Help Req. Win XP install problems with Adpatec 29106 SCSI card and HDs

[Drifter]

Hello:

I have a comp that as been running fine on Win98SE. Win98 installed
just fine as well. We need to update the comp. for some new software
upgrades.

I got WinXP Professional. Install started fine. Went through initial
copying of files, the usual "where do you want to install?" questions,
and then rebooted the machine. Now all the comp will do is endlessly
reboot as follows:

POST up
Install the Adaptec Bios (2.57.7 I think),
find the HDs
Get to the point where the NT loader should take over, but it just
reboots.

I have moved the SCSI up and down in the BIOS boot priority; got the
latest Adaptec drivers and added them in as thrid party drivers using
the XP CDROM install program; shut off all IDE drives in BIOS except
the CDROM (no other IDE drives installed); made sure the C: drive is
at location 0; and so on without success.

I may have made things worse in that I used a Win98 startup disk to
put the 98 OS back on the C: drive using the 'sys C:' command. Left
alone, it will boot to the C: drive. I just wanted to see what was
up. Looks like XP is not even seeing the SCSI C: drive and is
rebooting itself. Win98 has no problem seeing teh SCSI drive.

I really DON'T want to reformat this disk as there is a lot of data
and programs on it. But I will if needed.

Any ideas appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hello:

I have a comp that as been running fine on Win98SE. Win98 installed
just fine as well. We need to update the comp. for some new software
upgrades.

I got WinXP Professional. Install started fine. Went through initial
copying of files, the usual "where do you want to install?" questions,
and then rebooted the machine. Now all the comp will do is endlessly
reboot as follows:

POST up
Install the Adaptec Bios (2.57.7 I think),
find the HDs
Get to the point where the NT loader should take over, but it just
reboots.

I have moved the SCSI up and down in the BIOS boot priority; got the
latest Adaptec drivers and added them in as thrid party drivers using
the XP CDROM install program; shut off all IDE drives in BIOS except
the CDROM (no other IDE drives installed); made sure the C: drive is
at location 0; and so on without success.

I may have made things worse in that I used a Win98 startup disk to
put the 98 OS back on the C: drive using the 'sys C:' command. Left
alone, it will boot to the C: drive. I just wanted to see what was
up. Looks like XP is not even seeing the SCSI C: drive and is
rebooting itself. Win98 has no problem seeing teh SCSI drive.

I really DON'T want to reformat this disk as there is a lot of data
and programs on it. But I will if needed.

Any ideas appreciated!

Thanks.

There are several questions in your post.

a) Installation of WinXP. While there is an upgrade path from
Win98 to WinXP, it involves numerous compromises. The
result is often a flawed system, or one that fails altogether.
A fresh installation will give you a far more stable and robust
operating system.

b) Applications. They need to be re-installed.

c) Data. There is an iron rule in computing that says that
all important files must be backed up to an independent
medium once a week, and in particular before an upgrade.
Many people chose to ignore this rule until they suffer a
major disaster. It's called "learning by experience".

 

[Drifter]

There are several questions in your post.

a) Installation of WinXP. While there is an upgrade path from
Win98 to WinXP, it involves numerous compromises.

I was hoping to just over write the existing install. Not necessarily
upgrade it. Thought was to just use the exitsing structures and have
a new OS move in. From what I am hearing that is not possibly without
removing all data and progs from the partition before hand. .....

b) Applications. They need to be re-installed.

Yeah, some do. I was trying to avoid a complete reinstall of
everything. But looks like that's the direction I'm heading in.

c) Data. There is an iron rule in computing that says that
all important files must be backed up to an independent
medium once a week

Everything IS backed up nightly and offsite backups are sent out once
a week. Data integrity was not my question although thank you for
your concerns, it is appreciated. Most data is on other partitions as
well. Again, I was trying to be lazy and see if I could slip an OS on
the boot partition as quickly as possible.

To summarize your responses it would not be prudent or, in this case,
possible and a reformat/install is the most straight forward approach
at this point. That's what I needed to know and work out at this
point. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I was hoping to just over write the existing install. Not necessarily
upgrade it. Thought was to just use the exitsing structures and have
a new OS move in. From what I am hearing that is not possibly without
removing all data and progs from the partition before hand. .....


Yeah, some do. I was trying to avoid a complete reinstall of
everything. But looks like that's the direction I'm heading in.


Everything IS backed up nightly and offsite backups are sent out once
a week. Data integrity was not my question although thank you for
your concerns, it is appreciated. Most data is on other partitions as
well. Again, I was trying to be lazy and see if I could slip an OS on
the boot partition as quickly as possible.

To summarize your responses it would not be prudent or, in this case,
possible and a reformat/install is the most straight forward approach
at this point. That's what I needed to know and work out at this
point. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

With this method you would get the best result.

 

[Drifter]

Thanks for the help, Pegasus.

I am going to reply to my own thread with an update and some different
problems as I have moved forward a little, although problems persist.
Any ideas?

System:
Windows XP Professional, Gigabyte GA-6vx7-4x mainboard, Via Chip set,
Adaptec 29106 SCSI PCI controller, two HD's, Fujitsu and Seagate HD's.
The Seagate actually uses a converter board, it is not native SCSI.

Boot drive is 0, boot number is 0

Updated mainboard to latest bios, updated Adaptec SCSI controller to
3.10 (latest) bios. Deleted primary DOS partition. Created new
partition.

Inserted Win XP Pro w/ SP2 disk. Used setup to reformat drive as
NTFS.

Problem:

Went to install XP. Finally got the setup routine to copy everything
to the HD.

WinXP rebooted the system, setup continued.

Made it through everything until "Completing Setup" appeared at the
base of the screen and the bar indicator was at 80%. Then the system
rebooted/restarted itself and the install started over. This will
continue as long as I will let it. I never got to the point that the
install was done. Just endless restarts.

Any logs that are created that will tell me why XP is restarting the
system at the exact same point each time without completing the
install? I have spent 1.5 days on this problem with NOTHING to show
for it. I am an RCH away from ripping the damn SCSI crap out and just
using an IDE drive. This system is about as 'plain jane' as you will
ever see. I am amazed at the headaches a simple Win install is
causing me.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Michael W. Ryder]

Thanks for the help, Pegasus.

I am going to reply to my own thread with an update and some different
problems as I have moved forward a little, although problems persist.
Any ideas?

System:
Windows XP Professional, Gigabyte GA-6vx7-4x mainboard, Via Chip set,
Adaptec 29106 SCSI PCI controller, two HD's, Fujitsu and Seagate HD's.
The Seagate actually uses a converter board, it is not native SCSI.

Boot drive is 0, boot number is 0

Updated mainboard to latest bios, updated Adaptec SCSI controller to
3.10 (latest) bios. Deleted primary DOS partition. Created new
partition.

Inserted Win XP Pro w/ SP2 disk. Used setup to reformat drive as
NTFS.

Problem:

Went to install XP. Finally got the setup routine to copy everything
to the HD.

WinXP rebooted the system, setup continued.

Made it through everything until "Completing Setup" appeared at the
base of the screen and the bar indicator was at 80%. Then the system
rebooted/restarted itself and the install started over. This will
continue as long as I will let it. I never got to the point that the
install was done. Just endless restarts.

Any logs that are created that will tell me why XP is restarting the
system at the exact same point each time without completing the
install? I have spent 1.5 days on this problem with NOTHING to show
for it. I am an RCH away from ripping the damn SCSI crap out and just
using an IDE drive. This system is about as 'plain jane' as you will
ever see. I am amazed at the headaches a simple Win install is
causing me.

Thanks for listening.

Have you tried to copy the XP CD to the hard drive and installing from
there? Maybe something is being corrupted installing from the CD. I
used this method before after Microsoft recommended it.