Boot from Mobile Rack

[BH2]

Hi Guys,
I want to be able to use two OS's, so thought the idea of using two
different HDD's one for each Operating System. Bought Two Lian Li Mobile
Racks with trays. Anyway to cut a long story short, I can't get my computer
to boot(Windows Xp SP2 updated) from the HDD, when it is in the rack.
During the POST if logs the HDD as there, on IDE1, but no matter where I put
the jumpers, single drive, neutral or cable select it won't boot from the
drive. I have only one drive on IDE1 attached to the last connector(Master)
on the cable. The drive is a Western Digital WD Caviar SE WD3200JB-00KFA0.
Been to the WD site and checked the jumper positions(10 pin drive) but still
won't work. Sent an email to WD but they aren't interested in my problem -
Shame. Any ideas guys, help will be appreciated.
Oh forgot I also tried a different brand of Mobile rack, still the same
problem, it has it good points - I have now 4 mobile racks (even thought I
can't get them to work)
Thank and Regards
Bob

 

[Conor]

Hi Guys,
I want to be able to use two OS's, so thought the idea of using two
different HDD's one for each Operating System. Bought Two Lian Li Mobile
Racks with trays. Anyway to cut a long story short, I can't get my computer
to boot(Windows Xp SP2 updated) from the HDD, when it is in the rack.
During the POST if logs the HDD as there, on IDE1, but no matter where I put
the jumpers, single drive, neutral or cable select it won't boot from the
drive. I have only one drive on IDE1 attached to the last connector(Master)
on the cable. The drive is a Western Digital WD Caviar SE WD3200JB-00KFA0.
Been to the WD site and checked the jumper positions(10 pin drive) but still
won't work. Sent an email to WD but they aren't interested in my problem-
Shame. Any ideas guys, help will be appreciated.

Yeah...stop trying to do it mickey mouse style and do it properly.

Stick both drives in the computer. Install XP on one and then Linux or
whatever on the other. Use the boot manager included in the OS or use a
third party one.



--
Conor

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[Rod Speed]

I want to be able to use two OS's, so thought the idea of using two different HDD's one for each
Operating System. Bought Two Lian Li Mobile Racks with trays.

That's a very crude approach. Its completely trivial to
do that on a single hard drive with any boot manager.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I can't get my computer to boot (Windows Xp SP2 updated) from
the HDD, when it is in the rack. During the POST if logs the HDD as there, on IDE1, but no matter
where I put the jumpers, single drive, neutral or cable select it won't boot from the drive. I
have only one drive on IDE1
attached to the last connector (Master) on the cable.

That may well be the problem, you appear to be using cable select
since you are talking about the last connector being master. The
mobile rack system may well be not carrying the cable select use
of wires on the ribbon cable thru the connector on the rack properly.

The drive is a Western Digital WD Caviar SE WD3200JB-00KFA0.

Those are always a problem with mobile racks, but should work in your
config if you always have the same number of drives on the ribbon cable
and are just changing the particular drive thats in the mobile rack.

The problem is that WD drives have a stupid system where there
is a different jumper config for single drive and master of a pair,
so cant handle the situation where the number of drives changes
when you boot without any mobile rack plugged in and another
drive on that cable.

Been to the WD site and checked the jumper positions (10 pin drive) but still won't work.

Sent an email to WD but they aren't interested in my problem - Shame.

Basically because mobile rack flout the ATA standard.

Any ideas guys, help will be appreciated.

Oh forgot I also tried a different brand of Mobile rack, still the same problem, it has it good
points - I have now 4 mobile racks (even thought I can't get them to work)

I'd give up on the mobile racks because they flout the ATA standard
and just use a boot manager to boot either OS off a single drive or
have both drives permanently installed and still use a boot manager
to delect which OS you actually want to boot.

 

[Anna]

Hi Guys,
I want to be able to use two OS's, so thought the idea of using two
different HDD's one for each Operating System. Bought Two Lian Li Mobile
Racks with trays. Anyway to cut a long story short, I can't get my
computer to boot(Windows Xp SP2 updated) from the HDD, when it is in the
rack. During the POST if logs the HDD as there, on IDE1, but no matter
where I put the jumpers, single drive, neutral or cable select it won't
boot from the drive. I have only one drive on IDE1 attached to the last
connector(Master) on the cable. The drive is a Western Digital WD Caviar
SE WD3200JB-00KFA0. Been to the WD site and checked the jumper
positions(10 pin drive) but still won't work. Sent an email to WD but
they aren't interested in my problem - Shame. Any ideas guys, help will
be appreciated.
Oh forgot I also tried a different brand of Mobile rack, still the same
problem, it has it good points - I have now 4 mobile racks (even thought
I can't get them to work)
Thank and Regards
Bob

Bob:
From your description of the problem I'm assuming that there's no problem
when you install the WD HD as an internal HD when it's not installed in its
mobile rack, i.e., it boots properly and functions without any problem. Is
that so? If so, that would indicate there's no problem with the drive
itself, yes? So why are you contacting WD? Have you any reason to believe
the drive is defective?

Assuming there's no problem with the HD itself, are you indicating that when
you install that drive in *any one* of your four mobile racks you cannot
boot to that drive? Describe precisely what happens. Error message?

Are you sure you've properly installed the HD in the removable tray of the
mobile rack and that the data/power cables of the rack are properly
connected? And you've turned the keylock to the ON position, right?
Anna

 

[BH2]

Hi Anna,
The reason I contacted WD was to see if their drives were ok to use with
mobile racks, or if their was a problem with using them
As soon as I use a rack it detects the drive in the Post, but will not boot,
it goes through the boot sequence checks the CD ROMs last then the following
message comes up:

NVIDIA Boot Agent Client Mac Address ......etc

Put the Drive back into the computer, on drive on that IDE Channel works ok
Before I built this computer, my original computer I fitted with a rack
system, used it with windows and Linux, had no problems with it.
What seems strange(that is to me), why if it can detect the drive in the
Post, it is unable to boot from it.

Thanks Guys for all the advice it is appreciated
Regards
Bob
Perth Australia