Installation problem into a SATA HD

C

Chiropter

I bought a new computer with a Hitachi 250 GB HD.
The package did not include the installation CD unlike other
manufacturers (like Seagate, Maxtor).
So after completion of the first OS (W2K, English), I used Controll
Panel/Adminisrative Tool/ Computer Management/Disk Management and select
an unpartitioned and created a new partitio. Things are OK up to here.
Then I started to install the second OS (W2K, Japanese). (The dual boot
system with those two OS's have been successful with other computers
based on ordinary ATA drives.)
When the initial steps were finished, the first reboot started. I saw
the two OS listed in the boot screen and the computer automatically
selected the partition into which the installation CD is to install the
second OS. Normally, in computers with ATA drives, installation
continues. However, in this case the monitor shows a completely black
screen and nothing happens.
Is this problem specific to a SATA drive? How can I solve the problem.
Please help.
 
D

Dave Patrick

If your drive controller is not natively supported then you'll want to boot
the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom. Then *F6* very early and very important (at
setup is inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller
detection, and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be
prompted to insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your
drive controller in drive "A"

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
C

Chiropter

Thanks for offer, but ---
Before I started installation of the first OS, I ran the
motherboard-manufacturer-supplied CD which, I believe, sets up the
installed SATA drive. Indeed I was successfully able to install the
first OS (W2K). As I explained earlier, I created a new partition from
this OS which is recognized by Win Explorer. When I attempted to install
the second OS, the computer crashes after filed were copied to the
second partition before entering first reboot, as I mentioned earlier.
I also tried to remedy the problem by hitting F6 and later S followed by
using a floppy containing txtsetup.oem, nvraid.inf, nvatavus.sys and
several dll files. These files were copied by the installation and
continued to copying files before the first reboot. The result was the
same---unsuccessful reboot with frozen black screen.
What more can I try?
 
D

Dave Patrick

Did text mode portion of setup find and use the correct controller driver?

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
P

PeterD

Thanks for offer, but ---
Before I started installation of the first OS, I ran the
motherboard-manufacturer-supplied CD which, I believe, sets up the
installed SATA drive. Indeed I was successfully able to install the
first OS (W2K).

You still need to do the same thing for the second OS installation as
well.
As I explained earlier, I created a new partition from
this OS which is recognized by Win Explorer. When I attempted to install
the second OS, the computer crashes after filed were copied to the
second partition before entering first reboot, as I mentioned earlier.
I also tried to remedy the problem by hitting F6 and later S followed by
using a floppy containing txtsetup.oem, nvraid.inf, nvatavus.sys and
several dll files. These files were copied by the installation and
continued to copying files before the first reboot. The result was the
same---unsuccessful reboot with frozen black screen.
What more can I try?

Can you boot into the first partition (W2K English?) If yes, then
reset your boot.ini, and recreate your partition. They try the second
installation again using the driver disk?
 
M

M. Ali Qureshi

Boot to BIOS and change the SATA configuration to "Compatibility". This will
enable the OS to see the disk as a normal ATA disk.

If it works this way, then you can install the OS, install SATA driver,
reboot to BIOS, change Sata configuration back to AHCI and save.

--

M. Ali Qureshi
MCP, MCSA, MCSE
=======================
Lord works in mysterious ways...
....and SysAdmins at mysterious hours
 
C

Chiropter

Dave said:
Did text mode portion of setup find and use the correct controller driver?

My apologies for belated response, but I have worked hard to find the
cause of the problem.
First I do not know what you mean by "text portion". If you meant the
BIOS screen indicating the choice of partitions (Winnt (1) or Winnt (2),
the answer is yes or no. When I installed the first OS(English), the
Disk Management did not recognize the other partition until I ran the
setup disk for the motherboard. There I activated it and assigned a
drive letter (only choice was F). Now Explorer could show the presence
of F: eventhough it was still empty. Then I attempted to install the
second OS (Japanese version). When the installation process came to
selection of partition among the two, I noticed sort of confusion about
the drive letter on the part of the OS installation step. But I
proceeded anyway. When it came to the first reboot after loading files,
momentarily the boot.ini content was shown with the first OS on the top.
At the next moment the installation proceeded to the first partition and
crushed. I rebooted and attempted to select the second partition, the
direction key did not work, indicating the failure of the computer in
distinguishing two partitions. Now I could not get up the first OS
either. I guessed that because of the SATA characteristic, the computer
could not recognize the second partition unless the motherboard's setup
is run, which is obviously impossible without first installing the OS.
So I went back to the intallation CD of English and using recovery
console I found out there was no boot.ini in the first OS's root
directry. So I copied it from another computer and was able to get up
the first OS. The disk manager showed there was no second formatted
partition.
The only solution appears to be to use the proper disk in response to
F6/S at the early step of the second OS installation, which is provided
by neither the drive manufacturer (Hitachi) nor the motherboard
manufacturer.
I'm sorry by responding to you with such a lengthy explanation, but I
hope you understand my situation.
 
C

Chiropter

Please read my response to Dave.
You still need to do the same thing for the second OS installation as
well.
The txtsetup.oem and other files was no help as S even in the English OS
installation. In Japanese OS installation the disk was rejected as
unreadable.
Can you boot into the first partition (W2K English?) If yes, then
reset your boot.ini, and recreate your partition. They try the second
installation again using the driver disk?

I could not boot into the first OS(English) until using recovery console
and copying the boot.ini for only one partition. I attempted to boot
second partition by adding the second line for the second partition in
the boot.ini. The computer crashed. Evidently the computer did not
recognize the second partition.
 
C

Chiropter

Thanks for interesting suggestion. I checked my BIOS menu (Award) but
was unable to find such an item. What am I missing?
 
D

Dave Patrick

The operating system installation is divided into two parts. The text mode
portion followed by the gui mode portion. If the controller is integrated
into the mobo then ask the mobo manufacturer, else ask the controller
manufacturer for the correct driver. Windows 2000 was released before serial
ATA so it is imperative that you have the driver during text mode portion of
windows setup.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
C

Chiropter

Thank you very much to everybody for giving me suggestions and advices.
I just want to provide additional information.

1. I have set up dual boot system with English and Japanese Win2K's in
many ATA drives without encountering any problems, a proof of
compatibility of those two OSes.
2. I was able to install English or Japanese Win2K to this SATA drive
without help from SATA driver disk just like installing in ATA drive.
This indicates, to me, that the computer recognizes and uses the SATA
drive without additional drivers even though being unable to take
advantage of the benefits of SATA, a proof for that the SATA drivers are
not prerequisite for installing an OS.
3. Therefore the problem seems to be how the absence of the SATA drivers
are uniquely involved only in the dual boot system.

I learned that older computer BIOSes offer backward compatibility so
that a SATA drive is made behave like an ATA drive. Perhaps the BIOS in
my new motherboard no longer care such a compromise.
I wish there is a bootable SATA set-up CD usable before an OS
installation. Is there?


establishing correct boot system when the second OS is added requiring
rewriting the boot.ini which was already residing in the root directly
of the first OS.
 
D

Dave Patrick

Yes, of course the system bios recognizing the hardware is the first step.
Windows must also have an instruction set in order to know how to interact
with the hardware hence the driver requirement.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 

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