Windows 2000 installation fails on SE440BX-2

[jmabuse]

Hello, I have an older Intel SE440BX-2-based computer. This is a
Pentium II machine, with a 40 GB Samsung drive in it.

The system runs Windows 98SE fine. It will also run SuSE Linux 10.1
fine.

I am trying to do a fresh installation of Windows 2000.

The installation fails at the reboot for GUI setup, with the dreaded
STOP: 0x0000007B Inaccessible Boot Device

There are no SCSI devices in the system. I have disconnected
everything but the hard drive (on IDE 0) and the CD-ROM (on IDE 1).
The hard drive is formatted for NTFS, with a single install partition
of 7 GB. I have tried other hard drives as well, including ones as
small as 10 GB, and I get the same error.

I am not aware of any manufacturer drivers the SE440BX-2 required for
W2K. Intel has none on their Web site.

Can anyone help?

 

[Dave Patrick]

To do a clean install, either boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom or setup
disks. The set of four install disks can be created from your Windows 2000
CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk directory on the CD-Rom and execute
makeboot.exe (from dos) or makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the
prompts.

(Note: 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")

Setup inspects your computer's hardware configuration and then begins to
install the Setup and driver files. When the Windows 2000 Professional
screen appears, press ENTER to set up Windows 2000 Professional.

Read the license agreement, and then press the F8 key to accept the terms of
the license agreement and continue the installation.

When the Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen appears, all the existing
partitions and the unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard
disk. Use the ARROW keys to select the partitions Press D to delete an
existing partition, If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must
then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System
partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this
step for each of the existing partitions When all the partitions are deleted
press F3 to exit setup, (to avoid unexpected drive letter assignments with
your new install) then restart the pc then when you get to this point in
setup again select the unpartitioned space, and then press C to create a new
partition and specify the size (if required). Windows will by default use
all available space.

Be sure to apply SP4 and these two below to your new install before
connecting to any network. Internet included. (sasser, msblast)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/6/A/E6A04295-D2A8-40D0-A0C5-241BFECD095E/W2KSP4_EN.EXE
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-043.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-049.mspx

Then

Rollup 1 for Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...CF-8850-4531-B52B-BF28B324C662&displaylang=en

The hardware limitation for the Windows NT *system partition* was 7.8 gB
because NTLDR would use the INT13 interface when using multi syntax in
boot.ini

Windows 2000/XP/2003 supports large system partitions because it has the
ability to use BIOS INT-13 extensions to boot the operating system on
partitions with more than 1,024 cylinders, or 7.8 GB in size. So check that
the function is enabled in cmos setup.

Also check the mobo or pc manufacturer's web site for an updated system
bios.


--

Regards,

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

 

[jmabuse]

Dave, thanks very much for your extensive response.

I think it boiled down to, install drivers for your hard drive
controller as part of a W2K fresh install.

The problem is that, to the best of my knowledge, those drivers were
part of W2K. This Intel-made motherboard uses the 440BX chipset,
which was very very popular, and which I would guess was natively
supported in W2K. In any case I can't find any drivers for it under
W2K on the Web.

I have the very latest BIOS loaded, the P17 Intel BIOS. Still works
under Linux, W98SE, not under W2K.

 

[Dave Patrick]

Did you check for int13 support? Did you try deleting the partition as part
of windows setup?

--

Regards,

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

 

[jmabuse]

I did delete all partitions, created a new one and formatted it for
NTFS.

Also, LBA mode is enabled in the BIOS.

Thanks for your help -- this has been driving me nuts.

 

[Dave Patrick]

Doesn't help. Sounds like your hardware is too old?

--

Regards,

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

 

[jmabuse]

I doubt that the hardware is too old, given that this was probably the
most popular chipset in the world at the time W2K was released.

But thanks for your help, and I will keep trying.

 

[Dave Patrick]

When do you get the 0x7b? Also verify the jumper placements. Make sure there
is no overlay. Make sure int13 extension is enabled in cmos setup. Make sure
you delete/ create partitions using windows setup.

--

Regards,

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

 

[GHalleck]

Hello, I have an older Intel SE440BX-2-based computer. This is a
Pentium II machine, with a 40 GB Samsung drive in it.

The system runs Windows 98SE fine. It will also run SuSE Linux 10.1
fine.

I am trying to do a fresh installation of Windows 2000.

The installation fails at the reboot for GUI setup, with the dreaded
STOP: 0x0000007B Inaccessible Boot Device

There are no SCSI devices in the system. I have disconnected
everything but the hard drive (on IDE 0) and the CD-ROM (on IDE 1).
The hard drive is formatted for NTFS, with a single install partition
of 7 GB. I have tried other hard drives as well, including ones as
small as 10 GB, and I get the same error.

I am not aware of any manufacturer drivers the SE440BX-2 required for
W2K. Intel has none on their Web site.

Can anyone help?

Just catching up on this thread. The advice provided by Dave is pretty good
and Windows 2000 should install without any issues. As an added precaution,
re-set the motherboard bios to its default values by clearing the CMOS. This
would revert any changes that the previous Windows 98SE version might have
contributed to the bios settings and tables. Also, PnP OS should be disabled
as well as the Bios Anti-Virus setting (which blocks any writing to the boot
sector).

 

[Frank Booth Snr]

I did delete all partitions, created a new one and formatted it for
NTFS.

Also, LBA mode is enabled in the BIOS.

Thanks for your help -- this has been driving me nuts.

If you haven't read it - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/122926

 

[jmabuse]

Just an update -- one possibility that occurred to me was that the AGP
card might be causing a resource conflict, but switching it turned out
not to help.

In the end, the only way I was able to make this work was by
installing a Promise FastTrak card and connecting the disk through
it. Not an ideal solution, but it made the install succeed and since
I had the card lying around anyway, it was a cheap way to make the old
hardware work.