proliant 1600 won't boot from CD with smartstart 5.50

[Oskar Teran]

hello,
This is the first time i've seen this problem...usually these machines work fine with this scenario.
Proliant 1600, scsi CDROM, need to do new install - so I got smartstart 5.50 CD. I put it into the machine and boot it...after a while I get an error. The screen says -

retry ELTORITO
retry ELTORITO
hard stop.

However, when I put other bootable CD's into the machine, I get a message saying that the machine renamed the CDrom as the A-drive, and the A-drive is now the B-drive...and the disk boots up fine.

What is causing this??

Thanks,

Oskar

[Martin Breidenbach]

ELTORITO is a standard for bootable cds.

My guess:
Somehow there's a problem with that cdrom or that cd or the combination of both.

Examine the CD for dirt and scratches.
Try to get a different SmartStart CD.
Try to replace the CDROM drive.

Hmmm.... maybe it MIGHT work if you try to copy the SmartStart cd and then try that copy ?

Since the system BIOS is responsible for booting from cd you could also try to update it - at least that shouldn't make it worse.

[Oskar Teran]

I tried version 5.5 and version 4.6 of smartstart...I get the same results. If I put version 6.2, it tells me this server needs version 5.5 smartstart!
Also, like I said before, other bootable CD's (OS's, windows, linux, solaris) work fine. Why won't the smartstart CD work? These CD's have worked fine on other boxes..

[Martin Breidenbach]

SmartStart 6.x only supports new systems with setup etc in system ROM.

SmartStart 5.5 should work. I really don't know why it doesn't.

Since you are going to reinstall - did you already run system erase utility ?

Before you try that you can also try to just clear cmos config. There's a dip switch on the motherboard and a description on a label inside the box.

I'd do:
- run BIOS update (old system bios and new smartstart/os drivers can result in strange problems)
- run System Erase Utility (sets system back to factory defaults; also erases all hard drives. If you want to install via SmartStart then you'll have to do that anyway)
- then try to boot from SmartStart.
- if that still doesn't work call HP support (they'll recommend a BIOS update anyway - they always do - so I'd do that before I call them)

[Oskar Teran]

I did things just like you recommend. I upgraded the BIOS, I ran system erase, then I try to boot from smartstart CD, but I keep getting these errors.
I used floppies for now! But I'm curious to see why it gets these errors. I also found out this box has no array controller. I was looking at the 3200 controller...it says it works on compaq PCI servers...so does that mean it works on proliant 1600's? I'm assuming the PCI refers to a PCI bus.
Ebay has 3200 controllers for less than $100, they also have smart 2 controllers for around $25.

Thanks,

Oskar

[Martin Breidenbach]

Smart 3200 should work. If you buy a used one make sure it has the correct adapter board for internal SCSI channel.

(Smart3200 is a two channel controller. Each channel can be used internal or external but not both. The 3200 came with two adapter boards which contain one or two internal scsi connectors.)

But that won't solve the SmartStart boot problem. Sorry but I don't know what's wrong here.

[ratewiz]

Hi oscar i would actually recommend using smartstart lower that 5.50

[Oskar Teran]

Hey,
I figured it out! It had the tape drive and a scsi cdrom on the same scsi cable. On a hunch, I put in an IDE cdrom and left the tape drive alone on the scsi cable.
PRESTO!
It boots off the cdrom now! Smartstart 5.50 works perfectly.

Thank you to all of you who responded.

Happy Holidays,

Oskar

[Martin Breidenbach]

Now as you write this I remember a problem with a system that had multiple SCSI cdroms - it didn't boot SmartStart from the built-in cdrom. But booting from the external worked (lower SCSI ID).