Inaccessible boot device - Windows 2000 setup

[Jimmy Neutron]

I've struggled a few days on setting a new computer with Abit AB9 mobo.

It appears (according to Anantech) that PATA hd support has been removed. It took
me two full working days of aggravation to find that out. So I bought a SATA hd.

I managed to install Windows 98 prompt: c:\> from a 1.44 floppy. The Abit manual
instructs to prepare a 1.44 floppy with divers from included CD if you want to
have IDE or SATA support.

I prepared it and it checksummed ok.

Now on to Windows 2000 install ...

When W2K promps for F6 I let it read the system files for SATA Raid. Windows 2000
contines its merry way. Finally teh setup program say it will now load Windows
2000... INACCESSIBLE BOOT_DEVICE 00007B

What the [deleted]?

What I am doing wrong? I tried a number of driver on the 1.44 floppy to no avail.
INACCESSIBLE BOOT_DEVICE all around!

i am tired ....

 

[paulmd]

I've struggled a few days on setting a new computer with Abit AB9 mobo.

It appears (according to Anantech) that PATA hd support has been removed. It took
me two full working days of aggravation to find that out. So I bought a SATA hd.

I managed to install Windows 98 prompt: c:\> from a 1.44 floppy. The Abit manual
instructs to prepare a 1.44 floppy with divers from included CD if you want to
have IDE or SATA support.

I prepared it and it checksummed ok.

Now on to Windows 2000 install ...

When W2K promps for F6 I let it read the system files for SATA Raid. Windows 2000
contines its merry way. Finally teh setup program say it will now load Windows
2000... INACCESSIBLE BOOT_DEVICE 00007B

What the [deleted]?

What I am doing wrong? I tried a number of driver on the 1.44 floppy to no avail.
INACCESSIBLE BOOT_DEVICE all around!

i am tired ....

Try the windows 2000 fast repair. Basicly, boot from the CD, and when
it prompts you to repair, say yes. Follow the additional prompts.

 

[Andy]

You have to load the JMicron SATA Raid driver during setup. Otherwise,
once Windows is started, setup loses its ability to access the CD
drive because it no longer uses the BIOS. See section 4.11 in the
manual.

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

You have to load the JMicron SATA Raid driver during setup. Otherwise,
once Windows is started, setup loses its ability to access the CD
drive because it no longer uses the BIOS. See section 4.11 in the
manual.

But I DO load the Sata driver as advised, F6 & diskette on 4.11. It appears to go
ok. Could it be that JMicron SATA driver is not compatible with Windows 2000
setup diskette with SP2? But why don't I get an error message upon loading the
driver from diskette.

I managed to install Windows 98 system from a floppy. The hd prompts to c:\> but
of course does has just command.com and not much else. The system can't see IDE
connected CD/DVD drive.

The whole thing appears like a Catch-22 situation: when I boot from CD the system
can't see the HD, when I boot from HD the system can't see the CD/DVD

I've struggled a few days on setting a new computer with Abit AB9 mobo.

It appears (according to Anantech) that PATA hd support has been removed. It took
me two full working days of aggravation to find that out. So I bought a SATA hd.

I managed to install Windows 98 prompt: c:\> from a 1.44 floppy. The Abit manual
instructs to prepare a 1.44 floppy with divers from included CD if you want to
have IDE or SATA support.

I prepared it and it checksummed ok.

Now on to Windows 2000 install ...

When W2K promps for F6 I let it read the system files for SATA Raid. Windows 2000
contines its merry way. Finally teh setup program say it will now load Windows
2000... INACCESSIBLE BOOT_DEVICE 00007B

What the [deleted]?

What I am doing wrong? I tried a number of driver on the 1.44 floppy to no avail.
INACCESSIBLE BOOT_DEVICE all around!

i am tired ....

 

[kony]

But I DO load the Sata driver as advised, F6 & diskette on 4.11. It appears to go
ok. Could it be that JMicron SATA driver is not compatible with Windows 2000
setup diskette with SP2? But why don't I get an error message upon loading the
driver from diskette.

It should work fine with Win2k. Are you using the latest
motherboard bios and latest driver from Abit? If not, get
at least the driver instead of the one on the CD. After
trying that, if it doesn't work, note what driver files are
on the CD.

Also check the jmicron setup menu to see if there is a
configuration for operating mode.

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

It should work fine with Win2k. Are you using the latest
motherboard bios and latest driver from Abit? If not, get
at least the driver instead of the one on the CD. After
trying that, if it doesn't work, note what driver files are
on the CD.

Also check the jmicron setup menu to see if there is a
configuration for operating mode.

No that is not the case. Windows 2000 install goes like this:
- (1) boot from CD or diskette, start the install and load what ever extra
drivers are need such as Jmicron driver.
- (2) in the middle of setup a reboot is done and W2K setup continues from hd. At
this point Jmicron drivers are not present anymore. Unfortunately Windows setup
won't load the extra drivers until very late in the setup. And before that it
needs to access IDE device which unfortunately are not available.

All I get in (2) is a message "Windows can't find a CD rom drive press F3 to
exit". It would be great if it had an F6 before that!

I tried an USB cd rom but again Windows won't load USB drivers before above
message. I copied the entire CD to HD but there is no "Do you have an alternate
address for install files"

 

[kony]

No that is not the case. Windows 2000 install goes like this:
- (1) boot from CD or diskette, start the install and load what ever extra
drivers are need such as Jmicron driver.

Right, but depending on what mode the jmicron controller is
running in (if you can change it), it might not even need a
driver- I don't have that controller so I can't be sure, but
it is supported on Win2k with the driver IF the driver is
needed.

- (2) in the middle of setup a reboot is done and W2K setup continues from hd. At
this point Jmicron drivers are not present anymore.

Which is why I suggested to note what drivers it was using
and try different ones. I suggested what i did for a
reason, and you are essentially doing something else and
obviously need to try a few things as what was done didn't
work.

Unfortunately Windows setup
won't load the extra drivers until very late in the setup. And before that it
needs to access IDE device which unfortunately are not available.

Your controller and windows loading the driver is not so
different from any other non-chipset-integrated drive
controller, thus you need to consider that process and why
it isn't working- but instead you are drawing conclusions
without actually isolating where the process failed.

All I get in (2) is a message "Windows can't find a CD rom drive press F3 to
exit". It would be great if it had an F6 before that!

Where is the CDROM hooked up? You should not connect it to
a controller running RAID (driver). Why are you using the
jmicron controller anyway?

I tried an USB cd rom but again Windows won't load USB drivers before above
message. I copied the entire CD to HD but there is no "Do you have an alternate
address for install files"

You are drifting into other topics instead of focusing on
the issues I'd mentioned. Controller mode, including it's
menu settings, the general bios setting for legacy modes of
these controllers (if applicable), the specific driver
version you had supplied previously from floppy, the
possibility of a motherboard bios update to resolve
controller issues, or that the CD might have been on a RAID
controller.

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

Thank for your info.

I got W2k installed finally using this:
- I installed W2k from emergency diskettes
- after boot when setup want fils from CD (which is not enabled due to fact that
setup has not loaded IDE JMicron drivers) I just press cancel for each file.
Luckily Windows still fuctions somewhat - lot of features are missing such as
network etc.
- At last hd and CDrom see each other. I copy the W2k cd to a temporary directory

Then I do the whole setup again. But now I can give setup the directory where
missing files are and windows can load the missing files from my temp hd
directory.

Thinking back this is perhaps more of a w2k setup problem of not loading critical
drivers before continuing.

 

[kony]

Thank for your info.

I got W2k installed finally using this:
- I installed W2k from emergency diskettes
- after boot when setup want fils from CD (which is not enabled due to fact that
setup has not loaded IDE JMicron drivers) I just press cancel for each file.
Luckily Windows still fuctions somewhat - lot of features are missing such as
network etc.
- At last hd and CDrom see each other. I copy the W2k cd to a temporary directory

Then I do the whole setup again. But now I can give setup the directory where
missing files are and windows can load the missing files from my temp hd
directory.

Thinking back this is perhaps more of a w2k setup problem of not loading critical
drivers before continuing.

No, this Win2k setup issue is the same with XP.

You must have the RAID controller in the right mode and
supply the correct driver for that mode, and/or possibly
other things mentioned already.

This is no different than installing on any other 3rd party
chipset (drive controller), unless the correct jmicron
drivers were not supplied or your board bios is buggy.

It is good that you have it working now, but what you did
should not have been necessary (on Win2k or XP).