HP Netserver LH Pro trouble

[Will Cole]

I've been having a lot of trouble trying to get a HP Netserver LH Pro that was donated my school to work with Windows 2000 Advanced Server. When I would format the boot partition for NTFS, it would give me a "Disk Boot Failure" message if the partition was larger than 1 GB. After reading through these forums and the Microsoft Knowledge Base, I figured out that my Mylex PCI SCSI adapter was at fault, and reconnected the machine using the integrated SCSI. Then I went into the ECU and removed the PCI adaptor from there, turned off the server, and pulled the card. Now, when I start up the computer, I get a "EISA Configureation Error - Run Configuration utility" message while testing RAM, and after the hard drives are detected, I get a 1A1A error code. I have no HP Netserver CD-ROM, which is what it asks for...but if I press F1, I can still get into Win2k setup.



Ok, so thats the problem as of now. Couple other things I want to ask about:

Any way I can get around the Trident 9000 not being supported in Win2k Advanced Server? 16 colors is bad.

Can I make the 6 different HD's that are recognized in Win2k Setup into 1 logical HD?

System Stats:

HP Netserver LH Pro
256 MB of RAM
6 4.26GB SCSI HD's
Uhh..anything else you need to know?

Thanx in advance.

[John Birkett]

You can create Spanned volumes with from 2 to 32 disks and create one large logical volume. You will, however, have to have them formated with NTFS and your boot partition can not be that large. Your boot partition must be the active partition on the primary boot disk. I would crate a primary boot partition on one disk and then you can create a spanned volume on the others. Another thing you should remember is that if part of a spanned volume is damaged, you will lose the entire spanned volume. Akvanced server will allow you to create raid-5, which may be a better way to go with that many disks.
Hope this helps, John

[Terri Harris]

For the POST error "EISA COnfiguration Error", you need to run the ECU again, save & exit. If the CMOS chip updates correctly, this should resolve the EISA Config error. You do not need the HP Navigator CD.
I do not know of any work-around for getting the Trident 9000 to display a higher resolution/number of colors in 2000. This video controller is not on the Microsoft 2000 HCL (Hardware Compatibility List). Other users have successfully installed 3rd party video cards, I would suggest searching the ITRC for the keywords "Trident, 9000, 2000" to find this information.

[Will Cole]

Well, I've done the save & exit thing a number of times now, and it hasn't done anything. It seems the CMOS is not updating properly? I'm pretty sure the switches are set to allow CMOS changes, but not positive...



Will

[e4services]

Our 2 cents.
I would set the Clear CMOS jumper first because you do not know where it has been. I would then go to the support pages and update your BIOS to the lastest the was produced. You can alway put the RAID controller back in.
With your RAID controller removed, you can not do much with your drives except with software or purchase another RAID controller, a few are not much of an investment as they were when they were in. A good raid solution is to create a 4GB Mirror with 2 4GBs for the OS and a RAID array, or spanned volume if no redundancy is needed, with the balance for data and program files.
As for video, the onboard just can not support the resolution in 2000. You can always buy a new cheap one to replace it.

[Terri Harris]

Here are the steps to clear CMOS on a LH Pro:

a. Turn the server off and unplug it. Take the case off.
b. Locate the set of system switches on the motherboard.
c. Move Switch #3 CONFIG VALID to the opposite position.
d. Power up the server. You will see a configuration error. The server will stop at this error.
e. Turn the server off, unplug it. Move Switch #3 back to the original position.
f. Power up the server. The BIOS Setup program must be run to reconfigure the server.

[Curtis Glass]

Hey, I was donated the same HP Netserver LH Pro with 3 9.6GB HD's and 128MB of RAM...when I boot I get some POST, but it goes by really fast after it checks the ram so I cannot read it. I tried to reset the CMOS like you suggested but I just don't know what to do. I do not have that HP CD it needs to figure out the problem, but what I do get is "System Error" then "System Halted"..please help me figure this out, I would really like this server to work, thanks in advance!

[Terri Harris]

Curtis, will the server boot from a bootable diskette? The server will need to do this in order for you to access the BIOS setup.
You do not need the HP Navigator CD. You can run the BIOS setup (program is called ECU) from a diskette. This diskette can be created from the following LH Pro software download web page:
http://h20004.www2.hp.com/soar_rnotes/bsdmatrix/matrix50454en_US.html

Download the lhproecu.exe file and run this file, you will be prompted to for one diskette. This diskette is bootable.

[Curtis Glass]

Hey, no it won't, it doesnt boot from CD, and it doesnt even load power to the floppy, nor read it, thanks for the quick reply, I appreciate your help = D...keep the ideas coming

[Terri Harris]

You will need to complete the steps in my previous reply on how to clear the CMOS.
Can you find the system switches on the LH Pro?

For documentation on the LH Pro, here is the User Guide:

http://h200004.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/lpn11737/lpn11737.pdf

The Netserver Service Handbook volume 2 is also a good source for LH Pro documentation:

http://h200004.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/lpn11786/lpn11786.pdf

page 80 of the Service Handbook includes an illustration of the system board.