Windows 2000 & HPT366: Masters only! NO SLAVES ALLOWED!

[ShadesOfGrey]

I recently decided it was time to re-install Windows 2000 fresh. After the usual teething pains common to any Windows install (and those particular to the BP6) I've run across a problem that has me stumped. As Windows 2000 boots, the boot screen progress bar only gets 'half full' before Win2k locks up. But only if a drive/s connected to the HPT366 is/are configured as slave; with or without a master; overclocked or not (2x400MHz Mendicino Celeron's when OC'd they're @450MHz). This didn't used to happen. I thought it might be a driver/BIOS problem as I had flashed my BIOS to RV+HPT366 v. 1.30b prior to install and was using the 1.30 dirvers here. So I reverted back to the RU+HPT366 v. 1.28 BIOS and the 1.25.2 drivers. Sadly, Windows 2000 still hangs.

Now I suppose I should probably retire the BP6 for all the hassles it has caused over its lifetime. But I like to keep it up and running for no other reason thatn to say I have a genuine dual processor box. To that end I've pretty much decided to solve this problem by replacing the HPT366 all together. Thing is, I'm curious to know if anybody else has encountered this behavior and what solution (if any) they may have come up with or come across. Besides, I'd like to use the damned thing while I wait for the Promise Ultra133 TX2 I'm going to order.


BTW, I should probably mention that most times the drive light will stay on (dimmed to about 75% its normal intensity) after things lock up. On other occasions the light is off. There may be more to this, but this is a recent observation so I'm not sure if this is caused by a specific set of circumtstances... I also slipstreamed SP4 and the latest hotfix rollup prior to installing Win2k, which may or may not have something to do with this problem. My prior install was successively patched from Win2k to SP1-SP4 with out this problem manifesting... But then again, you never know with the BP6, do you?



I apologize for any typographical or grammatical mistakes in advance. I haven't gotten much sleep during this ordeal and I'm not exactly at 100%.

[hyperspace]

Welcome to BP6.Com, ShadesofGrey !

Have you tried Cable Select on the drive(s)?

[ShadesOfGrey]

Welcome to BP6.Com, ShadesofGrey !

Have you tried Cable Select on the drive(s)?

Thanks for the welcome, I'm glad to be here.

Yes I did. I've tried every practical combination of jumper settings (nothing stupid like setting two drives on the same channel as slave mind you). I've also 'swapped' drives from port 3 to 4 and back again in a variety of configurations. You know the usual, WD paired with WD, Seagate pair with Seagate, newer vintage as master & older as slave (and vice versa), etc., etc.. Which BTW, had been a problem before I took an ole Maxtor out of the equation. Even so, Windows still locks up...

I suppose I really should try to install another OS and see if this is unique to Windows. I've been so 'obsessed' trying to get Windows to boot sucsessfully (I've got all kinds of data tied up on NTFS partitions), I've neglected to completetly rule it out as the cause.

Anyway, I'll try and install Linux or BeOS. In the mean time, any further suggestions would be most appreciated.

[jaybird]

Dumb question, but I once had the exact same problem.

It turned out to be a cable problem! I actually had an 80 wire cable that had the ends wired backwards! When I put the "blue" end where the "black" end was supposed to be every thing worked!

I'm sure its not the same problem but did you try a different 80 wire cable? I have foound them to be very fragile.

Regards,

jaybird

[jaybird]

Almost forgot! Do you have any PCI card in PCI 3? Remember, PCI 3
shares IRQ 11 with the HighPoint ATA66 device.

Regards,

jaybird

[ShadesOfGrey]

Dumb question, but I once had the exact same problem.

It turned out to be a cable problem! I actually had an 80 wire cable that had the ends wired backwards! When I put the "blue" end where the "black" end was supposed to be every thing worked!

I'm sure its not the same problem but did you try a different 80 wire cable? I have foound them to be very fragile.

Regards,

jaybird

Yup, in fact I tried a brand spanking new cable and I'm still having tourble. Though I suppose I can try switching it around 'backward' just to see what happens.

[ShadesOfGrey]

And something I failed to mention. I'm using System Commander (v7.05 to be exact) to triple boot into DOS 6.22, Windows 98SE, Windows 2000 (I also have a BeOS 4.5 installation that no longer boots, but that's a different problem). I've discovered that when going into the Partitioning screen from the System Commander boot screen, I get a "Message 1-550" and later there's a capital "E" in the 'system tray' next to the disk icon.

Perhaps this "Message 1-550" has some bearing on my problem? I've sent a support request to V-Com and I let you know if it has anything to dowith my current situation. but if anybody here can shed some light on this (before V-Com does), please do...

[ShadesOfGrey]

Almost forgot! Do you have any PCI card in PCI 3? Remember, PCI 3
shares IRQ 11 with the HighPoint ATA66 device.

Regards,

jaybird

It's not that. I removed all my expansion cards (except video of course) and still Win2k locks.

[Derek]

"Windows 2000 & HPT366: Masters only! NO SLAVES ALLOWED!"

hahahaha

[ShadesOfGrey]

"Windows 2000 & HPT366: Masters only! NO SLAVES ALLOWED!"

hahahaha

The subject header may not be in the best of taste. But, with all the sleep debt I'm carrying I got a bit loopy.

Then again, the subject certainly reflects my dilemna!

[davd_bob]

What hard drives? There has been some discussion lately about 137GIG limits.

um, did I miss where you said you tried the drives on IDE1/IDE2 connectors?

Many here always install on IDE1 then move it to the '66 ports.

Wait, maybe Im not supposed to post here cause at work, Im just a slave.

[ShadesOfGrey]

What hard drives? There has been some discussion lately about 137GIG limits.

um, did I miss where you said you tried the drives on IDE1/IDE2 connectors?

Many here always install on IDE1 then move it to the '66 ports.

Wait, maybe Im not supposed to post here cause at work, Im just a slave.

None of the drives I have (on the BP6) are larger than 80GB.

I haven't tried installing to drives connected to the BX IDE (1/2) controller...

As I mentioned before, I slipstreamed the HPT drivers into a Win2k install CD using nLite (pretty nifty tool, BTW). With the HPT BIOS at v1.28 (and I think 1.25, but I'd have to double check) I had not problems intalling Win2k onto drives connect to the HPT controller So long as I had no drives connected to the BX controller. Now if I go with Abit's official RU w/v1.22 HPT BIOS, Win2k's installer can't find any devices...

Although this may also be related to my downgrading the drivers on the CD to v1.25.01. That was what had worked in my previous install, not 1.25.2 as I previously stated.


I'm going to try some 'experimental' installs this weekend. First I'm going to determine which BIOS/driver combinations allow my Win2k install CD to detect drives connected to the HPT controller. Than I'm going to try installing Win2k onto a drive connected to the HPT controller configured as a slave. Then I'll try installing onto a drive connected on the BX controller and laslty (because I still have to d/l one) I'll try installing a Linux distro to see how it fairs with the MASTER/slave connudrum.

Thankfully, the Promise controller I ordered should be arriving some time today. so I can get the BP6 back into working order and experiment at my leisure.

[ShadesOfGrey]

What hard drives? There has been some discussion lately about 137GIG limits.

um, did I miss where you said you tried the drives on IDE1/IDE2 connectors?

Many here always install on IDE1 then move it to the '66 ports.

Wait, maybe Im not supposed to post here cause at work, Im just a slave.

None of the drives I have (on the BP6) are larger than 80GB.

I haven't tried installing to drives connected to the BX IDE (1/2) controller...

As I mentioned before, I slipstreamed the HPT drivers into a Win2k install CD using nLite (pretty nifty tool, BTW). With the HPT BIOS at v1.28 (and I think 1.25, but I'd have to double check) I had not problems intalling Win2k onto drives connect to the HPT controller So long as I had no drives connected to the BX controller. Now if I go with Abit's official RU w/v1.22 HPT BIOS, Win2k's installer can't find any devices...

Although this may also be related to my downgrading the drivers on the CD to v1.25.01. That was what had worked in my previous install, not 1.25.2 as I previously stated.


I'm going to try some 'experimental' installs this weekend. First I'm going to determine which BIOS/driver combinations allow my Win2k install CD to detect drives connected to the HPT controller. Than I'm going to try installing Win2k onto a drive connected to the HPT controller configured as a slave. Then I'll try installing onto a drive connected on the BX controller and laslty (because I still have to d/l one) I'll try installing a Linux distro to see how it fairs with the MASTER/slave connudrum.

Thankfully, the Promise controller I order should be arriving some time today. so I can get the BP6 back into working order and experiment at my leisure.

Please ignore this post... I accidentally hit the quote button.

[Dave Rave]

while you're testing ......

check out the different BIOS
QQ RU and later
they have different versions of the HPT inside

check if they work properly with the wrong drivers...

I'm betting the QQ 1.26 needs the 1.26 driver, and the 1.28 driver will show signs of not being as good as it might be

[ShadesOfGrey]

while you're testing ......

check out the different BIOS
QQ RU and later
they have different versions of the HPT inside

check if they work properly with the wrong drivers...

I'm betting the QQ 1.26 needs the 1.26 driver, and the 1.28 driver will show signs of not being as good as it might be

That might be difficult... I only have the following driver versions (as specified in the INF):

1.25.0.10
1.25.1.10
1.30.0.10
2.34 (I don't recall where I got this one, but it doesn't seem to work anyway)

I have all the official Abit BIOS'es (LP, NJ, QQ, RU) and all the variants form here (that incl. HPT366 BIOS).

[ShadesOfGrey]

Well, it looks like it's the 1.30.0.10 driver that allows me to install to drives attached to the HPT controller, regardless of BIOS revision. I still can't figure out why Win2k locks up. Though I have discovered that so long as two drives are connected to the same channel, Win2k will lock up regardless of the boot drive being MASTER or slave.

I'll try install ing linux some other time (maybe tomorrow)... Right now, I want to get Win2k up and running on the Promise controller so I can actually get at my data!!!



BTW, I found out the 2.34 drivers I have are actually for the HPT370/2, even though the INF and driver claim to be for 'HPT3xx' contorllers.

Later...

[Dave Rave]

I posted my driver directory to Derek
should be up in
http://www.bp6.com/board/dload.php?acti ... y&cat_id=2
soon.
try matchig BIOS version numbers with Driver version numbers.

also try mismatching and reporting those stats too

[jaybird]

I have found over the years that the best combination (at least for me) with win2k and a ver. 1.0, rev. 0.40 board, dual 366's stable @ 584 has been the "modified RU BIOS with PIII micro-code and the HPT 1.28 BIOS",
this combined with the 1.25.2 drives provided me with a perfectly stable system.

However, I did my OS (dual 98SE/WIN2K Pro) on IDE 1 and a 40 wire cable, CD-ROM on IDE 2, then after BIOS and driver installation on IDE 1 moved hdd 1 to IDE 3 and 2nd drive to IDE 4.

OBTW, this same installation was used when I went to dual PIII's except the PIII's were incorrectly identified as 1187, not 1100's, no big deal,
BP6FSB identified them correctly.

Regards,

jaybird