HELP! Trying to get an Abit BE6 to load WinXP SP1.

[MIDIman]

I picked up this motherboard with a bunch of parts in it (P3-500, SB Live, ethernet), and just added a Seagate 7200.7 120gb to the mix. After installing WinXP SP1, the computer won't boot into windows - BIOS is fine.

I took everything out, reformatted the HD with an NTFS 20gb partition using the WinXP recover menu, and the system only has videocard, ram, CPU and PSU.

Same problem occurs - I'm able to go through WinXP copying files blue-screen setup, but on first boot from HD (to setup), the computer either

1) reboots automatically
2) gives a blue screen of death
3) just stalls with a black screen

Any clues? BIOS says something like version Nov. 1999. I've tried swapping out video card, ram, and PSU - basically having everything different except motherboard and CPU. Is there something I'm missing here?

 

[MIDIman]

After a few hours, I've successfully installed Win98se...what now? Any reason why WinXP SP1 installation didn't work?

 

[StratsRule]

New poster here, long-time lurker.

I still use my BE6, running XP Pro SP2 w/no problems, XP Pro SP1 before that, Win2k before that, 98 before that (going back to 1999, when I first assembled the machine). I seem to remember having some trouble with the on-board HPT366 UDMA66 IDE controller when I went to either Win2k or XP. Used the Intel UDMA33 controller for a bit with my HDD, then installed a Promise Ultra100TX2 PCI card IDE controller. No problems with that but I had to change the boot sequence in BIOS to include "SCSI" or something. I have the HPT366 disabled in Device Manager. Also you need to make sure to use the HDD manufacturer's configuration utility, while the HDD is connected to the Intel UDMA33 controller, to set the UDMA level to the proper speed for the controller you'll be using it with (probably needs to be reduced, if it's a newer HDD).

Definitely make sure you have the most recent BIOS, which should be dated 7/31/2000. ABIT still has it posted- see here.
Hope this helps,
StratsRule

 

[MIDIman]

After loading Win98se last night, I tried upgrading to WinXP SP1...same problem occurs.


Thanks for the reply...I was afraid the the built-in HPT366 controller might have something to do with this. Questions:

1) Should I be loading my HD on the HPT366's connectors, or the default ones? I didn't know that the default ones are UDMA33 only, so it sounds like it should be on the HPT366, eh? There is an option in BIOS labelled "EXT means" and the options are UDMA66 or SCSI, so I'm assuming this needs to be on UDMA66 if I'm connecting a boot drive to the HPT366?

2) WinXP appears to REQUIRE a floppy drive to load system drivers in the WinXP setup. i.e. if I hit F6, then S, it says that I can't continue because I don't have a floppy. Is there any way around this? OR, is there any way to just get into Windows

3) You had also mentioned using the HDD manufacturer disk while on the UDMA33 controller...This is a Seagate 7200.7...what exactly would I be loading, and would it be after getting into Windows, or before, during the setup? I've never used HD disks before other than simple maintenence. I did notice that in Seagate's DOS utility, you can recreate the MBR or reinitialize it.

4) Again, no floppy drive to get the BIOS loaded, though if you think it'll help me get into Windows, I might just burn a CD and use the Seagate manufacturer disk to get a DOS prompt.


Thanks a bunch - and a re-welcome to anandtech StratsRule! See, you too can help if you're involved!

 

[MIDIman]

Frustration ensues...

I found a floppy drive. I updated BIOS to the latest version. I grabbed the latest HPT366 drivers from Abit's site and placed the Win2K drivers in the root of the floppy disk.

I placed the Seagate HD on the HPT366 primary, the CDROM on the secondary. The HD shows up as bootable in the HPT blue screen BIOS, but the CDROM it is not allowed to be bootable. SO, I put the CDROM back on secondary of the default UDMA33 controller.

In BIOS, I setup bootup as CDROM, A, C, and booted into WinXP SP1 setup. I hit F6. It found the HPT366 driver from the floppy and I setup on the C drive's NTFS 10gig partition. All is good...Reboot...


...and here comes the problems.

1) If I leave the boot setting in BIOS as "CDROM, C, A" it asks to boot from CD like usual, and if I hit nothing, it moves on to a black screen and reboots automatically, over and over again. Makes sense, SO...

2) If I change the boot setting in BIOS to "EXT, C, A" and have the EXT setting as "UDMA66" (i.e. its looking at the HPT366 for bootup), then the computer does not show a "Boot from CD" and instead goest to black and just sits there forever...no blue screen of death, no reboot...just sits...

An interesting note of stupidity...there is no setting that has both EXT and CDROM. LOL.


WTF? What do I do now?! Damn man - I DO NOT miss this!!

 

[KGB]

MIDI,

Here's what I would try:

1. Get into BIOS and set the boot order back to CDROM, C, A and disable the HiPoint controller.
2. Connect your HD to the regular Primary channel of the Intel Northbridge.
3. Try going through the XP install which hopefully will go fine.
4. Install all of your drivers, etc.
5. Go back to BIOS and enable the HiPoint controller while your HD is still connected to the Intel channel.
6. Windoze should ask for the driver which you already have.
7. Shut down and connect your HD to the HiPoint controller.
8. Power back up and set the BIOS boot order to boot from the HiPoint controller.

If #3 does not go well, I would try a low-level format of your HD and try the above sequence again.

Let us know how this works out.

 

[MIDIman]

I've never gotten through #3 - period. i.e. The first time you see the Windows XP logo (which I never actually see). Unfortunately, there is NO WAY to disable the highpoint controller.

I've read about an HPT366 driver specifically for WinXP (version 1.30)...I found one and have tried it through F6 during setup (as well as the latest 1.28b on highpoint's site), but all problems still occur.

I'm currently trying to update the HPT366 BIOS to the latest version. It asks me which EPROM I would like to flash, of the following choices:

1. W29C011A
2. SST39SF010
3. AT29LV010/512
4. AT29C010/512
5. W29EE011-15

I believe its #1 - but just thought I'd ask here first.

Note that the HD is brand new, and any time I go through the setup process, I delete the partition and reformat NTFS on a 10gb partition. Would a low-level format really help any?

No clue what to do now...I think I've tried everything.

 

[MIDIman]

sigh...currently low-level formatting...its taking hours. I'm about to give up. I've read numermous posts around the 'net concerning this, and I don't think I've read a single reponse that has gotten it to work.

 

[MIDIman]

Low Level format done - tried the steps as asked, and still won't work.

I tried reloading Win98se, an the plan was to go through the upgrade to WinXP again, but this time use the newer 1.30 HPT driver. Unfortunately, now I can't even get into Win98. I did everything the same as before, and it goes through the entire setup, but on first boot, when its looking for the monitor, it halts or goes black.

Game over - I give up.

 

[MIDIman]

My last try...

I found out the Win98se setup was dying because I swapped the optical drive with a CD burner, and I don't think Win98 knew what it was.

So with the old drive back in, I can get Win98 up and running. I ran through the WinXP SP1 upgrade again, this time including the latest 1.30 beta HPT366 driver via floppy. It gets through to the second boot OK after giving the HPT366 driver (would not go past this last time), but halts on the next reboot.

During one of my random reboots, I saw IRQ_LESS_BUT_NOT_EQUAL...that's HD related right?

I tried F8 when booting, and choosing Debug mode. Nothing. I tried Safe Mode...it loads up to MUP.SYS.

Good times...<sigh>