Trying to resurrect a Compaq Prosignia 1

[JLSigman]

*insert "Mission: Impossible" theme here*

(this is what I get for telling my boss I'm board *grin*)

I have here an old (1995 old) Compaq Prosignia 300, with an external SCSI CD-ROM. My mission has been to try to get it running with Windows NT server on it, setting it up as our training server.

This is what I've done so far, and the errors I've gotten:

178 - Processor Configuration Invalid

172 - EISA Configuration Nonvolatile Memory Invalid - Initialization Abored

1785 - Slot 4 Drive Array not Configured

long beep

long beep

long beep

1784 - Slot 4 Drive Array Failure The following SCSI drives should be replaced: SCSI port 2, ids 1 and 2

Hitting F10 for System Partion Utility (9:27am) After 10 minutes, nothing happened.

Reboot.

Get 172, 17845 1784

Hitting F1 (9:45am) two short beeps After 10 minutes, nothing happened.

Shut down, opened it up, took out the two bad drives.

Still 178, 172, 1785. skipped 1784

Pressed F1 (10:04am). Pounded the disk drive for a few seconds. Nothing after 10 minutes.

Reboot.

Get 172, 1785

Pressed F10 (10:20am). Two beeps. Nothing after 10 minutes.

Is there a way to fix the 178 and 172 errors? Thanks a ton! Jennifer Sigman
1/2 of the IT staff

 

[JLSigman]

OK... update. After finding a whole bunch of documentation, it looks like I need torun the System Configuration Utility. Unfortunately, I can't do that automatically, as the system partition was probably on one of the bad drives. I have serious doubts as to whether I could find (or if it still exists) the original SmartStart CD for this server. Is there somewhere I can download this software? If I find one for another Compaq server, would it work? Thanks again. Jennifer Sigman
1/2 of the IT staff

 

[jtb]

Jennifer,

If you find one for another Compaq Prosignia 300 it should work... beyond that... Compaq made really reliable, really proprietary stuff...

Of course, you might ought to go to bootdisks.com for WNT4 boot disks, make sure you have the drivers for the scsi cdrom, etc., and start from scratch...

Good luck and I wish I could help more...

JTB
Solutions Architect
MCSE-NT4, MCP+I, MCP-W2K, CCNA, CCDA,
CTE, MCIWD, i-Net+, Network+
(MCSA, MCSE-W2K, MCIWA, SCSA, SCNA in progress)

 

[JLSigman]

I've got boot diskettes for Windows NT and Windows 2000, but the server will read them for a minute then stop. I think it's really looking for the System Configuration stuff. Thanks, tho. I've put in an email to the Compaq technicians. If nothing else, they can laugh at me wanting support on a 7 year old machine. ;-) Jennifer Sigman
1/2 of the IT staff

 

[sidech]

Will this listing help? Links to SmartStart and System Configuration Utilities under "utilities" heading near bottom of page, plus RomPaq's, etc. Should let you rebuild this machine...

http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/locate/7_1138.html

 

[JLSigman]

That did help some, thanks, but I still need to find the Drive Configuration Utility. I can't find it via searching Compaq's webpage, and I didn't see it listed on the page you linked me to. Jennifer Sigman
1/2 of the IT staff (does that make me assistant manager?)

 

[sidech]

Monday morning when I go in to work, I'll talk to our server guys, I think they have two or three still up and running NT...I'll get copies of whatever they have for you.

sid.echikson@verizon.net

 

[JLSigman]

Great, thanks. Just need the Drive Config Utility, I've got everything else here. Jennifer Sigman
1/2 of the IT staff (does that make me assistant manager?)