Old prosignia 300 - how to change boot ssequence?
Graeme Dobie
memory - wow!), with floppy and SCSI drives - I have added a CD-ROM and made
sure it doesn't conflict with anything else installed on the bus.
it starts from floppy disk fine
It also starts from HDD - but I've wiped it 'cos I'm not interested in what
was there before
I really want to boot from CD (Linux etc)
How do I change the boot sequence, and if I need programs, can anybody post
the locations
Rgds GRD
nutcracker
Are you using the onboard SCSI controller for the CDROM?
Are you using an Array Controller for the hard drives?
Are you using SCSI hard drives?
Do you have a Smart Start CD?
The answers to these questions will give me the information I need to be
able to tell you what you need to do.
lordcompaq
"Graeme Dobie" <Gra...@dobie-family.co.uk(remove_this)> wrote in message
news:97etvu$l48$1...@uranium.btinternet.com...
Graeme Dobie
I get on the Power On Self Test
It know it has SCSI disks, 'cos it has 50 wire ribbon cable
I'm using the onboard SCSI host - don't suppose it's an 'array' as such,
my (SCSI) CD-Rom is connected to the ribbon cable, I've set it up for
address '6' (the other drive, the Bios POST suggests is address '0')
beyond that - I've managed to reformat the hard drive, but very little
else - no CDs, no disks etc.
I've tried putting in bootable CDs, but system advises me that it can't boot
from that drive
- *anything* which would let me see a CD would be handy - I could take the
'native' install from there
thanks
"nutcracker" <nutcr...@no-spam.org> wrote in message
news:97f5s0$k...@freepress.concentric.net...
bpk
- the PC BIOS expects certain codes on the CD to boot correctly. (The CD has
the boot standard, but the BIOS does not have the matching one.) So booting from
the CD is out.
However, you can create a Linux bootable floppy that allows you to continue with
the CD. The details are in the Linux howto.
nutcracker
there. Namely:
Dos SCSI Support Diskette:
http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/download/7599.html
SystemRom Diskette:
http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/download/8540.html
System Config Utility:
http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/download/9180.html
System Erase Utility:
http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/download/9156.html
Also, a trip to support.micronpc.com will give you a boot disk what has
support for SCSI hosts so you should be able to see your cdrom.
However, there are a couple things you should do. You want to get the System
Configuration Utility (it makes 4 floppies that you can use to setup the
system. You can certainly boot from the CDROM that is in the Prosignia 300,
as I have done this many, many times.
Once you setup the system so that it knows where everything is (this is
setting up the system options).
I would also advise letting the tools setup a System Partition for you. This
is a place for all the utilities from the floppies to live, right on the
hard drive. Then, if you need to muck with the system, when it boots you
press the F10 key and you boot into this little partition. From there you
can add boards, change settings in the EISA config, update the system
partition... those types of things.
Once you successfully go through the process of running the system
configuration utiltity, you should be able to boot from an NT, 2000, or
linux CD without any problems.
hope that helps,
lordcompaq
"Graeme Dobie" <Gra...@dobie-family.co.uk(remove_this)> wrote in message
news:97hh4d$g9q$1...@plutonium.btinternet.com...
Harald Sauff
<Gra...@dobie-family.co.uk(remove_this)> wrote:
>I have a really old prosignia (looks like a 486 overdrive, with 24Mb
>memory - wow!), with floppy and SCSI drives - I have added a CD-ROM and made
>sure it doesn't conflict with anything else installed on the bus.
Hi!
You own a prosignia 300? Could you please tell me, whether that
machine has parity- or non-parity-RAM ? 'Cause mine doesn't run, and
somebody told me, that it has to have parity-RAM... :(
MfG,
Harald Sauff
nutcracker
"Harald Sauff" <sa...@talknet.de> wrote in message
news:3a9cc230...@news.talknet.de...
Harald Sauff
wrote:
I have never heard of that. Could you describe what the difference is?
And whether I can find out what kind of RAM I have? (with real parity
there has to be an uneven number of chips on the RAM, AFAIK).
>Fast Page Memory (FPM Parity, not true-parity)
>> You own a prosignia 300? Could you please tell me, whether that
Graeme Dobie
Graeme Dobie
The 'erase' disk seemed to work, clearing down the system's NVRAM settings
The 'Config' disks appeared to correctly identify the most significant
system components
SoftPaq told me the NVRAM was 'locked' - possibly meant it was
non-programable
The SCSI disks didn't appear to do much, but then again, i think they are
intended for DOS support.
The system *still* woudn't start from CD, but at least it was able to start
it with a boot floppy, which was able 'see' enough of the system to
eventually get the system working.
Thanks
Harald Sauff
<Gra...@dobie-family.co.uk(remove_this)> wrote:
>SoftPaq told me the NVRAM was 'locked' - possibly meant it was
>non-programable
I had the same problem; solution: the "password-override"-dip-switch
was in use - it marks the NVRAM locked!
The NVRAM is unflashable, when a password is in use, too.
MfG,
Harald Sauff
Jez Thomas
Graeme Dobie <Gra...@dobie-family.co.uk(remove_this)>
<problem with ProSignia 300 series>
Is it a ProSignia server (300) or a Prosignia Desktop (3nn)?
If it's a server, go fishing on the Compaq site. You'll be able to download
the maintenance guide, and that should enable tou to work out what's what
and how to set the microswitches correctly.
Also, you get "lifetime" OS support on a server. Even if it's out of
warentee, you can ring Compaq technical support & they'll help you
troubleshoot it.