Abit BE6 HPT366 and Win2k problem

[HailBallz]

I have a system with an Abit BE6 with the High Point Technology HPT366 UDMA66 controler. I have the same problem alot of people seem to have, I can't get windows 2000 to run off of the UDMA66 controller. For those of you who don't know what the exact problem is here's a description:

I can't get windows2k to install on to the hard drive when it's attatched to the UDMA66 controller. I run the setup and try the F6 trick, to install third party controllers, and the install freezes. So I installed Win2K with the hard drive hooked up to the UDMA33, this worked fine. But now when i try to put the hard drive on the UDMA66 controller it freezes when loading Win2K. I get a "Inaccesable Boot Drive" error.

I've tried every fix I can find online. None of them seem to work. Does anybody have a good proven way to fix this, or even some idea? This problem is pretty frustrating, I want to move past Windows 98.

 

[Don66]

Put your harddrive on you ata33 controller set windows 2000 up.
install the drivers for the highpoint controller.
Power down the machine put you drive back on the ultra 66
reboot.........

 

[HailBallz]

I've tried that a few times, but I'll give it another shot.

 

[HailBallz]

I have a 10 gig maxtor connected to the ata66 controller, would this have something to do with the problem? Would a firmware update help? Cab somebody please help me, this is really frustrating.

 

[virulent]

i installed fine w/ the 1.23 drivers. i had installed with the 1.25s but after a format these mystically stopped working. but that comp is setup w/ the 1.23s and is working fine. here's a link to the driver page hpt drivers. maybe a dumb question, but after u press f6 is windows prompting u to install the drivers from the floppy during install? cuz i know if i dont press it immediately and several times, the darn thing wont prompt me for the drivers and thus wont be able to detect the hd. gl.

edit: the drive on the other connector should be fine and no firmware should be needed. "in theory."

vir

 

[HailBallz]

Yeah, the windows install is prompting me to install the drivers after i press f6. But it still doesn't detect the hard drive even with the drivers, so i'm forced to install it on the UDMA33 controller. Did the 1.23 drivers work only after a reformat, or did you just install them normally through windows to replace the 1.25 drivers?

 

[virulent]

the thing was is that i was using the 1.25s from the get go. then one day i had to reformat and the 1.25s wouldnt work anymore. so i used the older 1.23s and its been fine. i know i tried to reload the 1.25s after i got everything up but that just made things worse and the os got stuck on the loadup screen. but everytime i had to reformat, i was able to stick my hds on the hpt controller and use the 1.23s w/ no problems. have you tried placing the hd on the other hpt controller?

 

[HailBallz]

No, I haven't tried plugging the hd into the second hpt controller, only the first one. I'll give that a shot. I was reading somewhere yesterday that Maxtor Hard Drives are extremely incompatible with highpoint's UDMA66 controllers.

 

[Agamar]

Yeah, use the 1.23 drivers... I have used them thru at least 3 formats no problem.

 

[eplebnista]

Have you flashed to the latest Bios? The BIOS flash updates the HPT366 Controllers also. If all else fails you could probably pick up a Promise Ultra66 Controller Card for <$20(if you have an available PCI slot).

eplebnista

 

[HailBallz]

What version of the bios are you using with the hpt 1.23 drivers? I have the second newest be6 bios installed, i forget what the letter specification is, it has version 1.25 of the hpt bios with it.

 

[Byte]

IBMs also are terrible with 3rd parta UltraXX controllers. WDs seem to be the best with them. But still lots of imcompatibilities. I hope ATA133 fixes all these. Thats why i use SCSI

 

[OS]

guys, don't bother trying to fix the unfixable. I've tried everything to get the hpt366 to work reliably under win2k. It can't be done. I've tried many drivers and many BIOS. Just sink 30 bucks and buy a promise ATA controller, mine worked right the first time around. I'll go out on a limb and say that a couple hours of your guys' time is easily worth 30 dollars.