SPAWN error ...??? Compaq ProLiant server - SmartStart CD

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From: Kizetoni (kizetoni_at_mail.ru)
Date: 05/10/04 

Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 16:19:39 +0200

Hi All!

I am about to re-install an old Compaq ProLiant 6000 server with 6 hard
disks on Smart Array 3100 ES controller.

The first thing that is wondering me is that I cannot come in into BIOS
(tried F10, F2, F1 and DEL, but no success - in manual there is no such
thing as entering BIOS settings, coud it be that there are no BIOS settings
at all?).

Second thing. I booted the computer with Compaq's Smart Start CD, and
entered the RAID configuration module. Everything went fine, but when I
finished the setting, I was asked to restart the machine, which I did - and
then it reported that it coulnd't read from the CD.

I thought "that is for sure this old CD-drive", I bought a new one, and
started again. But immediately after the POST messages and start of
SmartStart, it says:

=====================================
SPAWN error - path or file not found for win.com
Error code 13
=====================================

I thought "that must be the SmartStart CD itself. After that point, I tried
with several combinations of different SmartStart CDs and different
CD-drives, and every time I get the same message. I tried searching on
Compaq's (HP's) and Microsofts site - this funny SPAWN error doesn't exist!
(well, it would be funny if I weren't late with installing this server :o)

... and even tried Google, and there comes something on Korean (or something
like that), with FreeBSD word writen once in a while (that means, it is
probably not there I will find the solution for my problem).

Being desperat, I tried to boot to win98, win 2003 server - no luck, I get
BSoD, and I get freezing machine.

I tried to add an IDE harddisk to install a windows on it in hope that then
I could install SmartStart on this windows, and configure the array again -
but installation froze again.

I booted from a win98 diskette, and I could see the famous win.com file in
the win95 directory of the SmartStart CD, but when I tried to start it, I
got the message saying that this program needs to have windows to start. But
that means that the file exists, and it can be read. So nothing is wrong
with hardware.

I also tried the different versions of Smart Start - the same result.

I tried changing the physical order of the SCSI harddisks, in hope that
SmartStart has written somehing on them, and that it is disks where computer
is trying to boot up from - but the same result. Even without the disks, the
booting result is this SPAWN error.

I suppose that this Smart Start CD is built upon windows 95, but why it
wouldn't start? The only thing I can conclude is that this path to win.com
is wrong, but where is that path saved, if I get the same result without the
harddisks? I thought that it is somewhere in some type of RAM, then I
detached the power supply and let it stay like that night over, but didn't
help either...

I asked the guy who installed 1000 of Compaq servers, and he never heard of
Spawn....?

Any suggestions?!?!

Thanx in advance!

Regards,
            Zoran

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