Help! NT Server 4.0 can't find harddrives on a Dell PowerEdge 6300 during install

[JEDI]

My workplace is WinNT with no chance of upgrading in the near future, so please dont say use w2k, or XP.

Anyway, the machine boots off the NT Server CD. It finds the adaptec scsi that controls the cd-rom. But it's not finding the raid array for my hard drives!

The machine is no longer under warrenty so i cant call dell's tech support. I looked at dell's site and downloaded the following file, but it wasn't it. Nt server still says it can't find the hard drives.

Dell Driver

The funny thing is that when i bootup using a Win98 bootup disk, it sees the harddrives fine.

HELP!

THX

 

[Netopia]

Can you give us a little more info on EXACTLY what is happening?

Do you load the drivers at the beginning of the process? Is it letting you install and then saying "Inaccessable Boot Device" or is it simply seeing no drive on which to install at all?

Please give us a more detailed description and perhaps we can help.

As another possibility, if you are working weekend OT and time is of the essence, you might also want to check and see if Dell provides for fee based tech support on out of warrenty items.

Joe

 

[JEDI]

This project is due by the end of the week (2/15) thankfully.

anyway, i boot off the nt server cd. it searches out my hardware. it finds the adaptec scsi card that's for the cd-rom drive. when i press enter to goto the next step, it says it doesn't see any hard drives on my system. That tells me it's not finding the Raid array hardware.

so from another machine, i goto dell's site and download the drivers and put it on a floppy. i reboot the Dell server, it boots off the nt server cd, and finds the adaptec scsi card. then i press "s" to specifiy additional drivers. It searches my floppy and finds the drivers for the raid array. now i have the adaptec and the raid array drivers loaded. i press enter to goto the next step, and again, it tells me that it can't find any hard drives on my system and can't continue.

if it's not the correct raid array drivers, anyone have any idea what could be the correct ones?

THX

 

[Netopia]

You are doing it right as far as I can see. Weird that it can't see the drives.

Sorry... I'm not gonna be of any help on this one.

Joe

 

[Panther505]

XFILE-

Do you know what Raid controller you are using? I am guessing SCSI and the Array is already configured. When booting from the NT CD you need to press F6 when you get a black screen that says "Setup is now detecting your hardware" . IF you wait for the Blue set up screen the HAL will already have probed the RAID controller and made up its mind with what it is. (THis is a common problem with any of the SCSI 160 controllers out there). IF you catch the F6 prior to the blue screen (at the black) your drivers will load and then you will be able to see the HD.

 

[thornc]

Panther is right...

The problem is either NT not recognizing the controller or he thinks
it is a different controller and load up the wrong drivers...

Follow Phanter suggestions and you should be fine...
I once had a similar problem, but in my case I had to create
the 3 installations disks and put the driver I needed in one
of them instead of the driver NT had!