hp e-pc [e-vectra] - does not detect cd rom on boot?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

> toidi <rmaloleyii@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello, I have hewlett packard e-pc e-vectra machine
> (product number: P4263T) ... trying to throw a slave
> drive on the same channel as the hard drive.

If I recall correctly (and I might not), I ran into that
with a different ePC a few years back. I was upgrading
the HDD to a larger drive, and needed to clone the FS.
I had no luck getting the slave recognized.

My conclusion was that the ePC's BIOS was hard-coded to
ignore a slave on the IDE/ATA primary (the secondary [CD]
channel was a 50pin laptop connector, that may or may
not have been the "unitized" standard, but I had no
adaptor for it, nor any desire to build one).

If Salve is locked-out, why is it? Beats me. My first guess
is that the ePC designers weren't sure the power supply
could handle two HDDs (particularly at power-up/spin-up)
on an otherwise fully-loaded system.

I ended up removing the HDD from the ePC and connecting
both to another full PC, then running DriveCopy.

--
Regards, Bob Niland mailto:name@ispname.tld
http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com
NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Hmm, that sounds like my situation exactly. The secondary controller is
a laptop CD ROM and there is only enough power for one hard drive,
which is why I threw the new CD ROM on a power supply from another box.

So far I haven't received an answer from HP either - I might just have
to find a new box, since I gotta reinstall the OS. Unless.... how crazy
are the components in this box? Would installing the OS in a different
machine then transferring it over affect the overall performance by too
much?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

We've replaced the CD ROM drive with another laptop drive - within
Windows the drive is detected and works. During bootup though, and in
the BIOS, it's as though it doesn't even exist. Which confuses me to no
ends!

We have XP on there now, and my idea is to install Windows 2000
Professional SP4. So if we moved the drive to a fairly standard
machine, installed Windows, and then moved it back, do you think we'd
have too many problems with the new hardware being detected?

We'll also look into getting some more RAM in there. Once again, thanks
for the help!

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

I would normally do a clean install on that machine, but with the CD
ROM drives not being recognised during the boot process, I find it
difficult. Can't do floppies as I don't have a USB floppy drive with
me. I think one of the other owners stole it back.

I was planning on installing it, then Sysprepping the hard drive for
moving to the new system. I've done it before when deploying images to
other machines, and I've had mixed success.

Ben: Any other suggestions that you might have?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Which operating system do you want to install? If you install almost any
version of Windows on a hard drive in another computer, you will need to take a
lot of precautions to get it running properly in the e-vectra. And it may never
work right.

Let's assume that HP engineers mucked up the BIOS to prevent two hard drives
being installed on the system. Why not simply replace the laptop CD-ROM drive?
Yes, I know that it may not be that simple, especially if the laptop drive has a
non-standard connector, oddball mountings or a special plastic front bezel.

Despite the small and unique form factor, the e-vectra uses common chipsets,
according to the document at the following URL:

http://h200007.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManua...

The chipsets are:
Intel 815 or 815E for motherboard and graphics
Crystal CS4299 audio
3COM 3C905-TX Ethernet

From the pictures shown in this document, the CD-ROM drive appears to be a
fairly standard notebook-type drive with a tray made expressly for the e-vectra
(and maybe other HP computers). At worst, you would have to take a stock
notebook CD-ROM drive and attach the tray from the old drive to it.

Maximum memory is 256MB, according to the document. If you are planning to use
Windows XP, forget about it. XP runs poorly on systems with slower CPUs and
256MB. With 512MB and a Pentium III processor, XP would run OK. Windows 2000
runs nicely in 256MB. Forget Windows ME, the binary rubbish emitted by
Micro$oft. Windows 98SE would make sense, altho less stable than Win 2000.

Contact me offline if you can't get a CD-ROM drive for the e-vectra. The
closest I can come would be to pull a drive from a small form factor Vectra
system... Ben Myers

On 3 Feb 2005 04:10:12 -0800, "richard el grande" <rmaloleyii@gmail.com> wrote:

>Hmm, that sounds like my situation exactly. The secondary controller is
>a laptop CD ROM and there is only enough power for one hard drive,
>which is why I threw the new CD ROM on a power supply from another box.
>
>So far I haven't received an answer from HP either - I might just have
>to find a new box, since I gotta reinstall the OS. Unless.... how crazy
>are the components in this box? Would installing the OS in a different
>machine then transferring it over affect the overall performance by too
>much?
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

TOO MANY PROBLEMS installing Windows on one computer then moving the hard drive
to another. Really! Do not even think about it. I've spent lots and lots of
hours straightening out Windows after doing a motherboard swap, which is
effectively the same thing. Windows is NOT designed for this. But if you
really want to waste your time, go right ahead.

If you can't coax the e-vectra to boot from the Windows 2000 CD, go to
www.bootdisk.com and download the 3-or-4 diskette set needed to boot and install
Windows 2000 starting with a floppy. But first, check the boot order in the
BIOS. If CD-ROM drive is first in the list of boot devices, the Windows 2000 CD
should boot right up and install.

Except possibly for the Crystal audio chip in the e-vectra, Windows 2000 should
detect all the other chipsets and install the right drivers... Ben Myers

On 3 Feb 2005 09:00:51 -0800, "richard el grande" <rmaloleyii@gmail.com> wrote:

>We've replaced the CD ROM drive with another laptop drive - within
>Windows the drive is detected and works. During bootup though, and in
>the BIOS, it's as though it doesn't even exist. Which confuses me to no
>ends!
>
>We have XP on there now, and my idea is to install Windows 2000
>Professional SP4. So if we moved the drive to a fairly standard
>machine, installed Windows, and then moved it back, do you think we'd
>have too many problems with the new hardware being detected?
>
>We'll also look into getting some more RAM in there. Once again, thanks
>for the help!
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

Nope. I'm out of suggestions at this time. Sounds like you are painted into a
corner. Is the CD-ROM drive first in the BIOS boot order? If there is even a
boot order in the BIOS setup... Ben Myers

On 3 Feb 2005 12:32:30 -0800, "richard el grande" <rmaloleyii@gmail.com> wrote:

>I would normally do a clean install on that machine, but with the CD
>ROM drives not being recognised during the boot process, I find it
>difficult. Can't do floppies as I don't have a USB floppy drive with
>me. I think one of the other owners stole it back.
>
>I was planning on installing it, then Sysprepping the hard drive for
>moving to the new system. I've done it before when deploying images to
>other machines, and I've had mixed success.
>
>Ben: Any other suggestions that you might have?
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

im having a similar problem, my guess is that the cd-rom has pooped
its self.

ive got the HP e-PC c10/s10 which supports booting off a lan, i was
wondering if you could install windows through the lan?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

is the problem OK now?
or have you still the problem today?

is this grammar right? i don't know! i'm germany, but i have had the
same problem last month. but now i have a "user manual" to install
without cd or floppy drive.

maik