No Smartstart no OS - How do you partition HD?

[JustKIDn]

I have received an old Prosignia 500 server.

I don't have a Smartstart CD. And there is no OS on the server.

Is it possible to download the part of smartstart that handles partitioning and formatting the SCSI drives?

If so, what is it called and where can I find it?

Thanks!


tgus

____________________________
Families can be together forever...

 

[Lou0686]

Hi,

If it's just partitioning and formatting you want, why not just use Fdisk?

Lou

 

[danUK]

NT 4

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/locate/7_1139.html

Not Smartstart - but all the drivers you will need if you plan to put NT 4 on it

 

[JustKIDn]

Lou,

Thanks, I was thinking that you couldn't use FDISK on SCSI drives. I had started to use FDISK originally, but became somewhat confused. Because I could only see the two 2 GB drives. I guess FDISK can't see the other two 4.2 GB drives.

So FDISK was able to partition the two 2 GB drives. But I still can't see the two 4.2 GB drives. That's why I was looking for the Smartstart files.

I've tried to upgrade the BIOS, but I guess the August 1998 version is the most current.

I finally found the Compaq Array Configuration Utility 1.20 (ACU) but that shows nothing. As if there was no SCSI drives or controller. It doesn't show any errors. Just a bunch of blank boxes.

Dan, I don't want to install any windoz on this box. That seems to be Compaq/HP's big push too! They give you the tools but you have to use them in winNT. Even the ACU has been downgraded to an NT version. I had to look hard for a version that would work from the System Partition.

I am trying to install Linux on this one. But I am having difficulties with this too!

It seems that RedHat 9 says that 164 MB of RAM isn't enough, and when I tell it haw much RAM there is, it hangs just a little further into the install.

Suse 8.2 doesn't seem to have any issues with memory, but doesn't get as far as RedHat. It hangs on a line that says something about RamDrive and found image at sector 0. (or something like that)

So again, I thought the SCSI hard drives must be part of the problem. If I try to use the System Utilities to start the install under 'Other', it asks for the floppies. I guess I could make some floppies from the CD, but it's already a bootable CD, so that seems redundant.

I think I saw a Smartstart SofPaq that will make one floppy. But I'm not sure if this is what I need?

Does anyone have any experience/thoughts on this?

tgus

____________________________
Families can be together forever...

 

[Lou0686]

Hi again,

Who's version of Fdisk did you try? I have found that sometimes what Windows version doesn't see DrDOS' version sees. Also, you can try Partition Magic.

Lou

 

[JustKIDn]

I'm using FDISK from DOS 6.21.

I have a version of Partition Magic. But I don't seem to have many options with the DOS Utilties they have on the disk.

Most of the CD is geared toward windoz programs.

tgus

____________________________
Families can be together forever...

 

[KarlC]

Howdo - I reckon you may be using the old 16bit version of a boot up disk - create one from a 32bit OS and you should see all the drives.

 

[JustKIDn]

KarlC,

Thanks for the idea.

I tried it with a win98 boot diskette.

I still can only see the two 2 GB drives.

It's o.k. though, I installing Linux. And Linux can see all the drives just fine.



tgus

____________________________
Families can be together forever...