Catch-22 involving Intel Application Accelerator and Chipset Software Install Utility

[tngtest]

I am in what appears to be a Catch-22 situation after installing XP
SP2. Now, whenever I run apps like Norton Speed Disk or Disk Doctor, my
PC gets a blue screen with stop code 0x0000000A. There are some other
codes after this one, and based on some Google searches I have done,
they point to a problem with my IDE controller driver (Intel 82801BA
Ultra Controller). It sounds like I need to install the Intel
Application Accelerator (IAA) to replace the existing controller
driver. BUT, to install the IAA, it says that I need to have the Intel
Chipset Software Installation Utility already installed. For some
reason, it was not included when Dell built my system.

Now to the Catch-22: The instructions for the Chipset Software
Installation Utility say that it should be installed immediately after
the operating system but BEFORE any drivers are installed. Obviously,
it is too late for me to do this, unless I want to reinstall XP and
then reinstall all applications, patches, etc that I have accrued over
the past 2+ years (Not exactly something I wish to undertake).

The Dell rep says that I could try installing the Chipset Software
Install Utility on my existing environment, but thet there are risks
involved, up to and including damaging the chipset itself.

I sent an email to Intel, but I am not holding my breath. Has anyone
here successfully resolved a situation like mine without having to
resort to such drastic steps as reinstalling the Operating system?
Backing off SP2, although not as drastic does not really sound like s
permanent solution, since I will most likely eventually have to
reinstall it and will be back to where I am now.

Assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jerry]

Dell lied to you.

I have installed updated Intel chipset drivers while running XP Pro w/SP2
and all updates. Since I installed XP Pro way back when Intel has posted at
least two chipset updates on their web site and NO problems have developed
after I installed them. (And I did not have to re-install XP - who ever told
you that doesn't have a clue.)

Also, check the Dell website and verify if they have posted their own
version of the Intel chipset update.

 

[Tom Gordon]

Jerry, thanks for the quick response, but I have a question about
something you said (see highlighted text below):

"I have installed updated Intel chipset drivers while running XP Pro
w/SP2
and all updates. Since I installed XP Pro way back when Intel has
posted at
least two chipset updates on their web site and NO problems have
developed
after I installed them."

When you say "Intel chipset drivers" are you referring to the Intel
Application Accelerator or the Intel chipset software installation
utility (or something else)?

The reason I ask is that my understanding is that the Application
Accelerator replaces the existing Ultra driver. In fact, when I go to
the Download area of the Dell website, for IDE and EIDE, it lists the
Intel Application Accelerator. Under Chipset, it lists the Intel
Chipset Software Installation Utility.

Since you have apparently been through this procedure a couple of
times, please list the necessary steps (as basic as possible since I am
somewhat foggy when it comes to drivers. One key point I need you to
clarify is if you already have that Intel chipset software installation
utility on your PC (I do not).

 

[xfile]

Hi,

To my knowledge, not all Intel chipsets require Intel Application
Accelerator. In fact, Intel abandoned IAA for many chipsets except for RAID
version and encourage users to use those native drivers come with Windows.
This is what I learned from surveying its site a few days ago.

Back to your question, I'll suggest:

(1) Search from Dell site: Go to the following link
(http://support.dell.com/support/index.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs) and click
"downloads" under product support and you'll be directed to a new page, from
which, you can input the service tag of your system. Please consult the
online help for how to use this page for entering required information. You
could store service tag information for future use as I have been doing.

(2) After (1), you will be directed to another new page, from which, you can
select Download Category (ALL, if the default and suggest you to use for the
first time), Operating System (Windows XP, in this case), and Operating
System Language (English as the default, and change as deem necessary).
Click "Submit" after appropriate selections have been made.

(3) After (2), you will be directed to a list of ALL updates tailored to
your chosen system and operating system. Select "Chipset" category and see
what's in it.

One note - Large OEMs such as Dell usually will do intensive customizations
to its system, so it is suggested not to install anything not listed there
for it may have problems with the OEM systems but may not have such problems
with other systems even they use similar components.

Another approach for your reference and that is go to Intel's site for
verification:

(1) Download and use Chipset Identification Utility first to identify what
chipset is used in your system:
(http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scr...SFullName=Windows*+XP+Professional&submit=Go!)
Please noted that this link is for Windows XP pro and perform a new search
if you're using a different OS.

(2) With the right chipset information, go to
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/support_intel.asp and select from
the left panel for your chipset.

(3) Select the operating system and you will be directed to the download
page tailored to your chipset. See if IAA and Intel Chipset Software
Installation Utility are available and what are related instructions for
installation. Please noted that there are differences between IAA and
RAID-version IAA - and the later one does not apply to chipset without RAID
functions.

One final note: I actually followed Intel's suggestions and removed the old
IAA installed in the system and now use Windows native driver.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tom Gordon]

Folks, I'm about at the end of my rope here. I went ahead and installed
the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility and then the Intel
Application Accelerator, but I am still getting the Blue Screen. The
stop codes have changed, and now the Microsoft Error Analysis
specifically mentions the Intel Storage Driver (IDECHNDR.SYS). Although
I didn't do a screen capture of the driver names before I installed the
above 2 products, but I'm pretty sure that the names didn't change,
although the version information might have. Currently, all 3 driver
modules have the version number 2.3.0.2160 dated 10/1/2002. The 3
modules listed are:
IdeChnDr.sys
IdeBusDr.sys
IPrtCnst.dll

I asked Windows to look for another driver, but it said it couldn't
find a better driver. What are the names of the Windows drivers, and
how can I install them in place of the Intel Drivers?

 

[Guest]

Youre putting yourself in the catch 22 mode,why run intel software along
side norton software for the same application.If you stick with intel,cut out
norton youre problems would probably disapear,intels chip set software and
application accelerator can be installed at any time,its preffered to
instal as
intel listed.Intel hasnt updated the software for 2 years (application
accelrator)
but its still good,only RAID edition is newer.Try uninstalling the
controller in
device mgr,then on restart do a disk chk,upon returning to desktop,reinstall
intel chipset installation,and accellerator.

 

[Guest]

Folks, I'm about at the end of my rope here. I went ahead and installed
the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility and then the Intel
Application Accelerator, but I am still getting the Blue Screen. The
stop codes have changed, and now the Microsoft Error Analysis
specifically mentions the Intel Storage Driver (IDECHNDR.SYS). Although
I didn't do a screen capture of the driver names before I installed the
above 2 products, but I'm pretty sure that the names didn't change,
although the version information might have. Currently, all 3 driver
modules have the version number 2.3.0.2160 dated 10/1/2002. The 3
modules listed are:
IdeChnDr.sys
IdeBusDr.sys
IPrtCnst.dll

I asked Windows to look for another driver, but it said it couldn't
find a better driver. What are the names of the Windows drivers, and
how can I install them in place of the Intel Drivers?

You should have listened to Xfile.

 

[Guest]

I am in what appears to be a Catch-22 situation after installing XP
SP2. Now, whenever I run apps like Norton Speed Disk or Disk Doctor, my
PC gets a blue screen with stop code 0x0000000A. There are some other
codes after this one, and based on some Google searches I have done,
they point to a problem with my IDE controller driver (Intel 82801BA
Ultra Controller). It sounds like I need to install the Intel
Application Accelerator (IAA) to replace the existing controller
driver. BUT, to install the IAA, it says that I need to have the Intel
Chipset Software Installation Utility already installed. For some
reason, it was not included when Dell built my system.

Now to the Catch-22: The instructions for the Chipset Software
Installation Utility say that it should be installed immediately after
the operating system but BEFORE any drivers are installed. Obviously,
it is too late for me to do this, unless I want to reinstall XP and
then reinstall all applications, patches, etc that I have accrued over
the past 2+ years (Not exactly something I wish to undertake).

The Dell rep says that I could try installing the Chipset Software
Install Utility on my existing environment, but thet there are risks
involved, up to and including damaging the chipset itself.

I sent an email to Intel, but I am not holding my breath. Has anyone
here successfully resolved a situation like mine without having to
resort to such drastic steps as reinstalling the Operating system?
Backing off SP2, although not as drastic does not really sound like s
permanent solution, since I will most likely eventually have to
reinstall it and will be back to where I am now.

Assistance would be greatly appreciated.

What version of system works are you using?If it is more than a couple of
years old Symantic no longer supports it so you might not be able to update
the program.I say this because the link below suggests that it could be a
software problem (system works vs, SP2) A software problem that developed
with the installation of SP2.
http://aumha.org/win5/kbestop.php

P.S. Their is nothing in system works that you really need, XP does much of
the same funtions. I couldn't believe just how fast my system became once I
uninstalled SW.

 

[Tom Gordon]

In response to your first post, I DID follow at least some of xfile's
recommendations (going to Intel's web site and downloading the 2 pieces
of software. When that didn't work (as indicated in my previous post) I
was trying to follow his last recommendation (remove the Intel drivers
and use the native windows driver), but I didn't know how to do that.

I finally decided to uninstall the Intel Application Accelerator, which
I thought would simply get me back to where I was before, but to my
surprise, it completely got rid of the 3 Intel driver files and
replaced them with the following 3 Microsoft driver files:
ATAPI.SYS
Intelide.sys
pciidex.sys.

Once that had happened my problems went away. I can only guess that the
Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility caused Windows to select
the correct drivers this time, whereas in the past, it had selected the
Intel drivers.

Now in response to your assertion that I can do without System Works
and that XP has many of the same functions, while I would agree that XP
with SP2 HAS made improvements to some of the diagnostics, there are
some SystemWorks tools that are indispensable to me:
Speed Disk is a far better disk defragmenter than the one that comes
with Windows.
Windoctor has resolved many registry problems that were created by
poorly written install and uninstall programs.
There are other examples, but these 2 make SystemWorks worthwhile to
me. But I understand that everyone may not agree.

 

[Tom Gordon]

P.S. I am using NSW 2005.

 

[xfile]

Hi,

Sorry that I have been busy lately. I am installing a new system during my
limited free time.

I meant to say "uninstall IAA" on my previous post and that's what I did.

I did install infinst_autol.exe from the other system and that's the only
thing I installed from Intel.

The new one is also using Asus P4P800 SE with Intel 865 P(??) chipset. I
put on a new SATA HD and did a Window XP SP2 clean installation.

After all drivers were up, I installed the above file and performed all
Windows updates and then Installed NIS 2005 and did all updates again before
installing anything else.

I did not install infinst_autol.exe before drivers had been completed simply
because I could not even access to Internet without NIC functioning. The
only two drivers I installed were NIC and audio, and then I downloaded the
latest version of infinst_autol.exe from Intel.

So far, everything seems fine and I am toward last stage of finishing up
everything.

I am not sure what Dell's model and its chipset you are using. For my
I8600, the only thing required is Intel's mobile chipset .inf file.

Seems your problem is solved? Good to hear that if so.

Best wishes.