Posted: 7/2/2005 10:27:24 AM EDT
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Alright, I don't know why it's working differently on this install, but I'm having a problem with startup. Here's the setup: IDE 1 Master: CD/DVD IDE 1 Slave: CD-R/RW IDE 2 Slave: 120GB WD hard drive for storage only, no system files ("Spare") SATA RAID card with 3x 120GB WD hard drives in RAID5 with windows installed. ("RAID") In the BIOS the boot order goes Floppy, LS10(something), Disabled (no hard drive boot is selected, but "boot other devices" - the RAID card - is enabled) If I have Spare powered on throughout the boot process, startup will not be able to find the boot drive and will flash "error finding operating system" If I leave Spare unpowered until just after Windows begins to load, then power it on, Windows will load fine, but it's a 50/50 chance of being able to get Windows to recognize Spare. This is the second time in two days I've installed Win XP (doing a computer overhaul) and the first time I installed (format then install) I could leave Spare powered on throughout the Boot and it would act fine, but not this time. Any suggestions? Need clarification? Thanks in advance. |
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+1 for ByteTheBullet The drive needs to be the IDE master on the IDE controller. With some IDE controllers with a slave with no master drive can cause problems If it were my computer the IDE HD would be the master on the primary (IDE 1) controller with the DVD/CD drives on the second controller (IDE 2). EDIT: Are there any setting for boot BIOS in the RAID card setup. If there are it may need to be enabled. |
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Just changed the drive to IDE2 Master, no difference. Got to "Verifying DMI Pool Data....." then "Error loading Operating System", once I unpowered the Spare and rebooted it was fine. I put it on IDE2 to try to prevent the system from looking at it like a system drive, but it didn't really work.. The RAID card is enabled, boot from the RAID is enabled, and in the RAID card BIOS the RAID5 is set as "boot" and Windows installed successfully... aside from this headache. |
I assume you did… but did you change the master/slave jumpers on the IDE drive? I also suggest you try a known good IDE cable, could be a cable problem. |
Is the drive showing up in the BIOS on every boot, are there advanced boot options in the BIOS if so check them. |
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Last I checked (within a month) everything was up to date. It's an AMD 3200+ on an Abit AN7 MoBo, with an Antec 550 watt power supply Can't see any advance boot options in the BIOS other than boot order, but there are some options for the individual IDE channels, I understand them except for "PIO mode" (option: on/off) Think switching the CDs and hard drive would make a difference (IDE1 <--> IDE2)? |
It's not necessary for the RAID to operate. I've changed it to Floppy, disabled, disabled, with the "boot from other device" enabled. Still no diff, and it's driving me nuts. It's like if it sees a hard drive on IDE1 or IDE2 it won't boot from the RAID, which doesn't make sense. |
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It sounds like your system board is not skipping the IDE hard drive in the boot sequence. I've seen several systems do that, even if you have some sort of 'boot sequence' set which skips the drive. Our BIOS' (Dell servers, I support them) have not only a 'boot sequence' but also a 'hard drive sequence' in which you can set which hdd controller is used to boot. If it's not set, the system will try to boot to IDE hard drives, even if they are not there. |
| You have "other boot devices enabled". It probably just chooses the spare as the first "other boot device". I would explicitly put the SATA RAID setup in the bootup sequence (before the normal IDE can boot). What are all the options listed as boot devices? I ask because an on-board raid chip usually has some funny boot label in the BIOS. |
It is not an on-board RAID chip, it is a bootable RAID controller card. The options for boot order are Floppy CD-ROM HDD-0 HDD-1 HDD-2 HDD-3 LS120 SCSI ZIP NETWORK I think I might have found a way around it, under the IDE1 Master properties I can turn Master AUTO/OFF/Manual I might play with those settings to see if anything comes of it. |
Nope, fixed the problem though. Have the boot order Floppy, SCSI, Disabled, and turned the IDE1 Master to "off" For some reason it works ni windows, and doesn't interfere in the boot (won't show on BIOS unless I turn it back on though, sounds like a fair trade to me) Thanks for your assistance guys, I appreciate it. |