LifeCycle Controller Hanging During POST

Note: This blog post is for Dell PowerEdge 11G systems. Here is the 12G how to: https://crtech.tips/12g-lifecycle-controller-hangs-during-post

Sometimes a Dell PowerEdge system can get caught trying to boot into the LifeCycle Controller(LCC). Basically, when POSTing the system will hang on a Dell Logo with the error message “Entering System Services… Starting Unified Server Configurator”

There is a way to tell when you are in this loop. During POST, on the part with the Dell splash screen logo, you can see that the F10 option is NOT available. Instead it says, “System is entering System Services to cancel, enter iDrac Configuration”

I have seen this happen when you boot into the LCC then prematurely reboot the system. The system then get’s stuck trying to boot into the LCC. I have also seen a system have an up time for over a year and on the reboot the error is present.

You can leave the machine at this screen for 45 minutes or more and it may never move.

Luckily, there are a number of fixes for this issue.

-Power down the machine and unplug power from the system, then drain the flea power by pressing in the power button.
-Running the LCC patch that can be found on Dells website, but if you can’t get into the OS you have to jump through some whoops to get it installed.
-Replace the motherboard, but that’s a little extreme!!!
-The easiest method is to simply tell the system to not boot to the LCC on the next boot up.

Didn’t it say to do that on the Dell Splash screen? Awe.. boot into the iDrac Configuration Utility.

Here is how it’s done:

Boot into the iDrac during POST

Enter System Services

Note that Cancel System Services is set to NO. This is our problem.

Change Cancel System Services to Yes

Exit saving changes and let the machine boot.

That’s it!