SA1100 and Windows 2000

[CA816509]

I was wondering if a Windows 2000 OS could be loaded on a HP SA1100 web hosting appliance. If so, how would I go about doing it? Your suggestions or help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Sudhi

[Nishant Ramachandran]

This is a "maybe" answer. Technically the SA1100 is just the INS1010 from Intel. However, the catch is in the graphics card.

Namely, the SA1100 doesn't have one; and Windows will blue-screen if you used one to install and then remove the card.

Though I believe it *might* be possible to uninstall the drivers for graphics and load the machine, this is a VERY IF-ey procedure at best.

I doubt anyone wants to risk their warranty for a maybe scenario. If you are going to try it, I can tell you what theoretically should be done to achieve this, but can't guarantee it will work.

Nishant.

[CA816509]

Thanks Nishant - so if I understand you right the issue is probably with the graphics card being pulled from the system after installation of the OS (in this case Win 2K server). If left in there, then perhaps, I should be OK? Appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Sudhi

[CA818336]

Microsoft now has an appliance group. Check out the tools there as they are now trying to sell windows to go on appliances that don't have keyboards, mice or monitors.

[Nishant Ramachandran]

Sudhi,

We are currently in the process of finding a PCI riser that will fit for the SA1100. This should fix the gfx card problem.

Will keep you updated.

[meloni]

hi
I couldn't understand why to fit w2k in a server appliance, in fact the higter cost of the appliance is due to the added software, and the recovery tecniche.
If you want to run W2k, just buy a PC, it will do the same Job because technically it is just a pc

marino

[ken vasko]

Nishant, Any luck finding that riser card? I've searched far and wide for it. All i know is that it's Intel, which they don't sell as a separate part, and it's got a Low Profile PCI on one side and a Full Slot PCI on the other. Countless Google and newsgroup searches are coming up dry. Anyone, ANYONE know? Thanks

[Nishant Ramachandran]

yeah... a colleague found a reseller in Los Angeles that is selling them for around $50 each. We bought a pair and will be trying it this week.

[ken vasko]

Could you email me the web address for this reseller? thanks!

-Ken
kvasko@stevens-tech.edu

[CA803470]

I'm Nishant's colleague who purchased the riser card, however, it doesn't seem to be working. After tyring countless scenarios I unscrewed the motherboard from the chassis and raised it up so I could bypass the riser and stick the gfx card directly in. This didn't work either. I am suspecting it's one of two things. Either HP hard wired the BIOS to look for the 80x25 LCD as the monitor/console or the graphics card is incompatible with the current hardware. I'm hoping it's the latter, but my guess is that it's the former. I'll keep you all updated.

[Netw0rk Geek]

I have taken an old video card and plugged it directly into the riser card slot (Where you would normally plug the riser card into the mother board) and the video card worked fine. I had to of course bend the heck out of the video card face plate to get it in there, and the video card stuck out of the case a few inches, but it worked fine none the less.

I found the following auction on ebay and have one coming. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2045769579) It claims to work with ALL 1U systems and I really can't see why it wouldn't unless the video card wouldn't line up in the back. It is not dual sided, but I personally am only concerned with getting a video card in there and in theory it should work. I will post the results when I receive the riser card and let you know if it works or not.

[CA803470]

The PCI risers you can buy from most retailers won't work (believe me, I have done my research!) This is because of the shape of the chassis. The PCI card needs to line up offset slightly from the motherboard in order to fit. Check out my HOWTO page if you're really interested in loading Windows onto this thing.

http://www.kmghosting.com/hp_sa_1100_windows_2000.asp

[Erik Put]

I just completed the installation of W2K server onto the sa1100.
I purchased a pci riser from a vendor on ebay (he had like 200 pcs avail), took an older trident vga (pci)card.
The pci card will not line up with the back, so you will need to support the card or
find an adapter piece to overcome the 1 cm or so.
Conneted a cdrom drive to the second IDE controller (under debian the cdrom was mounted
by OS!)
and choose the /home directory
for W2K. For dual boot you may just want to limit the hard drive space for this directory prior to W2k install.
I ended up reformating the whole drive and use the sa1100
just with W2K server.
With 600 MHz and 128 MB the preformance is limited and I will add some memory.
Comparing this unit to compaq or dell 1U units US $ 345 is a good deal