Can't install XP on main PC - Solutions anybody?

[BladeRunner 0]

Hello All,

Right, I can't install WinXP on my main system, wondering if anybody has any solutions/ideas on this front.

 

The problem components on the system:

 

Promise Fasttrack 100 RAID Controller

Adaptec 19160 SCSI COntroller controlling Pioneer DVD-ROM

ASUS CUSL2-C-Black Pearl Motherboard.

 

The problem:

 

Due to limitations in most bios's (including the Black Pearl's) there is aproblem with two add-in cards, namely the SCSI controller and RAID controller.

RAID controller sits above the SCSI controller, this is the only way to make the RAID controller bootable (as I have 4 HD's in RAID 0+1 this is a must).

If I attempt to boot from a bootable CD-ROM, gets to the point 'press any key to boot from CD' and then hangs, refuses to boot.

This rules out using the bootable CD features of the WinXP CD.

Modified a Win98 boot disk so it contains the latest DOS drivers that supports the Adapted 19160, boot from floppy disk, both my SCSI DVD-ROM and SCSI CDRW drive are seen from dos.

Browse to:

\I386

Run winnt.exe

WinXP setup starts and warns about lack of 'smartdrive'.

Ignore this error, then get the message:

WinXP requires xxxxxx amount of Hard Disk space on a non-removeable drive.

Setup cannot find this amount of space, setup will exit.

 

This is prior to the usual 'F6' press that enables me to install drivers for the Promise controller and thus allow the setup program to see the 120GB HD array.

 

WinXP does not contain the 'mkboot' or 'mkboot32' files that would enable me to create a 4 floppy disk boot/installation set.

 

Anybody got any suggestions?

Only 2 I can come up with (rather not do).

 

1. Install Win2k first (as Win2k has the boot floppy disk option)

2. Get hold of an IDE CD-ROM drive to boot from (could do this, but would prefer not to if possible).

 

Ta

[Cynan 0]

Try going to here and downloading the boot floppys.

 

--Cynan.

[BladeRunner 0]

Had a look at that location.

That is the image for the boot floppies for WinXP RC1.

Unfortunately they don't work with the final release of WinXP (Wrong label on the CD, keeps asking for the CD even though it is inserted).

 

Absolutely crazy to remove the ability to create bootable foppies from the final release.

Looks like the only option I'm going to have is to install an IDE CD-ROM drive for installation only.

[[H]ard-Turtle 0]

Silly question but are the drives you want to install on partitioned and formatted? If they are not..that is the problem. You can fdisk and format them with FAT32 and then convert later in the install or not if you so decide. If they are not partitioned and formatted XP won't ever see them.

[BladeRunner 0]

Hiya,

The problem is with the RAID controller.

All 4 of my HD's form a 240GB (120GB useable) RAID 0+1 array.

As I detailed in the first post, I can't use the 'Boot from CD' option because IDE RAID Controller + Adaptec 19160 SCSI Controller/DVD-ROM causes a hang rather than a boot from CD.

 

When I run \I386\winnt from a Win98 boot disk it does indeed fail to see the HD's.

But this is because at no stage have I been able to tell WinXP that it needs to look on the Promise RAID controller for the disks.

It notices there are no HD's installed on the on-board controllers and errors out.

With Win2k, even with an unformatted RAID array, after booting from floppy disks and using the F6 option, Win2k does the partitioning and formatting itself, no need for fdisk.

[[H]ard-Turtle 0]

The request to "Press F6 to install SCSI" doesn't come until after, quite a bit after actually the initial transfer of setup files drives, which is done in DOS. DOS obviously needs to see the disks by having them partitioned and formatted. I would love for someone to tell me how to get it done without having to do that first but so far no one can. You are correct..boot from CD won't work. When you run winnt.exe from DOS all of the setup and installation files transfer to the hard drives, you'll have text in the lower right corner of the screen of each file, then after quite a pause a status bar will be displayed, transferring more files. When this is complete the OS will tell you the MS-DOS portion is complete, remove and disks...blah, blah, blah. Press a key to restart...Just after restart it should boot from the RAID, Inspect Hardware, and ask you to press F6...from then on you should have smooth sailing....If those disks are partitioned and formatted before hand from the Win98 boot disk. I've done it several times both the right way and the wrong way...lol

[Cynan 0]

Beg to differ there! if you boot from a floppy or the CD you can press F6 before it starts copying any files - I know, I did it. You have to beable to do it this way otherwise you can't reformat that drive in the installation program (cos their are setup files on it!).

 

The files that are copied to the hard disk first are only done when you start the installation from within another OS.

 

Maybe when its officially released, MS will put up floppies to dl.

 

--Cynan.

[BladeRunner 0]

That's what I'm starting to believe.

MS have to supply a floppy option.

I doubt they will be in the box, but I fully expect to be able to download a set.

Saying that, found a place here selling IDE CD-ROM drives for £22.

Might just purchase one, attach to on-board IDE channel, boot from CD, install, remove IDE CD-ROM drive until next install required.

[BladeRunner 0]

Oh I know it's all down to not having boot floppies.

Maybe I should simply have titles the thread "So, anybody know where to get boot floppies for the final version of WinXP Pro?".

 

The reason I know this is the issue is because Win2k is a flawless installation.

F6 during setup.

Install Promise RAID drivers

Install Adaptec 19160 drivers.

 

Win2k installation sees my promise controller and 120GB of space (this doesn't need to be partitioned or formatted as that's what the first part of the installation allows you to do, not like the days of Win9x).

Win2k installation also sees my Pioneer SCSI DVD-ROM drive, installation continues and completes.

 

The only reason I can't do the same under WinXP is the lack of boot floppies (I'm pretty sure the newer generation of motherboards will be able to cope with 2 bootable add-in cards).

I'll probably just simply go the £21 for an IDE CD-ROM drive route, just connect it up so I can boot from the WinXP CD (F6 boot for the Promise controllers) and then disconnect after first re-boot.

[CRamaglia 0]

why dont yo boot with any bootable floopy (win 95, 98, ME, 2000...) copy the content of the Windows XP to the Hard Drive to any directory you create and then install from there?

[[H]ard-Turtle 0]

OK..so in a way...you just confirmed what I said...w2k was a flawless install WITH the boot floppies...but without, feel free to try my suggestion rather than wait for someone to produce floppies..no?

[BladeRunner 0]

Not really, because the only suggestion you have come up with (About making sure the HD's are partitioned & formatted) is flawed, as the WinXP installation program cannot see the Promise RAID controller from a simple 'boot from DOS' disk & run winnt.exe.

 

It has nothing to do with the fact that the HD's may or may not be partioned or formatted (As a side note, when I did the test with a DOS boot disk the HD's still contained a copy of Win2k which I was going to blast away during the XP installation, so they were partioned & formatted).

DOS simply can't see the Promise RAID controller, WinXP wont be able to see it until after I have told it to look for it (Something you aren't prompted to do when running WinXP setup from DOS).

 

The official 5 boot floppy set is going to be the only way to get this working, so I'll have to wait for them to be released around the 25th.

[[H]ard-Turtle 0]

Good Morning BladeRunner,

 

Lets go back a little and we can think about this some more...K?

I'm sorry for getting snippy before.

 

You said in your last post that you booted from a DOS disk and saw your old w2k folders (verifying the disks are partitioned and formatted)

 

Was that boot disk a Win98 startup disk? And can I assume that the drives were setup on the RAID controller in your normal config?

 

If all that is correct, there should be no reason why it didn't start the install of XP.

 

I've now done my second install of XP on another computer similar to your setup. ASUS A7V with a PCI Promise RAID controller in RAID 0.

 

I dealt solely with win98 full startup disk, I did add smartdsk.exe to it because the install goes soooooo much faster, not one with "system files only".

I booted using win98 disk w/o CD-ROM. Fdisk, partitioned the RAID drive, restarted.

Booted using win98 disk w/o CD-ROM. Formatted C:, restarted.

Booted using win98 disk w/CD-ROM finally!!, ran smartdsk.exe twice (don't ask me why...just works this way...you can see that disk cache is enabled).

Went to CD directory \I386 ran winnt.exe

Text in lower right corner of setup screen for 20 seconds or so...Loooong pause with no text...Activity on the drive though.

Same setup screen, yellow "status" bar and text indicating installation files are being copied to drive.

 

At the end of this the message "MS-DOS portion of setup is complete, if you have a floppy disk in your drive please remove it and press any key to continue" or something like that was displayed. Did as I was told..lol

Upon restart I immediately got a screen I recognize and love, black screen text at top left corner "Setup is inspecting your hardware configuration"

 

Blue screen text at lower left corner "Press F6 to install additional...blah, blah..forget what it says"

 

And aaawwwwwwaaaaayyyy she went.

 

Now, I didn't go through all that because I think you are stupid, on the contrary...just wanted to relay exactly how it went so maybe you could try it and see where the whole process breaks down for you, then possibly we can go from there. Cool?

Let me know if you decide to try it and what happens OK?

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

MMMMM, i havent' read EVERY post here, but is making a HD image some how possible and copying it to the raid drive? Just an idea (10 am in the morn, i ain't awake yet!)

 

 

[Bursar 0]

Quote:

MMMMM, i havent' read EVERY post here, but is making a HD image some how possible and copying it to the raid drive? Just an idea (10 am in the morn, i ain't awake yet!)

Doesn't that kind of imply that you can get the OS installed in the first place

Blade: If you want, I can lend you an IDE drive on a semi-permenant basis if you want.

[BladeRunner 0]

Well I've just 'liberated' a Samsung 40x IDE CD-ROM drive for the duration of my two weeks holiday from work starting in 30 minutes time!!

 

However, eventually it will have to go back.

I'm going to need a unit around for if ever things go so very wrong, so maybe we could come to some arrangement on the purchasing of such an item!