Can`t Instal XP Pro on SCSI Drive

[destr0]

Hello...
I`m having trouble installing Windows XP Pro on my system, when booting with the cd it gives an error (CDBOOT: Cannot boot from CD - Code: 4). I have a PCI SCSI contorller card and a 32 gb drive (SCSI too) in where i whanr the system to be but i can`t install it. One funny thing is that removing the drive from the system the CD will boot, otherwise it gives the error code.
I have no operating system, I want to install (New) Windows XP Pro.
I have no IDE Hard Drive only the SCSI Hard disk. I want the system to boot from the SCSI hard disk.

What can i do?

SYSTEM:
Biostar P4M800 - M7 A Ver 7.0 "VIA Chipset" (VIA P4M800/VT8237R+)
Celeron D Processor (2.8 Ghz)
512 Mb RAM
Mercury SCSI Ultra 160 Controller Card (898B) Model 155984
32 gb Compaq SCSI Drive 80 pins (With Adapter 80 to 68 pins)
IDE DVD-Rom (as Primary Slave)

 

[edfair]

There are SCSI controllers that work fine with drives once they are formatted but do not have boot capability. Are you dealing with one of those?
Possibly look up the specs via google?
The fact that you don't have capability to disable boot capability on the card may very well indicate that you don't have boot capability to start with.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[attrofy]

Ok, I am going to suggest the obvious - have you tried F6 at windows install bootup and installed the appropriate SCSI card driver? Most SCSI controller cards I have installed act like RAID controllers, and need their own seperate drivers before Windows will address them.

I am sorry if this is elementary, but it appears that this step was not mentioned anywhere in the above thread....

 

[destr0]

To attrofy -> No in fact that´s were i´m stuck after all this help (thaks everyone!!) I went to the card bios and disabled it´s scan option so I can pass to the installation screens and try the F6 option, well there I have to have a "txtsetup.oem" file wich I don´t have and can´t find it on the drivers I downloades from the manufacturer. Really weird.

To smash and edfair -> Let me chack again for more details on the boot options and caracteristics of the SCSI card, so you guys have a better picture of the things this card can do.

Thanks!!

 

[Freestone]

I found drivers for your Mercury SCSI Ultra 160 Controller Card Model 155984 here:

http://www.manhattan-support.com/driver-mercury-scsi.shtml

There are no Windows XP drivers so maybe you can try the Windows 2000 drivers. Given the age of the files in this package, maybe the card itself just isn't compatible with XP.

 

[pentup]

just a quick thought have you checked the jumper positions on drive and some boards require you to have Master at the end of string. hope this helps

Pentup

 

[attrofy]

I see on that link that Frestone posted there is an ASPI32 driver which appears universal in nature for all Windows platforms. That might be the driver you can use. Copy it to a floppy and insert that at the F6 prompt. Let us know how you make out.

 

[sumITguy]

If it still dosn't read from the floppy - I had to slipstream my copy of XP with the drivers in them.

Its something to the effect of tossing your files in a $1 subdirectory in the OEM folder.

Google 'slipstream xp' and follow, if youre ambitious you can create a self-install so you can basically leave for 45min and you should be good to go.

After the drivers are slipstreamed you won't have to F6 the installation.

Hope this helps

 

[destr0]

Well back to basics... Sorry for the big delay... I was checking a few thing learned here with the guys on Manhattan
They told me that the MotherBoard has to have the ability to boot from SCSI. So I whent to check that on my motherboard... something funny, I don`t have the SCSI option on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd boot options... I only have Floppy, LS120, Hard Disk, CDROM, ZIP 100, USB-FDD, USB-ZIP, USB-CDROM, LAN and Disabled. The funny thing is that there is a "Boot from other devices" option and I have it Enabled, and the problem is there again.
Another thing... checked the PCI card for some boot options and found that there is a "Boot Choice" option wich I can`t change but the help sais: Boot Choice: Specifies whether this device may possibly be selected as the boot device. This item is only applivable to devices attached to adapter number zero (in the boot list) on non-BBS systems."

What is that? I only know that the Hard Drive has its id = 0...

Do I have to change the Mother board?
Is there a config that I have to make to the disk to specify that it has to boot?
What is non-BBS systems?

I`m writing to the mother board manufacturer for some help.

 

[edfair]

Boot capability from the SCSI card should be embedded in the SCSI BIOS. And that should be independent of the M/B BIOS. But it has to be one of the tools available when you get to the BIOS. If you don't have that capability your drive isn't going to be bootable. You can use it for storage, just not to boot from.
Haven't dealt with Symbios or Initio scsi chips in a while, but can tell you they were a handfull when I was using them.

How about looking on ebay for an adaptec controller? For starters, something like 2940U/2940UW and see if you can pick one up cheap. Be a good start since boot capability is built in. These are slower controllers but cheap for experimentation. Just be sure that the drive and the controller talk the same specs.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.