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Re: Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

 
Jason Jones_5
New Member

Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

Hi Folks,
My server configuration is as follows:
Proliant ML330 G3, 2.8GHz Xeon, ATA RAID, 512MB ram, 2x 120GB Seagate disks (RAID 1), BIOS 11/01/03, Windows 2000 Server SP4.

The server shipped originally with a single 40GB maxtor drive installed (RAID 0), and this worked perfectly, but was too small.

I therefore installed two 120GB seagate drives in RAID 1, and this is the problem I get.

If I leave a bootable diskette in drive A, the system boots and works perfectly. However, without a bootable diskette in the A drive the system will not boot past POST to load the operating system. It will not even give me the setup option menu "F8, F9, F10."

However, once a bootable diskette is in place, it will recognise my bios boot order and boot from the hard drive or cd-rom as requested.

Windows 2000 Server installs perfectly each time (using SmartStart 6.40 or normal windows install) and works perfectly, but only as long as boot diskette present.

My boot order is CD, diskette, hard drive.

I'd be grateful for any assistance you can provide since this server is due for deployment this week. Thanks a lot.
6 REPLIES 6
Ed Cox
Respected Contributor

Re: Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

That's a good one.
Try this...
Put in the diskette so you can get access to F9 RBSU. Once you're in there check the Boot Controller load order. This is different from the CD, Diskette, hard drive order you stated earlier which is typically found under Standard Boot Order (IPL). See what's listed as the first controller in the Boot Controller Order...maybe that could give you some insight. Don't know for sure though.
Ed
Jason Jones_5
New Member

Re: Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

Hi Ed,
Thanks for your response. I checked the controller boot order, and the order is:
1) CSB-6 Ultra ATA-100 RAID controller
2) Integrated PCI IDE controller

This order is fixed, and cannot be changed.

Any other ideas? I spoke to my authorised HP distributor, and they are stumped as well. I'll probably just have to send it back in.

Brian_Murdoch
Honored Contributor

Re: Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

Hi Jason,

When you installed the new drives did you set the jumpers to Cable Select or have you used some form of master/slave jumpering.

It's possible that the drives won't be recognised properly for boot purposes on the scan of the embedded IDE raid controller due to the jumpering.

Please see attached image.

I hope this helps.

Brian
e4services
Honored Contributor

Re: Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

Did you check the Boot.ini to see where it is looking for the boot sector? Sounds as if you had the unit booted from that drive during the install and the OS looks to it each time it boots for the Boot.ini
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Jason Jones_5
New Member

Re: Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

Hi Folks,
Thanks to Ed, Brian & e4services for your assistance.

I returned the server to the HP reseller, and they isolated the problem.

The only addition I had made to the server was a 3com 3c905cx-txm network card in PCI slot 1. This apparently was the problem. As soon as the 3com card was removed, the server booted normally (without boot diskette), and appears to work as it should.

Interestingly enough, the card seemed to work perfectly once the server booted, and did not appear to be defective. Maybe there's an incompatibility between the 3com card and the proliant server?

Thanks again for all your help.




e4services
Honored Contributor

Re: Proliant ML330 needs diskette to boot

Well there you go. From the card documentation: "Managed PC Boot Agent - The updateable agent ships integrated on the NIC so the NIC can be controlled from a server. IS managers can update software, install operating systems, and repair or replace corrupted or deleted files with this Pre-OS boot capability "
I guess they have a Pre-OS boot strap that must have been taking over.
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