SCSI gurus please help! Can't boot from SCSI drive!

[Perplexer]

I'm setting up a dual-processor PIII-933 server (ServerWorks chipset) with onboard dual-channel SCSI (53C1010 chipset) and an IBM 9.1GB 68-pin SCSI drive. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get the SCSI HDD to boot. The "boot choice" option in the SCSI BIOS is always greyed out. Drive is on the primary SCSI channel, SCSI ID #1 (card is #7).

I can see the drive under DOS, and format/write files to it, just can't boot from it. If I try to install Win2K or WinXP, it complains that it doesn't see the drive, even though the LSI Logic drivers are loaded.

Is there a magic setting somewhere I'm missing? I've verified boot order and boot devices in the BIOS (It's there), made sure primary SCSI controller is first boot device, but I'm sure it's the "boot choice" flag in the SCSI BIOS that is the problem. I can't seem to make it available.

Anyone have any pointers? Thanks.

 

[mastertech01]

Are you using SCSI CDROM? Try ID 0 for your boot ID and change the ID on the drive to 0. Make sure there are no other HDD for now in the system, especially IDE. I cant imagine why it gives no boot option choices unless something is disabled. I however have not used a serverworks board. Also make sure your SCSI drive is terminated properly.

EDIT: Also in the SCSI bios enable INT13 support, bios enabled.

 

[Perplexer]

Thanks for the quick reply. SCSI HDD is the only drive in the system (I will be adding a large IDE drive on the primary IDE channel once I get this problem worked out.) ATAPI CD-ROM is on secondary IDE channel. U160 cable has a terminator on the end of it (marked Ultra3 160M LVD/SE) and HDD is on the next-to-last connector. Changed the SCSI ID on the drive to 0, but same behavior.

 

[mastertech01]

When you boot the system up, does it show the SCSI detection sequence and identify your drive and the address? You may need a bios update for u160 drive.

 

[Perplexer]

It's detected by the card and shows up in the device listing. Here's information on the LSI Logic config screen, if it helps at all: link

I tried to update the BIOS from 4.17.00 to 4.19.00, but the flash utility said it didn't see the SCSI controller (it's onboard, although it probably shouldn't make a difference)

The HDD has jumpers for SCSI ID, "Force SE", "Term Power", "Disable Unit Attn", "TI Sync Nego", "Disable Parity", "Delay Start 6/12", "Auto Start Delay", "Enable Auto Spin". Only "Enable Auto Spin" is selected. I don't know what most of the other settings do.

I did try a different HDD (a 68-pin Fujitsu 4.3) but didn't do any better...

 

[mastertech01]

Well if its showing a detection screen and identifying the drive and all is terminated and configured correctly it appears the motherboard and controller are doing thier job. Possibly you are installing drivers with the F6 command when the OS starts installing, and XP already supports the controller? I dont know all that you have tried, but if you havent tried letting XP install with no added drivers from floppy disk, try it that way. According to what I read at the LSI site, all the drivers should be natively supported for that chipset.

 

[Perplexer]

Yep, Win2K required drivers be loaded with F6; WinXP does include support for the controller. Neither worked for me. This has me stumped; I really appreciate all your help. I'll keep you up-to-date with my progress and frustration level

 

[mastertech01]

Ok, Ill check back to this thread off an on, maybe I can learn YET another trick or lesson .... Hope you get it resolved soon.

 

[SemperFi]

This is a longshot that you probobly already checked. My card has a feature in the bios that will install the bios to memory. You can turn this off if you are not using the card to boot. I leave mine off since I don't boot off of scsi. I don't remember how it is worded in the bios. I haven't been in there for a while. It will probobly depend on the card.

I hope this is of some help.

Semper Fi

 

[Perplexer]

Well, I've decided I have a defective piece of hardware somewhere (maybe the U160 cable/terminator). I'll try calling Gateway for support, and hope their server support folks are more knowledgeable than their desktop support...

 

[Perplexer]

Update: Spent two hours troubleshooting with Gateway server support - we've decided it's probably a defective U160 cable. They're mailing a replacement. Hope this clears up my problem...

 

[mastertech01]

Keep us updated. That kind of thing bites when you dont have a spare to verify.

 

[Perplexer]

Replacement U160 cable came in the mail today! Turns out this wasn't the problem. Gateway will now be sending a replacement mainboard. If this doesn't solve the problem, then it's gotta be user error!

Gateway's server support folks are pretty good... not too talkative, but knowledgeable.

More details as they come...

 

[Perplexer]

New motherboard came, and Win2K Server setup recognized the drive immediately and copied files to it. Much better than the first motherboard.

But then when time came to reboot, I *still* can't boot off the drive. Get "Reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device." Boot order in BIOS doesn't change anything. One other thing I notice is that when I have a bootable CD in the drive, it will automatically boot from that device, where the other motherboard (correctly) prompted "Press any key to boot from CD..."

I can't even boot to DOS and see the drive with fdisk, pqmagic, etc. (even with DOS SCSI drivers loaded.)

Can my luck really be this bad? Do I have another defective motherboard? I'll call Gateway AGAIN in the morning...

 

[Perplexer]

For the heck of it, I hooked up an old clunker of a SCSI hard drive this morning, and IT BOOTED! Gateway will be sending me a replacement 9.1GB U160 drive...

The good news is that we're not crazy and the problem was not a setting we missed somewhere. The bad news is that my nice new server had two defective components (mainboard and hard drive). I hope it's smooth sailing from this point forward...

 

[Perplexer]

Problem resolved. After much troubleshooting, and Gateway overnighting the server to their labs and back, it's running fine. Turns out my original motherboard was bad, and the replacement they sent me was bad! The third time's the charm, I guess, and I'm up and running.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.