SCSI System Drive assigned D: by XP setup - Data IDE is C:

[simcam68]

Hi, Im definitely a Nube on this, so please have pity on my pathetic soul...

My problem is during the unattended install, I decided to pick the partition myself just to see how everything went the first time around. Well good thing I did. XP assigned C: to a data storage IDE drive (primary IDE controller) on the computer and the system drive (SCSI) the letter D:. I have tried several different things to resolve the problem, but to no avail. The drivers are loaded for the SCSI array and it does detect it properly, but if I do this completely unattended it will most likely wipe out my data drive.

Just some of the info on the system:

Primary onboard IDE controller -

Primary channel

- Master - DVD-RW

- Slave - DVD-RW

Secondary Channel

- Master - 160gb HD (single partition)

SCSI controler Adaptec 39320 -

Channel A - Raid0 array 34gb (Two partitions - System Drive & work space)

Channel B - Raid0 array 110gb (single partition)

Onboard IDE raid controller -

Primary channel - Master - 300gb HD (two partitions)

secondary channel - Master - CD-RW

I made sure that only the system drive/partition had a "active" partition, since it appears XP uses that as a criteria for assigning drive letters, No luck there though. I have the SCSI bios boot first before the IDE raid Bios, Not any help, reversing it makes it worse though. I beleive that only one of the partitions on the 300gb drive are being detected by setup also, kinda strange I thought.

Anyone got any ideas, short of unplugging all the other drives ahead of it in drive letters? I searched for two days, but have come up with only close-but-no-cigar answers. I figure someone else must have a rig as stupid as mine, I hope!!

[simcam68]

One thing I forgot to mention...

It works just fine on another comuter with just a single drive on it and fine on a second computer with two IDE drives.

Xp Setup just doesn't seem to like SCSI.

[simcam68]

Nobody???

(ok, a gratuitous bump)

[cancerface]

Assuming that your SCSI array on channel A has its first drive assigned as ID 0 (check the hdd jumpers) then the only reason I can think of is related to your bios configuration.

I am running two arrays on an NForce4 mobo, one on the onboard SI and one on an adaptec 29320. However to get this working I had to deactivate the onboard NForce Raid. If it is enabled it becomes the default boot controller. You might want to play around with your setup a bit. Maybe you have an option in your bios to select the boot device and it lists your 39320 there?

For the record, it is not Windows or its setup that desides which drive comes first but your bios (ie even without been active a partition should still be able to get assigned as 'C').

Hope this helps ...

CF

Edit:

Hmmm ... Just saw your next comment, about this setup working on a second computer with just a single drive on it etc. Now I am confused

When you go to the adaptec bios can you see all the drives participating in your two arrays with unique IDs?

Edited March 15, 2006 by cancerface

[simcam68]

I'm sorry I may have confused you there...

When I said it worked on another computer I meant one with a different config than my main one. (just IDE drives)

The problem with the SCSI config is that I need to use the onboard controllers also. I do have the "C" drive on the channel A and set to Drive 0, but as long as any of the onboard stuff is active, it (the onboard) is always picked up as HD0. I had that mentioned in the first post about setting the SCSI to boot before the IDE raid controller, but I don't think there is an option to put it ahead of the primary IDE slot.

I know it's not windows setup's fault that it is assigning those letters, I was just wondering if anyone figured a way to get around the BIOS assigning the drive order the way it does. I still see the only solution being to disconnnect/disable the onboard stuff during an unattended install then reinstall after. Kinda kills the joy of an unattended.... I hope there is another answer.

By the way it has an Award Bios if that helps anything.....

[cancerface]

I am not sure if you will get the effect that you want by removing the onboard hdds, install windows on the scsi then reconnect the onboard array ... It will still pick up the onboard controller's hdd as the first drive. There must be some bios switch (on the m/B) that will allow an external device to gain priority at boot time.

So let me start this one over ...

1) Your scsi raid is recognized through adaptec's bios and each drive has a unique scsi ID

2) For channel A of your scsi, the first member of the array has been assigned scsi ID 0

3) When you enter the SCSISelect utility you have selected the correct controller as master/boot AND you have the boot scsi ID as 0

4) There is no option in your m/b's bios that will allow you to change the boot order, or some switch that will allow you to boot from external scsi device

5) When you boot with a CD (say, to start the windows installation) the scsi raid partition (on channel A) does not get assigned as 'C'

Correct?

Can you provide some more info on the m/b itself?

What brand/model?

...

[Edit] If it is award bios 6 it should be able to boot from scsi according to this document

CF

Edited March 15, 2006 by cancerface

[big poppa pump]

You can play around all you want in bios, setup any drive to be the primary bootable in bios, you are still gonna end up getting the ide drive as hdd0. What this means is bios identifies your ide drive as the first drive in your system just because the ide channels are given first preference. Nothing you do is going to change that, this is built into the bios.

The only option as you said is to physcially disconnect the ide drives in your system or just disable all ide channels except the atapi ones and install your OS.

[simcam68]

@cancerface

It will boot from the SCSI, It is running that way now. Just can't use the Unattended Disc to setup windows. I can use the regular install just fine.

@Big Poppa

That is what I was afraid of and was hoping for a Miracle...

So if anyone has a Miracle up their sleeve....

[big poppa pump]

No miracles till they revamp the entire BIOS engineering process!

[simcam68]

No miracles till they revamp the entire BIOS engineering process!

Anyone up for that task?!

[RogueSpear]

Nope, for years now I've always entered the BIOS and simply disabled the IDE controller until after setup is finished. It definately reminds you how far things still need to improve.

[simcam68]

Nope, for years now I've always entered the BIOS and simply disabled the IDE controller until after setup is finished. It definately reminds you how far things still need to improve.

Until you just said that I competely forgot that you can take it out of "automatic" detection. I was all ready to unplug the drives manually. We forget more than we learn everyday! This getting old thing is rough on the brain....

[blinkdt]

big poppa pump is--of course--correct: the IDE rules. I have an ASUS P4C800-E motherboard with onboard SATA RAID and have a removeable rack connected to the primary IDE controller. If I remove the rack and later reinsert, the IDE automatically takes precedence over the RAID array, which was set as the first boot device! One becomes accustomed to this asinine behavior, but as Rogue Spear mentions, you'd think they could do better.