Operating System / Software Installation Guide

[Funky D]

Originally posted by CraiginNJ
Or I could rig the cord to reach outside, and just connect outside when I need to (sitting the drive out in the open until the backup is done). Maybe someday soon someone will invent a "switch" that I could mount on the outside of the PC somewhere.

Craig,

We use removable hard drive backups at my work... I'm surprised more people don't do this, since it's so much cheaper than tape backups!

Many removable drive cages are lockable, and turning the key to the open position powers down the drive. I haven't seen any that support SATA yet (and I'm not sure how the hot swap function works when using an SATA to ATA adapter), but I'm sure they'll start hitting the market when more SATA drives are available.

Paul

[CraiginNJ]

Originally posted by AHLnut
swappable drive .... any advice you could give me.

This is a little off-topic now, but I recommend using the new technlogies instead of the old ones -- they are so much simpler.

What I've been using for years is a frame & carrier type of removable IDE HD (ATA100 or slower). It's kind of clunky, though and requires PC rebooting to recognize the drive correctly. There are mfrs of good ones and mfrs of cheap plastic ones. Kingston, for example, sells some expensive ones. (The one I have is a very tight fit in my drive bay, making it hard to insert or remove the carrier containing the HD.) See http://www.storcase.com/ or http://www.kingwin.com/prod_list.asp?cid=8 , or other vendors.

A better approach for me will be a "serial ATA" hard disk that I keep in the PC unplugged. When I want to make a backup, I'll just open the PC and plug it in. Power & data signals all go though the same connector, making it easy, and serial ATA is supposed to be hot-pluggable like USB, so no rebooting will be necessary. There's a chance I might find a way to leave the cable outside my PC and just sit the bare backup HD on my desk during backups, but that probably isn't recommended. I don't know, though, if the connectors are rugged enough for daily use.

If you are thinking portable, I'd consider a USB2.0 hard drive. There's a number of them out there so I don't have a recommendation. Slower than serial ATA or ATA100 I assume, but hot-pluggable. Look for reviews of them, though, because I hear that some brands work half as fast as others. But for this to work well for your application, you have to have USB2.0 on all the PC's you want to use it with. And as my Dad recently found out, that means no old Win98 (first edition) PC's -- they can't recognize USB2.0 even if you add a card for it. He's using his USB2.0 HD via a USB1.1 port, so he's only getting around 10mbps instead of 400+mbps. He uses it for easy (though slow for him) backups.

FWIW, your employer might not like you using portable storage due to the security risk. You might want to buy an encryption program of some kind if that's an issue. I'm eyeing SafeHouse ( http://www.pcdynamics.com/SafeHouse/ )

BTW, if your file size needs are small, there are USB2.0 flash memory devices that can contain up to 256MB of storage (so far) and are pocket size (or keyfob size). I think some have built-in password protection, too.


Craig in NJ

[AHLnut]

Craig, thanks for the reply back I have a spare drive laying around,and thats where this idea started. I would like a USB 2.0 drive as you suggested, but really dont want to spend the money on it for the purpose I want it for, hence the questions about the mobile rack. I reading your reply, I take it that it can be a pain because its not hot swapable. That is something I havent thought of Especially since I have a WD drive and a jumpper need to be changed on that drive for single or master/slave. Thanks again for the info

[Otac]

I just thought i'd give my 2 cents on this:

I have tryed this guide 2 times now and i have to say that wasn't that pleased with the result. So i tryed once more, but i changed the order of drivers and a few other things...now i actually think that my pc works better this way.

First: I have Windows XP Home (sp1 version) so this may only apply to this version, and besides it is only a description of how i did to make my system working:

1) In BIOS, besides the changes described in mr.steveos guide, i disable the 'SATA/IDE RAID CONTROLLER' (since i dont have a RAID)

2) I install winXP the same way as in this guide, and after winXP installation, i restart my pc. It automaticly changes the resolution of the monitor: Just after installation its 800x600, but after a restart its automaticly changed to 1024x768 (this is with winxp home sp1 edition, this did not happen with an earlier version of winxp that i've tryed (winXP pro corp.))

I dont touch anything concerning 'messenger' as this is not setup to run automaticly in my winXP version, until you open it for the first time. I also don't touch the 'plug and play' option.

3) After formatting of partitions that you may have created during installation) i run a 'scandisk' on all my drives: right click on the drive in 'this computer' -> properties -> functions and choose the 'scanningthing' (my XP is in danish so actually i don't know what this function is called in the english version), make sure that both options are checked in the 'scanddisk' window.

4) Then i just pop in the CD that came with my P4PE mobo and install the chipset driver (restart), Intel aplication Accelerator (restart), onboard LAN dirver (restart), onboard sound driver (restart). I actually do a restart between all the steps. The USB drivers need not to be installed - i think. Then I turn off my PC and plug in my net-cable to my PC, and start up my PC again.

5) Now i pop in th CD that came with my ASUS v8440 (GF4 Ti440) graphicscard and install the drivers (click drivers and 'install display drivers' - follow on screen messeges)

6) I go online, activate my winxp, and do a 'windows update' (only non-driver updates).

7) After the updates have installed themselves i 'defrag' my drive with the OS on. Then i disable 'automatic update' and the 'remote' thing (see step 18-19 in mr.Steveos guide).

8) The end.

I usually check the event log all the way to see if any warnings or errors come up. Following the procedure outlined above i did not get a single error or warning (except for a warning about 'windows product activation')

This is how it works form me.

[CraiginNJ]

Last off-topic comment:

Originally posted by AHLnut
I have a spare drive laying around

There are also USB2.0 enclosures that you can put your old drive into.

Craig in NJ

[Don Jacobs]

I got my new system up and running last week and this guide was a very big help. With my limited skill and experience things would not have gone as smoothly without this guide. Thank you Steveo.
I have a couple questions about things that I should be able to figure out but have some mental roadblock stopping me. In the BIOS setup there is a place to look at the temperature of the CPU. I have been there and looked at it, but can not find it now. Can some one give me a step by step way to navigate there. The guide tell one to set PCI latency timer to 64. Again I need a step by step way to get there. All I see are AGP/PCI when I looked for the PCI timer.
The computer is working great. That is pretty amazing.

[AHLnut]

In bios, under Advanced tab, scroll ALL THE WAY down and you will see 3 more choices. One of them is PCI. This is for latency timer.

The temp readings should be under the power heading. In there, you should see hardware monitor.
Hope this helps (i dont have the manuel of feel like rebooting now LOL)

[Don Jacobs]

Thanks AHLnut. That took about a minute with your help and I looked for an half hour and could not find yesterday.

[AHLnut]

Glad to help .. but I know the feeling all too well I looked a LONG time to find out where to stop the speach reporter LOL. I FINALLY found it.
I'm sure you have heard the phrase.... "you look but dont see...." We all do that

[bdj470]

Today after waiting for a couple of hardware components I decided to completely re-install my system following this guide.

Everything went smoothly up until I installed my video drivers. One the hardware I was waiting for was an ATI All-in Wonder 8500 (not the 8500DV). I downloaded the drivers and Control Panel from the ATI web site. And I installed both following the guide.

Now when I re-boot my system I get 6 Unknown devices in Device Manager. Anyone know what these might be or what I may have overlooked?

Thanks,

Bill

[bdj470]

Nevermind if found the problem. I needed to install the ATI drivers and software from the CD first then install the newer drivers for the All-In-Wonder.

Also to Mr. Steveo,
Earlier you posted to watch out for "ikernel.exe" error. Add another to the list. While installing the Ati drivers when it install the "Tv-Capture-WDM" drivers I get this message. Does not happen when the actuall display drivers or Control Panel drivers just the TV- Capture-WDM drivers.

Bill

[Mr Steveo]

Originally posted by bdj470
Nevermind if found the problem. I needed to install the ATI drivers and software from the CD first then install the newer drivers for the All-In-Wonder.

Also to Mr. Steveo,
Earlier you posted to watch out for "ikernel.exe" error. Add another to the list. While installing the Ati drivers when it install the "Tv-Capture-WDM" drivers I get this message. Does not happen when the actuall display drivers or Control Panel drivers just the TV- Capture-WDM drivers.

Bill

Thanks Bill,

Based on a post earlier in this thread, I was of the understanding that all AIW software was a single bundle. Ovbviously this is not the case from what you are saying.

If you would be so kind, can you send me a PM listing the ATI software you had to install prior to the drivers and control panel? I was not aware this was necessary, and will glady add instructions for AIW cards to the Guide.

Thanks

[Donup]

PER INSTRCUTIONS:

"1. Put a blank floppy in your computer and power up. Booting will stop when it reaches the blank floppy. Now place the Windows XP CD ROM in the CD/DVD drive. Now remove the blank floppy then press Control/Alt/Delete to reboot the system."

I HAVE A 2940U2W SCSI CARD WITH A PLEXTOR CD-ROM, SO THIS WON'T WORK. THE ONLY WAY I CAN USE THE SCSI CD(OTHER THAN GOING INTO MY EXISTING WIN98 OS) IS TO USE A WIN 98 BOOT DISK THAT LOADS MY CD-ROM DRIVERS FROM A BOOT DISK.
WHEN I EXECUTE THE SETUP.EXE FILE ON THE ROOT OF THE WIN XP PRO FULL CD I GET THE ERROR MESSAGE AT THE DOS PROMPT "CANNOT EXECUTE THIS PROGRAM IN DOS MODE".


"2. Upon reboot the system will find and boot the Windows XP CDROM. (If you are using RAID, then as soon as you see the first signs of the XP setup blue screen, IMMEDIATELY press F6. If not using RAID ignore pressing F6)"

I CAN'T GET MY CD-ROM TO BOOT, IT HAS NO CONFIG OR SYS FILES IN THE ROOT OF THE WIN XP PRO CD? WHEN I EXECUTE THE SETUP.EXE FILE ON THE ROOT OF THE WIN XP PRO FULL CD I GET THE ERROR MESSAGE AT THE DOS PROMPT "CANNOT EXECUTE THIS PROGRAM IN DOS MODE".

I AM REALLY CONFUSED NOW?

DO I NEED TO GET AN IDE CD-ROM?
IS MY WIN XP PRO FULL CD SCREWED UP? I SEE NO BOOT FILES IN THE ROOT DIR?
DO I NEED TO EXECUTE THE SETUPUP.EXE FROM INSIDE WIN 98 AND CHOOSE A "CLEAN", FRESH INSTALL. IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE THE WRONG CHOICE, AS I HAVE TO PUT THIS ON TWO FRESH PUTERS AND ONE HAS A NEW HD WITH NO OS.

ANY SUGESTIONS??

[AHLnut]

Have you tried setting the boot order in bios to boot from scsi first? You may need to do that with your particular setup. Also, make sure you have the scsi card drivers on a floppy so you will have them when needed. Maybe Mr Steveo or someone can clarify more about starting with a scsi setup.

[jjvb]

I was wondering why you need to place the blank floppy in drive then take it out and reboot to the cdrom. If your boot order is floppy, cdrom, hard drive, wouldn't it skip over the floppy drive directly to the cdrom if there was no floppy present. Or am I missing something (probably)??

Thanks.