Installing NT Server on PC with large Hard Drive

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Folks I need some help.

I have a new PC with no Operating System Loaded on it.
The hard disk is 160GB and has not been partitioned.
I am trying to load Windows NT Server 4.0

The setup runs ok until I put in the second floppy disk. The last message
displayed on the status bar before the system crashes is "Setup is loading
Files (FAT File System)". The screen the flickers and the system reboots.

What do I need to do?
Do I need to partition the hard disk? If so what utility do I use and how do
I do it?
I have seen some articles on the Internet saying that I should download the
lastest atapi.sys file and supply it when asked to do so. Unfortunately my
installation does not go that far. I am not prompted for anything apart from
the second setup disk.

I hope someone can help.
Thanks
Tony

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Thanks for the reply, but unfortunately the setup program crashes before
prompting me to specify what mass storage devices I have.


Please, anyone, help.







"the fly" <tsetse51@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:hft2g05ffhdt7in43tt3bsjroa4ud9guc9@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 22:45:27 +1000, "Tony Starr"
> <tonyXXXnospamxxxStarr@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>
> >Folks I need some help.
> >
> >I have a new PC with no Operating System Loaded on it.
> >The hard disk is 160GB and has not been partitioned.
> >I am trying to load Windows NT Server 4.0
> >
> >The setup runs ok until I put in the second floppy disk. The last
message
> >displayed on the status bar before the system crashes is "Setup is
loading
> >Files (FAT File System)". The screen the flickers and the system reboots.
> >
> >What do I need to do?
> >Do I need to partition the hard disk? If so what utility do I use and how
do
> >I do it?
> >I have seen some articles on the Internet saying that I should download
the
> >lastest atapi.sys file and supply it when asked to do so. Unfortunately
my
> >installation does not go that far. I am not prompted for anything apart
from
> >the second setup disk.
> >
> >I hope someone can help.
> >Thanks
> >Tony
> >
>
> NT Setup cannot recognize a disk volume that large. You need
> the later NT IDE driver atapi.sys from Service Pack 4 or later. You
> can download the files here:
>
>
> http://hard-drives.driverfiles.net [...] 8,10,.html
>
> Expand the files to a floppy disk.
> Boot with the NT setup floppies. During the running of disk
> #2, you are given the option to specify mass-storage controllers.
> Choose "S" to specify, and a list of drivers opens in the next window.
> Choose the last item in the list: "Other Mass-Storage Controllers."
> Supply the disk with the later ATAPI driver when prompted. Setup
> should now recognize the full size of your disk.
> Setup can create partitions up to 4GB. You can create other
> partitions and logical drives as you like using Disk Administrator,
> after NT is up and running.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Dave,


Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately at the point that the Setup Program
bombs out I have not been asked for any input. I have not got to the point
where I am give an option to delete a partition or do anything else. The
only thing the setup program has asked for is for the second setup disk to
be inserted.

Regards
Tony
"Dave Patrick" <mail@NoSpam.DSPatrick.com> wrote in message
news:uaNP%23ETcEHA.716@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> To do a clean install, either boot the Windows NT install CD-Rom or setup
> disks. When you get to the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other
> partitions found. After you delete the partition(s) abort the install,
then
> again restart the pc booting the CD-Rom or setup disks to avoid unexpected
> drive letter assignments with your new install.
>
> Depending on your drive's geometry Windows NT supports a system partition
> (the first primary active partition and where the files required to start
> the OS reside (boot sector)) limited to 7.8gB NTFS or 4gB Fat16, while the
> boot partition (where the OS is installed) is not limited in size. You
wont
> be able to create a system partition greater than 4gB with Windows NT
Setup;
> if you need a system partition 4gB - 7.8 gB, you'll need to use Partition
> Magic or use another NT machine to create the first primary active
> partition. The system and boot partition can be the same partition.
>
> If you created one large system/ boot partition > 7.8 gB and installed the
> OS, it may work, but the problem is if you defragment the drive or service
> pack the install and the files ntdetect.com, ntldr, boot.ini, and
> ntbootdd.sys end up being relocated to a point beyond the 7.8 gB barrier,
> then the bootstrap process wont be able to find them and the OS wont
start.
>
> Once the OS is installed you can use Disk Administrator to partition and
> format the rest of your drive. You'll need atapi.sys from SP4 or later for
> Windows NT to be able to recognize a drive larger than ~ 8 gB. See the
first
> article for the link and instructions.
>
> Installing Windows NT on a Large IDE Hard Disk
> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=197667
>
>
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/wi [...] /atapi.exe
>
> Windows NT 4.0 Supports Maximum of 7.8-GB System Partition
> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=224526
>
> Boot Partition Created During Setup Limited to 4 Gigabytes
> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=119497
>
> Windows NT Partitioning Rules During Setup
> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=138364
>
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
> Microsoft Certified Professional
> Microsoft MVP [Windows]
> http://www.microsoft.com/protect
>
> "Tony Starr" wrote:
> | Thanks for the reply, but unfortunately the setup program crashes before
> | prompting me to specify what mass storage devices I have.
> |
> |
> | Please, anyone, help.
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

You have a bad boot diskette. Recreate the diskettes or
use the CD-ROM to boot directly.
You can recreate the diskettes from MS-DOS (with a CD-ROM
driver)
Boot to MS-DOS and Type:
d: [ENTER]
cd\i386 [ENTER]
winnt /OX [ENTER]
If running Windows NT's Virtual DOS or an MS-DOS shell
type:
winnt32 /OX [ENTER]


>-----Original Message-----
>Dave,
>
>
>Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately at the point that
the Setup Program
>bombs out I have not been asked for any input. I have not
got to the point
>where I am give an option to delete a partition or do
anything else. The
>only thing the setup program has asked for is for the
second setup disk to
>be inserted.
>
>Regards
>Tony

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Hi Tony,

A thought just came to mind - the floppy drive on this machine is a standard
floppy drive ? There is a known issue with a LS-120 floppy drive failing the
install at the point you mention.

Microsoft Knowledgebase article 172773 - "Problems Using LS120 Floppy Disk Drive
With Windows NT Setup" has details.

Calvin.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

See if George's idea will work for you.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

"Tony Starr" wrote:
| Dave,
|
| Thanks for your response. I made a new set of boot floppies but again the
| setup process fails at exactly the same spot. Any ideas.
|
| Regards
| Tony

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

This leads us to believe there's an issue with the floppy
drive.
In any case it appears that Windows NT either doesn't
understand the partition table, there's a file system
marked primary and active that Windows NT doesn't support
or the boot sector is damaged.
In all cases you can use FDISK to recreate the MBR, delete
unsupported partitions or rebuild the partition table.

>-----Original Message-----
>Thanks Calvin,
>
>The Knowledge base article you suggested pointed me in
the direction of
>running the setup from CD. This in turn lead to the error
"Windows NT
>requires a Hard Drive Volume"
>
>My investigations lead me to believe that I need to boot
the system under
>DOS 6.22, partition and format the hard disk and then try
setup again. I am
>in the process of trying this now. I will post back to
this group and let
>you know how I got on.
>
>Regards
>Tony
>
>
>"Calvin" <nospam@spamcop.net> wrote in message
>news:4104ca1b@duster.adelaide.on.net...
>> Hi Tony,
>>
>> A thought just came to mind - the floppy drive on this
machine is a
>standard
>> floppy drive ? There is a known issue with a LS-120
floppy drive failing
>the
>> install at the point you mention.
>>
>> Microsoft Knowledgebase article 172773 - "Problems Using
LS120 Floppy Disk
>Drive
>> With Windows NT Setup" has details.
>>
>> Calvin.
>>
>
>
>.
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

booted under dos 6.22, used Fdisk to remove all partitions and created a
Primary Dos Partition. I rebooted the system under Dos 6.2 and formatted the
harddisk. It only seemed to give me a 2GB drive instead of the whole 160GB
but I figured this was a Dos limitation and pressed ahead. I ran the Windows
NT setup from CD using the WINNT /B command line. The first part of the
installation ran well. I was instructed to reboot to allow the installation
to continue. After rebooting the system got into a loop where it just kept
rebooting itself.

I tried running the setup program again from floppy disk and it fell over in
extacly the same place as before. Disk Two - Loading FAT File System.

Does this sound like I have faulty hardware?
Should I be using a different tool to partition the hard drive? If so what
do you recommend?

Regards
Tony

"Jiri Tuma" <jiri.tuma@nospam.seznam.cz> wrote in message
news:%23$0g$dvcEHA.3040@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Seems you have incompatible hardware. Try <F6> key trick. Boot either form
> CD or floppies and, at begin of setup, when black screen with message like
> "setup is inspecting your hardware ..." appears, press <F6> key a few
times
> (for sure as there is no immediate reaction). This will disable
> autodetecting and autoloading of standard mass storage drivers. As NT
setup
> will not run autodecting routines, there is less chance to hang computer
and
> it will allow you to load updated drivers instead of standard build-in
> versions. During this procedure NT setup will insert additional Mass
storage
> devices configuration step just after first phase of setup (because of
> disabled autoloading, setup cannot access disk without manual loading of
> primary disk driver). Here you can use your floppy with updated atapi
> driver. Also do not forget to specify loading of standard atapi CD ROM
> device driver (select it from list of build-in drivers). This driver is
> normally autoloaded, but with <F6> it is not and if you do not load it
> manually, setup will lost access to setup CD after switching to NT kernel
> based phase of setup.
>
> luck
>
> George
>
> "Tony Starr" <tonyXXXnospamxxxStarr@ozemail.com.au> pí¹e v diskusním
> pøíspìvku news:uJQ6GMLcEHA.4032@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > Folks I need some help.
> >
> > I have a new PC with no Operating System Loaded on it.
> > The hard disk is 160GB and has not been partitioned.
> > I am trying to load Windows NT Server 4.0
> >
> > The setup runs ok until I put in the second floppy disk. The last
message
> > displayed on the status bar before the system crashes is "Setup is
loading
> > Files (FAT File System)". The screen the flickers and the system
reboots.
> >
> > What do I need to do?
> > Do I need to partition the hard disk? If so what utility do I use and
how
> do
> > I do it?
> > I have seen some articles on the Internet saying that I should download
> the
> > lastest atapi.sys file and supply it when asked to do so. Unfortunately
my
> > installation does not go that far. I am not prompted for anything apart
> from
> > the second setup disk.
> >
> > I hope someone can help.
> > Thanks
> > Tony
> >
> >
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

This message is for "Tony Starr"
<tonyXXXnospamxxxStarr@ozemail.com.au

Tony,


>-----Original Message-----
>Folks I need some help.
>
>I have a new PC with no Operating System Loaded on it.
>The hard disk is 160GB and has not been partitioned.
>I am trying to load Windows NT Server 4.0
>
>The setup runs ok until I put in the second floppy disk.
The last message
>displayed on the status bar before the system crashes
is "Setup is loading
>Files (FAT File System)". The screen the flickers and the
system reboots.
>
>What do I need to do?
>Do I need to partition the hard disk? If so what utility
do I use and how do
>I do it?
>I have seen some articles on the Internet saying that I
should download the
>lastest atapi.sys file and supply it when asked to do so.
Unfortunately my
>installation does not go that far. I am not prompted for
anything apart from
>the second setup disk.
>
>I hope someone can help.
>Thanks
>Tony
>
>
>.
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

This message is for "Tony Starr"
<tonyXXXnospamxxxStarr@ozemail.com.au

Tony,
Did you ever get your issue resolved? If so what was the
final approach that you took? I am facing a simimular
issue with a gatewauy solo 9100 (yes the floppy drive is
an LS 120) that has had a new (unformatted) 40G drive
installed. There is a chance that what you had to do may
help me avoid the same issue.
Thanx,
Mark
>-----Original Message-----
>Folks I need some help.
>
>I have a new PC with no Operating System Loaded on it.
>The hard disk is 160GB and has not been partitioned.
>I am trying to load Windows NT Server 4.0
>
>The setup runs ok until I put in the second floppy disk.
The last message
>displayed on the status bar before the system crashes
is "Setup is loading
>Files (FAT File System)". The screen the flickers and the
system reboots.
>
>What do I need to do?
>Do I need to partition the hard disk? If so what utility
do I use and how do
>I do it?
>I have seen some articles on the Internet saying that I
should download the
>lastest atapi.sys file and supply it when asked to do so.
Unfortunately my
>installation does not go that far. I am not prompted for
anything apart from
>the second setup disk.
>
>I hope someone can help.
>Thanks
>Tony
>
>
>.
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Mark,

I have still not got this problem resolved. How about you?


Folks,

Thank you all for your help. I am still stuck. Here is the current status.
I have run the setup program supplying the Service Pack 4 version of
Atapi.dll when prompted. The setup program ran to completion. I was then
instructed to reboot the system to allow the setup program to complete the
installation. On rebooting the system gets into a loop. The system first
displays the messsage that Setup is inspecting the hardware configuration.
Next a blue screen appears title Windows NT Setup. Within a second the
system reboots itself and gets stuck in a loop of inspecting the hardware
and rebooting.

Please help!!!

Regards
Tony



"Mark Miodus" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:aa5b01c47960$f6e65cd0$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> This message is for "Tony Starr"
> <tonyXXXnospamxxxStarr@ozemail.com.au
>
> Tony,
> Did you ever get your issue resolved? If so what was the
> final approach that you took? I am facing a simimular
> issue with a gatewauy solo 9100 (yes the floppy drive is
> an LS 120) that has had a new (unformatted) 40G drive
> installed. There is a chance that what you had to do may
> help me avoid the same issue.
> Thanx,
> Mark
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Folks I need some help.
> >
> >I have a new PC with no Operating System Loaded on it.
> >The hard disk is 160GB and has not been partitioned.
> >I am trying to load Windows NT Server 4.0
> >
> >The setup runs ok until I put in the second floppy disk.
> The last message
> >displayed on the status bar before the system crashes
> is "Setup is loading
> >Files (FAT File System)". The screen the flickers and the
> system reboots.
> >
> >What do I need to do?
> >Do I need to partition the hard disk? If so what utility
> do I use and how do
> >I do it?
> >I have seen some articles on the Internet saying that I
> should download the
> >lastest atapi.sys file and supply it when asked to do so.
> Unfortunately my
> >installation does not go that far. I am not prompted for
> anything apart from
> >the second setup disk.
> >
> >I hope someone can help.
> >Thanks
> >Tony
> >
> >
> >.
> >

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Hi again Tony,

PS: the thought just occurred to me as well - please check the machine you are
installing on is clean - the 'endless reboot loop' during setup is also a
symptom possible in the case of a boot sector virus being present - better make
sure this isn't the case before you continue.

Calvin.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Scanned for Viruses. None found.

Regards
Tony

"Calvin" <nospam@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:411738da$1@duster.adelaide.on.net...
> Hi again Tony,
>
> PS: the thought just occurred to me as well - please check the machine you
are
> installing on is clean - the 'endless reboot loop' during setup is also a
> symptom possible in the case of a boot sector virus being present - better
make
> sure this isn't the case before you continue.
>
> Calvin.
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Tony
Don't know if you resolved this...

I had similar problem

I took a workstation - loaded NT server - updated with all
service packs and patches - cloned upto my network, then
cloned back down to my machine that had a large harddrive
and other hardware that NT server was not happy with ...

>-----Original Message-----
>Folks I need some help.
>
>I have a new PC with no Operating System Loaded on it.
>The hard disk is 160GB and has not been partitioned.
>I am trying to load Windows NT Server 4.0
>
>The setup runs ok until I put in the second floppy disk.
The last message
>displayed on the status bar before the system crashes
is "Setup is loading
>Files (FAT File System)". The screen the flickers and the
system reboots.
>
>What do I need to do?
>Do I need to partition the hard disk? If so what utility
do I use and how do
>I do it?
>I have seen some articles on the Internet saying that I
should download the
>lastest atapi.sys file and supply it when asked to do so.
Unfortunately my
>installation does not go that far. I am not prompted for
anything apart from
>the second setup disk.
>
>I hope someone can help.
>Thanks
>Tony
>
>
>.
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.setup (More info?)

Hi All,

At the end of the day, I went and bought Windows 2000 Pro. I loaded it,
partitioning my hard drive so that the Crive was a 4MB FAT, and the D:
drive had the remaining 116 MB as NTFS. All installed nicely. Reinstalled
windows NT and hit the same problem. Installation seems to go OK, I supply
the ATAPI.dll from Service Pack 4 but when the system reboots to complete
the installation things get nasty. The system starts to load NT, then the
screen flickers and it goes into a reboot cycle.

In the end I gave up and installed Win 2000 Pro. I figure that some bit of
hardware in my brand spanking new computer is incompatible with NT. This is
not an ideal solution as I need to be able support clients using SQL Server
7.0 running under NT, but I can only have SQL Server 7.0 Desktop under Win
2000 Pro. I had to get the system back up and running so that I could get
back to work. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get by with my
current set up.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your help.

Regards
Tony




"Calvin" <nospam@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:412bbcb5$1@duster.adelaide.on.net...
> Hi John,
>
> Nothing heard from Tony since 10 August, so I'm unsure of whether his
problem is
> solved or not.
>
> Calvin.
>