Netserver LX Pro boot from cd problems

[KSteele]

Hi,

I am attempting to boot a windows2000 server cd but it hangs at "setup is inspecting your hardware configuration..."

The BIOS is AMIBIOS (c) 1992 1.00.07.CD0L

Why does the server freeze at this point?

[JohnWRuffo]

You can install the latest bios in the server from here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?locale=en_US〈=English&pnameOID=15406&prodSeriesId=50440&prodTypeId=15351&basePartNum=ns843&locBasepartNum=ns843en&os=Cross+OS&tech=BIOS

You will also need the new ECU for that bios, here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?locale=en_US〈=English&pnameOID=15406&prodSeriesId=50440&prodTypeId=15351&basePartNum=ns856&locBasepartNum=ns856en&os=Cross+OS&tech=BIOS

Have you tried to install Win2K using diskettes? It could just be your CD-ROM Drive is faulty...

[KSteele]

Thanks, I updated the BIOS to 1.00.11CD0L but still no luck. The process still freezes at the aforementioned place. I am not in a position where I can install xp onto an IDE hard disk. I simply want to know a way to get cd-roms to boot properly with the Netserver LX Pro. I also checked out the LCU but could not find a setting which may fix the issue. Thanks for your help however it did not resolve the problem.

[KSteele]

PS

I am attempting to boot from win2k floppies at this point and it seems to be going OK. However the main reason for my initial question was not because I needed to install windows. What I am attempting to do is find a way to get around the default cluster size of 4Kb which the format option within windows setup uses.

I have two seperate RAID arrays in this server. What I wanted to do was boot into something like BartPE to be able to format the RAID arrays through disk manager (which should be available as a plugin) - that way I would think I should be able to choose a cluster size other than 4Kb. However BartPE freezes at the same point that the Win2K disk does.

What I am going to attempt now is to install 2kserver onto one of the RAID arrays (booting from floppies) and then formatting the other RAID array once I get into windows. Then hopefully I might be able to install windows on the newly formatted RAID array (with a different cluster size than 4Kb), then go back and re-format the array to which I initially installed windows with a different cluster size. Do you think this will work?

[JohnWRuffo]

If the server media will "read" corectly (i.e., you are able to use the CD to build the O/S) but are unable to boot from it corectly, I would suspect that the CD Drive itself is faulty.
If you can, replace the drive with one from a standard workstation (temporarily) you know is good and give that a try. If the media will boot and not hang on you... problem solved.

[KSteele]

Ok, sounds like a good idea, I'll give it a try. However, I've never heard of a cd-rom reading media fine but not being able to boot bootable media. Is this an issue with cd-roms? As a side question, what does the cd-rom do differently when it boots cds as opposed to reading them?

[JohnWRuffo]

I am not sure of the "why" or what mechanically goes wrong with them, but I have seen this happen on several "older" units. The quick fix has been to replace it with a spare (usually from a decommissioned workstation) and move on. Most of these will be way out of warranty so as long as you get the bezel color "close" no one will notice.

[KSteele]

hehe

[KSteele]

Well the cd-drive in this Netserver LX is SCSI. I have noticed that other people with Netserver LX/LH models have had similar problems, by looking at other threads (if you look down in the netservers forum you will see them). I do think that there is an issue with the older chipset used in these servers that prevents certain cds from booting, namely Windows OS disks and unfortunately BartPE.

If any HP person can give me more information on this it would be appreciated.