it plays a part it allowing the correct installation of drivers used in the server OS environment.

I'm sorry, but the only one who is confused is you. Consumer variations of I211-AT, I217-V, I218-V, and I219-V are purposefully not supported by intel/microsoft on Server 2012/2016 OS'es. The proof is in the OP who couldn't do it, the proof is in the multiple blogs on google search talking about the same problem.

If you're still not convinced, here's your answer straight from the horse's mouth:
https://communities.intel.com/thread/107644