Windows Explorer Fatal Exception with Second Hard Drive on G6-266 w/ Ultra66

I was wondering if anyone else had run into this problem and/or had
any suggestions on the best way to resolve it. I have the following
system:

-Gateway G6-266 PC (PD440FX mobo, Pentium II-266MHz)
-128MB RAM
-Promise Ultra66 IDE Controller
-6.4 GB Quantum Fireball ST6 Harddrive running off Ultra66 controller
-Running Win98SE
-STB Nitro 3D (S3 ViRGE-DX/GX 375/385) display adapter

Everything runs great as noted above.

I wanted to add a second harddrive, so I bought a 20.2 GB Quantum
Fireball Plus AS drive off eBay and installed it as a slave to the
original HD (original HD set as the master). The drive was already
partitioned and formatted when I got it.

After installation, I was able to boot up OK off my original HD.
Win98 came up OK (though the MS Office shortcut bar switched from my
original settings to trying to show an icon for everything on my
desktop).

The problem I am running into is when I try to launch Windows
Explorer. It launches and I get a brief glimpse of the usual explorer
screen before it kicks into a blue screen "Fatal Exception 0E at
0028:00000000" error. If I press enter to continue, this is followed
by a "Fatal Exception 0D at 0246:014747FB" error. I run into this
same problem when trying to run the MaxBlast3 software to set up the
2nd drive. It recognizes it OK, but errors out when it tries to erase
and re-format the new drive.

I believe the new drive is working OK since I am able to access it
using a DOS window and when I boot into safe mode, so it appears to be
working OK. I think I just have a memory conflict.

I've tried the following to resolve:
-Updated Ultra66 and display adapter drivers to latest
-Disabled other programs after boot up (virus scanner, etc.)
-Switched around PCI cards (though I probably have not tried all
possible combinations yet, I have tried the controller card in all
available slots.)
-Tried configuring the HDs as master and slave off IDE1 on the
Ultra66 card; configuring HDs as cable select off IDE1; and
configuring HD1 as master on IDE1 and HD2 as master on IDE2.

So far I have not been able to get past this error. Again, any help
anyone can provide to resolve this would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Joe

Did you try creating a W98 boot floppy and running FDISK and FORMAT from it?

"Flippy" wrote in message
m...
I was wondering if anyone else had run into this problem and/or had
any suggestions on the best way to resolve it. I have the following
system:

-Gateway G6-266 PC (PD440FX mobo, Pentium II-266MHz)
-128MB RAM
-Promise Ultra66 IDE Controller
-6.4 GB Quantum Fireball ST6 Harddrive running off Ultra66 controller
-Running Win98SE
-STB Nitro 3D (S3 ViRGE-DX/GX 375/385) display adapter

Everything runs great as noted above.

I wanted to add a second harddrive, so I bought a 20.2 GB Quantum
Fireball Plus AS drive off eBay and installed it as a slave to the
original HD (original HD set as the master). The drive was already
partitioned and formatted when I got it.

After installation, I was able to boot up OK off my original HD.
Win98 came up OK (though the MS Office shortcut bar switched from my
original settings to trying to show an icon for everything on my
desktop).

The problem I am running into is when I try to launch Windows
Explorer. It launches and I get a brief glimpse of the usual explorer
screen before it kicks into a blue screen "Fatal Exception 0E at
0028:00000000" error. If I press enter to continue, this is followed
by a "Fatal Exception 0D at 0246:014747FB" error. I run into this
same problem when trying to run the MaxBlast3 software to set up the
2nd drive. It recognizes it OK, but errors out when it tries to erase
and re-format the new drive.

I believe the new drive is working OK since I am able to access it
using a DOS window and when I boot into safe mode, so it appears to be
working OK. I think I just have a memory conflict.

I've tried the following to resolve:
-Updated Ultra66 and display adapter drivers to latest
-Disabled other programs after boot up (virus scanner, etc.)
-Switched around PCI cards (though I probably have not tried all
possible combinations yet, I have tried the controller card in all
available slots.)
-Tried configuring the HDs as master and slave off IDE1 on the
Ultra66 card; configuring HDs as cable select off IDE1; and
configuring HD1 as master on IDE1 and HD2 as master on IDE2.

So far I have not been able to get past this error. Again, any help
anyone can provide to resolve this would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Joe

Yes. I've also tried a few other things. Here's the latest:

-Tried rest of combinations of pci slots - no luck
-Used FDISK to re-partition and re-format new drive - no luck
-Copied original c: drive files over to new drive, disconnected
original drive and booted off new drive. Everything booted up fine,
but as soon as I launched Windows Explorer, I got the blue screen
errors noted below again.

With this latest development, It's beginning to look like it is an
issue between Windows and the hard drive. The new drive is a 20.2 GB
drive, formatted as a single drive with FAT32. I suppose I could go
back and repartition/reformat as multiple smaller drives, but I
shouldn't have to with Win98SE, should I?

"PC Gladiator" wrote in message ...
Did you try creating a W98 boot floppy and running FDISK and FORMAT from it?

"Flippy" wrote in message
m...
I was wondering if anyone else had run into this problem and/or had
any suggestions on the best way to resolve it. I have the following
system:

-Gateway G6-266 PC (PD440FX mobo, Pentium II-266MHz)
-128MB RAM
-Promise Ultra66 IDE Controller
-6.4 GB Quantum Fireball ST6 Harddrive running off Ultra66 controller
-Running Win98SE
-STB Nitro 3D (S3 ViRGE-DX/GX 375/385) display adapter

Everything runs great as noted above.

I wanted to add a second harddrive, so I bought a 20.2 GB Quantum
Fireball Plus AS drive off eBay and installed it as a slave to the
original HD (original HD set as the master). The drive was already
partitioned and formatted when I got it.

After installation, I was able to boot up OK off my original HD.
Win98 came up OK (though the MS Office shortcut bar switched from my
original settings to trying to show an icon for everything on my
desktop).

The problem I am running into is when I try to launch Windows
Explorer. It launches and I get a brief glimpse of the usual explorer
screen before it kicks into a blue screen "Fatal Exception 0E at
0028:00000000" error. If I press enter to continue, this is followed
by a "Fatal Exception 0D at 0246:014747FB" error. I run into this
same problem when trying to run the MaxBlast3 software to set up the
2nd drive. It recognizes it OK, but errors out when it tries to erase
and re-format the new drive.

I believe the new drive is working OK since I am able to access it
using a DOS window and when I boot into safe mode, so it appears to be
working OK. I think I just have a memory conflict.

I've tried the following to resolve:
-Updated Ultra66 and display adapter drivers to latest
-Disabled other programs after boot up (virus scanner, etc.)
-Switched around PCI cards (though I probably have not tried all
possible combinations yet, I have tried the controller card in all
available slots.)
-Tried configuring the HDs as master and slave off IDE1 on the
Ultra66 card; configuring HDs as cable select off IDE1; and
configuring HD1 as master on IDE1 and HD2 as master on IDE2.

So far I have not been able to get past this error. Again, any help
anyone can provide to resolve this would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Joe

The Promise Ultra 66 controller should not require MaxBlast to set up a 20GB
drive, because the 20GB is well within the hard drive capacity which the Promise
supports. In fact, it is possible that MaxBlast, like most
manufacturer-supplied software with built-in "drive overlay", is interfereing
with the proper operation.

My suggestion: scrub the 20GB drive clean with FDISK and FORMAT. Temporarily
set it up as the master, then rewrite its master boot record with FDISK /MBR.
This latter step is a safeguard against drive overlay junk finding its way onto
the 20GB drive.

Next, run FDISK and examine the partitions on your 6GB drive. If the partition
is shown as NON-DOS, this means that Maxblast has screwed it up with drive
overlay. I have no clue what to do then. If the partition shows up as DOS, you
are probably home free.

So, go to the SEAGATE web site, download and install SEATOOLS on the 6GB drive
(master). Install the formatted 20GB drive as a slave. Run SeaTools to copy
the contents from the 6GB to the 20GB drive. SeaTools will complain that the
target drive is not a Seagate, but copy successfully anyway.

When SeaTools is done copying, make the 20GB the master, boot up and see what
happens.

SeaTools has saved my butt and countless butts of my clients many times. It's
free and it works.

Also, somewhere along the way, you need to run Maxtor's non-destructive but
comprehensive hard drive diagnostics to make absolutely sure that the 20GB drive
is free of bad sectors and other nasties. If there is even one bad sector, the
drive is not worth the risk of using... Ben Myers

On 18 Feb 2004 09:39:53 -0800, (Flippy) wrote:

Yes. I've also tried a few other things. Here's the latest:

-Tried rest of combinations of pci slots - no luck
-Used FDISK to re-partition and re-format new drive - no luck
-Copied original c: drive files over to new drive, disconnected
original drive and booted off new drive. Everything booted up fine,
but as soon as I launched Windows Explorer, I got the blue screen
errors noted below again.

With this latest development, It's beginning to look like it is an
issue between Windows and the hard drive. The new drive is a 20.2 GB
drive, formatted as a single drive with FAT32. I suppose I could go
back and repartition/reformat as multiple smaller drives, but I
shouldn't have to with Win98SE, should I?

"PC Gladiator" wrote in message ...
Did you try creating a W98 boot floppy and running FDISK and FORMAT from it?

"Flippy" wrote in message
m...
I was wondering if anyone else had run into this problem and/or had
any suggestions on the best way to resolve it. I have the following
system:

-Gateway G6-266 PC (PD440FX mobo, Pentium II-266MHz)
-128MB RAM
-Promise Ultra66 IDE Controller
-6.4 GB Quantum Fireball ST6 Harddrive running off Ultra66 controller
-Running Win98SE
-STB Nitro 3D (S3 ViRGE-DX/GX 375/385) display adapter

Everything runs great as noted above.

I wanted to add a second harddrive, so I bought a 20.2 GB Quantum
Fireball Plus AS drive off eBay and installed it as a slave to the
original HD (original HD set as the master). The drive was already
partitioned and formatted when I got it.

After installation, I was able to boot up OK off my original HD.
Win98 came up OK (though the MS Office shortcut bar switched from my
original settings to trying to show an icon for everything on my
desktop).

The problem I am running into is when I try to launch Windows
Explorer. It launches and I get a brief glimpse of the usual explorer
screen before it kicks into a blue screen "Fatal Exception 0E at
0028:00000000" error. If I press enter to continue, this is followed
by a "Fatal Exception 0D at 0246:014747FB" error. I run into this
same problem when trying to run the MaxBlast3 software to set up the
2nd drive. It recognizes it OK, but errors out when it tries to erase
and re-format the new drive.

I believe the new drive is working OK since I am able to access it
using a DOS window and when I boot into safe mode, so it appears to be
working OK. I think I just have a memory conflict.

I've tried the following to resolve:
-Updated Ultra66 and display adapter drivers to latest
-Disabled other programs after boot up (virus scanner, etc.)
-Switched around PCI cards (though I probably have not tried all
possible combinations yet, I have tried the controller card in all
available slots.)
-Tried configuring the HDs as master and slave off IDE1 on the
Ultra66 card; configuring HDs as cable select off IDE1; and
configuring HD1 as master on IDE1 and HD2 as master on IDE2.

So far I have not been able to get past this error. Again, any help
anyone can provide to resolve this would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Joe

Ben: Thanks for the reply. When I first installed the HD to try it
out, I did so without running MaxBlast, but still had the same problem
on launching Explorer. Everything seems to work great unless it is
associated with opening an Explorer window. The drive works OK from a
DOS window, and I can boot OK from it once I copy my original HD to
it. I'll take a look at what you suggest below just in case there is
some corruption going on.

In the meantime, I ran across a reference to fatal exception errors
that can occur when installing external storage devices that sound
remarkably similar to the symptoms I'm seeing. These are relative to
having old versions of the ASPI layer installed with Win98SE. I will
also look into this, just in case.

Again, thanks for the suggestion. I'll let you know what I find.

Regards,
Joe


ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message ...
The Promise Ultra 66 controller should not require MaxBlast to set up a 20GB
drive, because the 20GB is well within the hard drive capacity which the Promise
supports. In fact, it is possible that MaxBlast, like most
manufacturer-supplied software with built-in "drive overlay", is interfereing
with the proper operation.

My suggestion: scrub the 20GB drive clean with FDISK and FORMAT. Temporarily
set it up as the master, then rewrite its master boot record with FDISK /MBR.
This latter step is a safeguard against drive overlay junk finding its way onto
the 20GB drive.

Next, run FDISK and examine the partitions on your 6GB drive. If the partition
is shown as NON-DOS, this means that Maxblast has screwed it up with drive
overlay. I have no clue what to do then. If the partition shows up as DOS, you
are probably home free.

So, go to the SEAGATE web site, download and install SEATOOLS on the 6GB drive
(master). Install the formatted 20GB drive as a slave. Run SeaTools to copy
the contents from the 6GB to the 20GB drive. SeaTools will complain that the
target drive is not a Seagate, but copy successfully anyway.

When SeaTools is done copying, make the 20GB the master, boot up and see what
happens.

SeaTools has saved my butt and countless butts of my clients many times. It's
free and it works.

Also, somewhere along the way, you need to run Maxtor's non-destructive but
comprehensive hard drive diagnostics to make absolutely sure that the 20GB drive
is free of bad sectors and other nasties. If there is even one bad sector, the
drive is not worth the risk of using... Ben Myers