RESOLVED: Shuttle SN85G4 RIS

[mother]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to deploy WinXP Pro using RIS onto my SN85G4v2. I've got a working RIS server and have deployed OSs to other machines, however when attempting to run an installation on my shuttle I don't get very far.

So far I can:

1. Boot from the PXE BIOS into the OS Chooser.

2. Enter the admin username and password.

3. Select my OS type (32/64bit).

4. Select my OS (WinXP Pro).

5. Acknowledge that I'm going to wipe my PC and machine name details (including a really odd GUID comprising of mainly Fs).

After this, the shuttle looks like it's attempting the second stage of a RIS install (starting WinXP textmode install) - the problem is that it never gets there, it will just hang with a black screen, even CTRL-ALT-DEL won't save me. If I disable my Si3512 I'm greeted with a random screen of coloured ASCII characters - if my Si3512 is enabled, it's blank. The nforce3 boot agent version is 191.0304.

I've not yet slipstreamed my nForce3 ethernet drivers - but that shouldn't cause me an issue - it should just tell me to go away because it can't find a supported network card.

Does anybody have any ideas? I've contact Shuttle and they've not been much use.

Cheers,

Jim

Edited March 22, 2006 by mother

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Presuming your RIS server is fine, it just sounds as if either the NIC hardware or firmware on the Shuttle is sub-standard.

I would try the following:

1. Reflash the Shuttle's BIOS with the latest firmware in case of corruption.

2. If you're not already, try a Win 2k3 SP1 RIS server, instead of 2k.

3. If all else fails, try using a PCI NIC to build the box and then remove afterwards.

Good luck,

Andy

P.S. I think you picked the wrong forum - check the sub-forum at the top of the page

Edited March 21, 2006 by Fencer128

[mother]

Thanks mate,

I'm running a W2k3SP1 RIS server at the moment. I'll give it a try (reflashing and using a PCI NIC), but I'm desperately trying to get it to start installing from the nForce3 onboard controller. I don't want to have to open the machine everytime I want to reinstall the OS

I'm really disappointed in Shuttle, all they've managed to give me is "if it boots from the CD, nothing's wrong and it's not our problem".

I don't suppose you know of any groups that specialise in nForce related issues do you?

Thanks again for your help.

Jim

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Sorry I don't know of any such groups (except maybe Google groups).

Other than the options already mentioned - I think you may be stuck. Obviously Shuttle doesn't seriously target the enterprise market or they would test features such as RIS before they ship the product.

Good luck!

Andy

[mother]

I've finally cracked it! (after several hours and a visit from the Dominos man)

What didn't work:

1. Re-flashing the BIOS (to the current and previous versions).

2. Booting from a Realtek NIC (which is supported by the MS PXE floppy)

3. Sitting looking forlorn.

What did work:

1. Setting the BIOS to failsafe defaults and enabling the NIC.

It turns out that the Fast A20 setting was causing the system to hang, I've switched it back to normal and the system boots as it should.

Thanks once again for your help Andy.

Cheers,

Jim