Question about WinXP Pro install on a Shuttle AK31A v3.1...

[Hobbes28]

Scroll down for my update to this post... I tried to install WinXP Pro from a bootable CD but it seems to hang when it gets to the screen "Windows is now starting" (right after it loads all the installation files and right before the screen where you choose what you want to do). I know the CD is good because I just used it to install on my wife's computer (I have to legit keys, this CD just happens to have SP1 included and it is easier to use). I've tried the install with the stock FSB (133) and even relaxed the memory timings. I haven't tried to FDISK the Boot drive (right now it has Win98SE on it) and staring from scratch, I just wanted to see if I could boot to where I needed to be before I started. The Boot drive (WD 120JB) is also connected to a Promise Controller PCI card on a channel by itself, the slave is on the other channel by itself (WD 120BB).

Here is a list of the hardware I have installed:

Antex SX800 / Enermax EG465 PS
Shuttle AK31A v3.1 / AMD Athlon 2100+ TBred @ 2.17 (15X145)
512MB (2X256) PC2700 Samsung original (-TCB3)
ATI 8500 Radeon
Netgear FA311 NIC (same card in my wife's)
Promise ATA100 controller (WD120JB - Master, WD120BB - Slave)
Promise ATA199 controller (250MB Zip drive - Master)
SBLive! 5.1 - Altec ADA305
Lucent WinModem
Lite-On 16X DVD (On board Primary channel - Master)
Asus 52X CD-ROM (On board Primary channel - Slave)
Lite-On 52X24X52 CD-RW (On board Secondary channel - Master)
Sony 1.44 Floppy drive

Everything in my system has been stable and running flawless for quite sometime and close to a year without a hang or crash.

I guess before I really get into the meat of the install I'd like to know some other peoples experience with installing WinXP Pro on the Shuttle AK31A v3.1.

Thanks in advance...

Scroll down for my update to this post...

 

[Wallysaurus]

When the install first starts, are you hitting the F6 key to install the drivers for the Promise controller? I'm not sure whether XP will have the drivers for both of your controller cards. If not, you will need floppies with the drivers so that you can load them when asked.

 

[Workin']

I've installed XP on dozens of computers built around the Shuttle AK31A and never had any problems. That probably doesn't help you a lot but you asked for other people's experiences.

 

[Hobbes28]

Thanks for the quick responses...

The Promise cards aren't RAID and have their own BIOS at bootup. I installed with the same CD on my wife's computer and the boot drive is connected to the same Promise ATA100 TX2 as is in my rig and it installed perfect. WinXP even had the Promise drivers already installed for this card after bootup.

I'll keep diggin, it's probably something simple I'm overlooking.

Later...

 

[Hobbes28]

This is an update to my first post. I tried connecting the Zip 250 as a slave and also on the Secondary channel as Master and Slave (keep in mind that these connections are on the Promise Ultra ATA100 TX2 PCI Controller card, I don't have any problem when it is connected to the Motherboard Primary or Secondary IDE connectors but those are full and unavailable). What I have found interesting is that if I boot with a disk in the Zip 250 (blank or with data) and have the drive connected to the Promise Ultra ATA100 TX2 PCI Controller card the problem is gone. It seems that the cause of my hang at boot up is caused by the Operating System waiting for a disk. I also noticed that this Zip 250 (firmware 42.3 or 43.2?) is seen by the Promise onboard BIOS at bootup as UDMA 2 mode instead of PIO 3 mode like my other two Zip 250 drives I have installed in two other computers I have in my house running Windows XP and connected to Promise Ultra ATA100 TX2 PCI Controller cards in almost the exact same way and they are operating as they should. The Zip 250 drive that I am having problems with was purchased about a month ago and the other two that are working were purchased about 2 years and three years ago. Please let me know if there is a fix for this as I would really like to keep this current configuration.

Thanks for all your help so far...