XP not recognising my megaraid setup (try this forum)

n0_0n

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Can anyone HELP with what is wrong with XP ?.
WinME will load, Mandrake 8.2 and 10.1 both load as does Fedora (latest release) and ALL work PERFECTLY !.
What am I doing wrong ?

I've tried this setup on 2 different computers and the results are exactly the same. The megaraid card is an Lsi logic series 511 Rev cII, comps are IBM Xseries PIII 1.2 dual processors and own build PIII 1ghz Asus P3C-S.

Even though I'm sure the drivers are in XP I put the cards drivers in as well and mostly at setup it will say cannot find HDD but a couple of times BSODed cos it didn't wanna 'damage my computer'.
Any advise will be really appreciated.
 

SomeJoe7777

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Most likely you're going to have to load drivers for this card during Windows XP setup using F6. To do that we need to know exactly what kind of card this is. LSI (now Mylex) makes several different models of the MegaRaid series. I looked on their web site and I find no reference to a model 511.

If you can find out exactly what kind of card this is then we can download the correct drivers for it and get Windows XP installed.
 

n0_0n

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Many thanx for your reply SomeJoe7777, I already tried installing the only drivers I could find for the megaraid, with F6 setup, which XP then accepts the driver, but when starts loading WIN can't find HDD or will blue screen.

I'm sure it probably is a driver issue, but if you could see how well the other OS's work, it's hard to figure out why XP won't work.

The card came with the IBM Eserver Xseries 220, it has 4 Ide channels an Intel GC80960RS100 SL3ZJ CPU, 2 silicon image chips and what look like 3 memory chips, the back is stamped LSI LOGIC SERIES 511 REV C2 I'll try uploading a picture, though I'm not familiar with the procedure.
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SomeJoe7777

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Otay, we're gonna see if we can get the PCI vendor & ID for this card so we can figure out what it is.

Do the following:

1. Go to Craig's PCI Tools at http://members.datafast.net.au/dft0802/downloads.htm

2. On another running Windows machine, download PCI32.ZIP. Unzip this to a folder directly on the C: drive (i.e. C:\PCI32).

3. On that same web page, right-click and "Save As" the PCIDEVS.TXT file, save it in the PCI32 folder on your C: drive, overwriting the old one that's already in there.

4. Shut down that system, put the LSI card in a slot, and start it back up. Windows XP will display the Found New Hardware wizard, cancel out of it.

4. Open a command prompt, navigate to the PCI 32 directory (cd C:\PCI32).

5. Run the pci32 program, redirecting it's output to a file. (pci32 > mydevs.txt).

6. Open the mydevs.txt file with notepad, copy and paste the contents to a post in this thread.

I'll look at the post and find your card, get the PCI device number & vendor ID, and that way we can find the correct driver by looking through the .inf files on Mylex's site.
 

n0_0n

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Tried to install card in a system with XP already installed but would not boot to OS (flashing cursor top left hand corner) card has 8 sets of jumper pins on it, that may be a clue.
 

SomeJoe7777

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Unfortunately, that's not the right file. That one's the pcidevs.txt file. We need the mydevs.txt file that gets made when you run pci32.

It's strange that Windows XP wouldn't even boot with the card installed. Definitely may have to alter some of those jumpers. But, of course, we have to know hwat card it is so that we can download the correct documentation.

Another option would be to make a boot floppy with DOS on it, and place the DOS version of this PCI device detection program on it and run it from there. Go back to Craig's PCI tools page and download PCI.ZIP (instead of PCI32.ZIP). Unzip that into a folder. Make a bootable DOS floppy disk, put the pci.exe and pcidevs.txt files on the floppy.

Restart the computer, start it up into DOS from the floppy. Then run:

pci > mydevs.txt

Post the mydevs.txt file that gets created on the floppy here.

(By the way, you may want to edit your previous post to remove the PCIDEVS.TXT file from it so the thread isn't a mile long, hehe :D ).
 

SomeJoe7777

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Great little util SomeJoe7777 thanks again for all your help, looks like it may be an AMI card.

...

Vendor 101Eh American Megatrends Inc
Device 1960h 80960RP i960RP Microprocessor
Subsystem ID 0511101Eh MegaRAID RAID Controller (Guess Only!)
Subsystem Vendor 101Eh American Megatrends Inc

OK, awesome. We now know the unique PCI identifiers for the card, it's:

Vendor: 101E
Device: 1960
Subsystem: 0511101E

Now we have to find a driver whose .inf file has those values in it.

Yes, this appears to be a very old card made by AMI. AMI's storage division was bought out by LSI some time ago.

Fortunately, after a little poking around, I found the correct driver from LSI.

Go to LSI's web site, Downloads section. Download the driver for the MegaRAID i4, Windows XP version (all the way at the bottom).

Unzip that, put the following files on a floppy:

mraid32.cat
mraid35x.pdb
mraid35x.sys
nodev.inf
oemsetup.inf
txtsetup.oem

Start up from the Windows XP CD-ROM, hit F6, when it says insert manufacturer's driver disk in, put in that floppy. It should load the driver and then allow you to see the drives or RAID arrays defined on the controller that you can then install Windows on.

And, your documentation for setup/jumpers, etc. will be:

http://www.lsilogic.com/files/docs/techdocs/storage_stand_prod/RAIDpage/mr_i4_hg.pdf

If the Windows XP driver installation still doesn't work right, you may need to update the firmware on the card. There is a firmware download for the MegaRAID i4 on LSI's download page also, it's version N661. You may need to apply that firmware update and then try Windows XP setup again.


By the way, this is the procedure I use whenever I'm building a machine or reinstalling a machine and the thing has some card in it that I have no idea what it is. Even if the card has absolutely no markings on it whatsoever, PCI32/PCI can at least tell you who made it and what model it is, and get you on the right track to finding the drivers. Once you have the vendor, device, & subsystem, then just open likely .inf files with notepad until you find one that has the exact same numbers in it. That's the driver that will install.
 

n0_0n

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Unfortunately it has not worked, it had four drivers in the floppy and I tried them all (even though XP claimed to have them all anyway) :(.

I'm very grateful for your efforts to help me with this problem and I am much wiser because of your help :lol:

I think the fact XP won't boot when the card is put in after the OS is installed may have something to do with the jumpers on the card ,which of course only affects XP, as Linux and WinME work perfectly. 8O

I will continue this until I get a resolve and will post the final result :?
 

n0_0n

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UPDATE: attached a 20gbhd to the only available IDE channel on IBM m/b and did a fresh install of XP, to my surprise it loaded without any hiccups, there were 3 yellow markers in device manager, pci bridge, raid (at last it acknowledged it existed) and an unknown (presumably this weird network card with 2 different sized network ports and what looks like a power supply socket?).

Starting to get high on adrenalin I immediately tried to install the driver for the card off the floppy and VOILA it worked, still craving that damn adrenalin I quickly threw a ghost enterprise into the floppy and headed for GOLD!. Ghosting took 10 mins, shut it down, reefed off the IDE hd and let her rip.

Booted up beautifully in RAID!, maybe when I install SP2 for XP the other 2 yellow markers will vanish :wink: I'll keep you posted.
 

n0_0n

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UPDATE2: I have updated the firmware but it has not made a difference.

As ghosting is not the ideal solution to this problem I have to continue to find the answers, the drivers I downloaded could be suspect as they do not read Megaraid i4.

They are for 4 other different cards(I realize the drivers may also support my card) in any case i have tried to contact lsilogic and put my theory to the test.

I say "tried" because after filling in their submission form it came up with "outlook xpress" which I don't use and never will use, normally in these cases their email address is already written in and you can copy and paste it, not this time though.

So I copied all my details and sent it via their "Feedback" submission form and hopefully they will forward it (the feedback is submited directly and doesn't use email).
 

SomeJoe7777

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UPDATE2: I have updated the firmware but it has not made a difference.

Theoretically, it shouldn't have let you update the firmware if it wasn't the correct card. If you used the MegaRaid i4 firmware and it updated, then the card most certainly is a MegaRaid i4.

Assuming that's the case, that driver you downloaded has to be the correct driver (mraid35x.sys).

As for why Windows XP won't boot up or complete the setup on it, I have no idea. That's something probably only LSI can answer. I'm wondering if it has something to so with your motherboard. The ServerWorks chipset and odd BIOS may have something to do with it.

Just for grins, have you tried putting this card on another, standard motherboard (i.e. Intel garden variety chipset, like an 845, 865, or 915) and tried to do Windows XP setup on it?
 

n0_0n

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I agree, the card must be a Megaraid i4, I'm not so sure about the driver, (even though it worked under the ghosting scenario) because, when getting the driver from the site, they give you a specific choice for a particular card, and amongst those choices was the four separate cards that made up the exact four choices on the driver download, my card was also listed separately amongst those choices, yet wasn't listed as a separate driver on the download?, which tends to make me think that the driver for my card is missing and that those other four drivers are in fact not compatible (at setup) with my card? Hopefully isilogic can shed some light on the matter, for the time being I will keep testing.

I tried putting the card in an ACER P4 845 chipset and the computer started beeping, even more strange was that it was still booting up normally! I have other comps and will test the card more comprehensively.

I find it really fascinating that WinME will install quite comfortably, and yet it technically doesn't yet support the card because you don't install the driver 'til after the OS is installed, so how can it see the hard drives in the first place? and the three versions of Linux install flawlessly and work perfectly.

Thanks again for your input SomeJoe7777 it's very encouraging to get such a positive and helpful response.
 

n0_0n

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Well I don't often feel foolish :oops: , but when I do.........

Suggested Resolution: Bill,

When you press F6 and get the driver list, are you pressing the down arrow to see more controllers?

Thank you,

SHAWN
LSI Support-03
LSI Logic - Field Support Technician
support@lsil.com
http://www.lsilogic.com/downloads/main.do
Technical Support

In no way am I back pedaling on this, but in my defence, the arrow he is suggesting is not on the screen, he refers to your keyboard, what is displayed are 4 driver options inside a box, anyone could hav.......alright ....alright.
Still not completely out of the woods yet, as I haven't tried the install yet, and when I've put the card in three separate systems, it beeps straight away, maybe it only likes servers? I will investigate.
 

n0_0n

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Thanks again SomeJoe7777 a complete SUCCESS, flawless install and running perfectly :D.

When I find out why it beeps I'll post the answer :wink:
 

SomeJoe7777

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When you press F6 and get the driver list, are you pressing the down arrow to see more controllers?

LOL (sorry, but it did make me laugh. :D )

When all else fails, scroll down to see more options, hehe.

Glad you got it working!
 

godwin

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Wah, n0_0n and SomeJoe7777 you guys rock!!!
i had the same problem when trying to install WinXP onto Dell PowerEdge 600SC with the CERC IDE (the way Dell named their RAID controller i.e. LSI MegaRAID i4 in this case) installed, after reading thru all your posts and give a try.. it works!!!

here are my steps:
- grab a firmware from LSI : http://www.lsi.com/obsolete/megaraid_i4_2541.html?remote=1&locale=EN
- Create a DOS bootup disk, boot into dos and run the flash tool downloaded
- Download the driver from : http://www.lsi.com/obsolete/megaraid_i4_2541.html?remote=1&locale=EN
- Boot up with WinXP cd, hit F6, and select the drivers (the funny part, SCROLL DOWN thru the list of drivers and select MegaRAID i4 Driver)
- Proceed with the rest of the installation
- Bingo!! you're done. with Windows XP

i do however have to flash the card with the new firmware (not the one provided by DELL, as they're not allowed to install XP onto their server)

it is so funny, when the guy from LSI mentioned the scrolling down thing in the list of drivers.. as this is my very first time i knew.. that there are more drivers listing other than the four, displayed on the screen.

anyway, you guys rocks!!!
 

dudik22

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Godwin I need firmware for Megaraid i4 , i can't find an LSI site . Can you me email firmware ? my adres:
eti@poczta.fm