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1600R just won't boot from Smartstart



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 23rd 06, 11:49 AM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Default 1600R just won't boot from Smartstart

I've just acquired an old 1600R which had been working (all except for
a noisy cooling fan) but had been pulled and stripped for parts.

I've just dropped in two VRMs and a matched pair of Pentium II 400MHz
processors and a stick of 256Mb PC100 ECC RAM.

The machine boots up and acknowledges the two processors and the RAM,
but point blank refuses to boot from a SmartStart 5.50 CD, it just
gives 'Non system disk or disk error'. I've changed the CD-ROM drive
and even burnt new SmartStart discs but to no avail. It will happily
boot from an 'Ultimate Boot Disk' CD and run the utilities. It will
even boot from Knoppix and Kubuntu Live CDs, but alas not SmartStart...

It's sitting here running Memtest86 happily so there doesn't seem to be
anything physically wrong with it, other than an aversion to
SmartStart. Unfortunately the array isn't configured and I have no way
of doing a system erase...

Anyone shed some light on this?

Regards,
Jason.

  #2  
Old April 23rd 06, 01:46 PM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Default 1600R just won't boot from Smartstart

You have a lousy SS Burn. There is another recent thread (and many in the
last couple years) addressing "unbootable" smart start CD's ... do a search
on the group.

- LC

"Trojan Hussar" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've just acquired an old 1600R which had been working (all except for
a noisy cooling fan) but had been pulled and stripped for parts.

I've just dropped in two VRMs and a matched pair of Pentium II 400MHz
processors and a stick of 256Mb PC100 ECC RAM.

The machine boots up and acknowledges the two processors and the RAM,
but point blank refuses to boot from a SmartStart 5.50 CD, it just
gives 'Non system disk or disk error'. I've changed the CD-ROM drive
and even burnt new SmartStart discs but to no avail. It will happily
boot from an 'Ultimate Boot Disk' CD and run the utilities. It will
even boot from Knoppix and Kubuntu Live CDs, but alas not SmartStart...

It's sitting here running Memtest86 happily so there doesn't seem to be
anything physically wrong with it, other than an aversion to
SmartStart. Unfortunately the array isn't configured and I have no way
of doing a system erase...

Anyone shed some light on this?

Regards,
Jason.



  #3  
Old April 23rd 06, 02:02 PM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Posts: n/a
Default 1600R just won't boot from Smartstart

I've just managed to get this working. I have been reading some old
threads which rightly or wrongly suggested that using a non-Compaq
CD-ROM would prevent SmartStart from booting but allow other boot discs
to work.

I decided to drop in a Compaq drive and noticed that it was set to
cable select so I attached it to the middle connector of the IDE ribbon
and let it run, it booted fine and I'm now able to use SmartStart. So
I'm not sure if this is a Compaq drive 'requirement' issue or a cable
select vs. drive jumpers issue, but it's all working now.

Just tried the original LG drive installed and set to cable select but
it still refuses to read CD-R's.

Regards,
Jason.

  #4  
Old April 23rd 06, 04:05 PM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Default 1600R just won't boot from Smartstart


Trojan Hussar wrote:
I've just managed to get this working. I have been reading some old
threads which rightly or wrongly suggested that using a non-Compaq
CD-ROM would prevent SmartStart from booting but allow other boot discs
to work.

I decided to drop in a Compaq drive and noticed that it was set to
cable select so I attached it to the middle connector of the IDE ribbon
and let it run, it booted fine and I'm now able to use SmartStart. So
I'm not sure if this is a Compaq drive 'requirement' issue or a cable
select vs. drive jumpers issue, but it's all working now.

Just tried the original LG drive installed and set to cable select but
it still refuses to read CD-R's.

Regards,
Jason.


This is news to me. I have replaced several of the CD drives in my
systems (1600 and 3000) and have never had a problem with just using
whatever drive I had laying around handy. In fact, my experience has
convinced me that those old "slot loading" 4x Compaq drives are
definitely GOING to fail...and usually soon. You do have to set the
cable select option, unless you install a pair of CD drives...then only
the Master/Slave configuration seems to work. I realize that with a
rack configured 1600, you will be tempted to use the slot loader
(because the drive sits on it's side) but I still would recommend
something else.

I have to suspect the integrity of your LG drive...perhaps it just
needs a good cleaning.

Jeff

  #5  
Old April 29th 06, 09:41 PM posted to alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq.servers
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Posts: n/a
Default 1600R just won't boot from Smartstart

Once upon a time, there was a model of CD ROM drive that did not boot to
SmartStart. The firmware of the CD drive did not work with the SmartStart CD
(about 5 years ago - somewhere about SS4.70). It affected about 1/2 of all
new Compaq servers at the time, IIRC was only an issue outside the US.

"Jeffrey Alsip" wrote in message
oups.com...

Trojan Hussar wrote:
I've just managed to get this working. I have been reading some old
threads which rightly or wrongly suggested that using a non-Compaq
CD-ROM would prevent SmartStart from booting but allow other boot discs
to work.



 




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