Re: Windows CD can't find my hard drives.

On Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:45:11 -0400, Paul <nospam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Stan Hilliard wrote:
On Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:17:07 -0500, Stan Hilliard
<usenetreplyMS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

My OS is XP-Pro, I built the computer from components a couple years
ago.

Background -- Earlier this year I had a problem with automatic updates
to XP SP2 not installing and contacted Microsoft. MS helped me solve
that problem and also helped me update to XP-Pro SP3. When I told them
that also some DLLs failed to register when I tried to install the
software for my Blackberry, they requested I run a Windows repair from
the CD.

The following is the current problem. The CD couldn't find any hard
drives. We determined that I had a OEM CD so they sent me a new
genuine XP-Pro CD (but SP2, not SP3). The new CD cannot find hard
drives either.

I have three hard drives. Two of them are in a RAID 0 array.

Other than that, the computer seems to run normally except that
backups of C: freeze the computer before they run to completion.

The place where I get the message is at the screen:
a) To set up windows XP now, press enter.
b) To repair a windows XP installation using Recovery Console, Press
R.
c) To quit setup without installing Windows XP, press R

After [return] I get the message:
"Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed on your computer."

What would make the windows setup to not find the hard drives.

I have discovered additional worrisome things about my computer's hard
drive configuration.

1) When I started the windows setup CD and inserted the motherboard
driver floppy, it offered a selection of drivers for the RAID. The one
that seemed to match my XP and AMD 64 was M5288. The current installed
item under "SCSI and RAID controllers" is "ULi SATA/RAID controller
(M1689/M1567)" and the driver file is M5289.sys. Could that be the
wrong driver file?

2) There are two items under SCSI and RAID controllers. The second
item is "VIA VT6421 RAID controller" and the driver file is
viamraid.sys. Should I have both ULi and VIA drivers?

Stan Hilliard

I found drivers here. (Nvidia bought ULI, and has a ULI link on the driver
page, but the available drivers don't cover everything.) I got here
via uabit.com, the parent company.

http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/download/download_driver_detail.php?pFILE_TYPE=Driver&pMAIN_TYPE=Motherboard&pTITLE_ON_SCREEN=KU8&pSOCKET_TYPE=Socket%20754

In the user manual for your board, I don't see a VIA VT6421. Just the
ULI single chip Northbridge/Southbridge. So the VT6421 must be
coming from a separate plug-in PCI card.

Yes there is a PCI card. It is a PPA Int'l 1301 2-Port Serial ATA
card. It has one internal and one external port. The internal port has
a stand-alone HDD. Sometimes I connect a stand-alone HDD to the
external port for backing up. That all seems to work when operated
normally.
(Except if I Boot, then connect the external HDD, and then shut down
forgetting to remove the external HDD first, the computer
automatically restarts.)

And that means, you need to verify the cabling inside your PC. Check
to see if the disk(s) are connected to a PCI card, or to the motherboard
surface. If connected to the PCI card, then you might need a floppy
with VT6421 driver. If connected to the motherboard, something
for the M1689/M1567.

The two physical drives that make up the RAID 0 array are cabled to
the motherboard.

Also, if you're making a RAID 0 boot array, you'd have to "create"
the array first. If the array is an existing array, from a previous
creation, then there is no work to do.

The RAID 0 array is an existing array. I have been booting off it for
at least two years.

Otherwise, to "declare" a
RAID array, typically a BIOS setup screen is used to write
metadata near the end of each disk in the array. The metadata
(less than 64KB worth), indicates how each disk fits into the
array. The usage of metadata, makes it possible to move the drives
around later, plug them into different ports than originally used,
and the software still figures everything out. The RAID driver
can't "take" and be effective for your installation, unless the
array has been set up first.

If the disks are plugged into the motherboard two SATA ports,
then try this. This would be for ULI RAID.

ftp://ftp-usa.abit.com.tw/pub/download/driver2/sata_driverdisk/uli_sata_v103.zip

I downloaded this since the RAID array is cabled to the motherboard. I
compared versions of driver files that I have and found this.

17/04/2005 -- M5289.sys -- 52K -- v5.0.3.0 -- current in \drivers\
12/01/2004 -- M5289.sys -- 51K -- v5.0.2.9 -- motherboard disk XP
12/01/2004 -- M5289.sys -- 69K -- v5.0.2.9 -- motherboard disk XPA64
12/23/2005 -- M5288.sys -- 206K - v6.2.1.8 -- old download for XP
12/23/2005 -- M5288.sys -- 282K - v6.2.1.8 -- old download for XPA64
12/23/2005 -- M5288.sys -- 210K - v6.2.1.8 -- in zip above, for XP
12/23/2005 -- M5288.sys -- 288K - v6.2.1.8 -- in zip above, for XPA64

Perhaps I have the wrong driver file installed. Is it reasonable to
change from the M5289.sys to an 5288.sys? If so, should it be the one
for XP or XPA64? My CPU is an AMD Athion 64 3700.

When unzipped, copy the contents to a floppy. The TXTSETUP.OEM
should be at the top level of the floppy. along
with the folders.

This is for VT6421. VRAID. Likely on a PCI card.

http://www.viaarena.com/ViaDisplayDrivers.aspx?PageID=1&OSID=1&CatID=1180&SubCatID=117

http://www.viaarena.com/Driver/vraid_driver_v550b.zip

Unzip the download. Look for "drvdisk". There is a txtsetup.oem
and three folders in there. If the two disks are connected to
a PCI card with VT6421, the array has been "created", then copy
the contents of drvdisk to a floppy, such that txtsetup.oem is
at the top level of the floppy.

Either floppy can be offered via pressing F6.

Only the driver necessary to complete the install, is needed
at this time. Any other drivers (to handle other data disks that
may be connected to the other controller), can be installed
afterwards.
Paul

Since I do not have a RAID array cabled to that card, is there a
reason for having this driver? In fact, shouldn't I uninstall the
existing VIA RAID driver?

Stan Hilliard
.

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