Win Install - Harddrive Not Recognized

[tcoki]

What could possibly change in my hardware setup or BIOS that would prevent me from installing WinXP Pro (OEM version) into one of my partitions?

I am using the ASUS A7V133 with two HDDs arranged in RAID 0 through the onboard Promise controller. Current partitions are set up as follows:

Hard drive1: P1> "Win98", P2> "Win2K", P3> "Files"
P1 is Primary, while the other two partitions are Logical
All partitions are in FAT32

Last year, I successfully loaded Win2K Pro into P2. I would like to get WinXP into P3. So, I start the WinXP install process from within Win2k or Win98, check the box to choose a partition during installation, and then Windows reboots. I use F6 and the Promise SCSI drivers are detected and loaded. Here’s where things go wrong – I get a blue screen and the installation stops. Just for yucks, I used my Win2K CD and it doesn’t work either. Its almost like Windows install doesn’t recognize my hard drive. BUT, both Win98 and Win2K are otherwise still working fine.

For what its worth, here’s my boot.ini file:
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"

How is it that I could install Windows into partitions just fine last year, but now the installation won’t work? Something tells me its the RAID array, which means an ugly situation...

 

[jlanka]

is there an error message on the blue screen?

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

 

[Scotty35]

Dont hit f6 as the Xp CD will have the drivers required anyway, just go past that point, and when you set it up in the other o/s make the install paths go to the partition where you want to install it<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by scotty35 on 08/22/02 11:11 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[tcoki]

Problem Resolved.

ASUS currently posts the Promise “Raid Drivers for Linux, NetWare and Win 95/98/ME/2K/NT4.0/XP” v2.00.0 (build 18), which contains the RAID 0 controller for the A7V133 and other motherboards. This file is on their website at http://download.asus.com.tw/scsilan_alllist.asp under “RAID” then “Promise_RAID.” This zipped version has a cool “make disk” feature – an executable application to save files and folders to a floppy. However, v2.0 will NOT work when pressing F6 during Windows installation.

Back to the drawing board. I used the Win2k drivers that originally came with the board – v1.3 (build 44). I loaded these drivers (yes, the Win2K drivers) when installing WinXP. I ignored all the ominous warnings about driver compatibility, and XP eventually installed.

Once WinXP was up and running, I entered device manager, looked under SCSI and RAID controllers, and updated to v2.00 from a different floppy, but this time used the WinXP drivers. I also installed the latest VIA 4-in-1 drivers.

WinXP still gives me warning messages about the “Promise Filter Driver.” However, on the Promise website, they have a message posted there that reads, “The filter driver that is referred to in the message is not necessary for the FastTrak to operate at full functionality under Windows XP, consequently there is no filter driver update for Windows XP. You may disregard this message and continue the Windows XP installation as normal as this will not affect functionality of the FastTrak.” Go figure!

ASUS, you make some great hardware, but get with the program on your drivers!

 

[jlanka]

I ignored all the ominous warnings about driver compatibility, and XP eventually installed.

Those stupid warnings. Here's a case where the registered drivers didn't work, and the warnings did. I hate those little $hits

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>