IBM-AUSTRIA - PC-HW-Support    30 Aug 1999

NETFINITY 3500: NT 4.0 does NOT LOAD or INSTALL

    Record number:       H165805
    Device:              D/T8644
    Model:               M
    Hit count:           UHC00038
    Success count:       USC0000
    Publication code:    PC50
    Tip key:
    Date created:        O99/01/21
    Date last altered:   A99/07/29
    Owning B.U.:         USA


Abstract: NETFINITY 3500: NT 4.0 DOES NOT LOAD OR INSTALL

TEXT:

Netfinity 3500: Windows NT 4.0 does not load or install.

SYMPTOMS:

Two (2) scenarios of hang condition can occur.

Scenario #1  - Server Guide Install:

The installation will successfully assign partitions, load appropriate files and then request a reboot.

After reboot, at the blue screen there is no activity.
The system is hung at this point. If the process were operating normally, then a row of dots would be subsequently displayed across the screen.

Scenario #2  - Diskette install:

After following the appropriate procedure that allows the proper installation of the Adaptec SCSI driver from the manufacture's diskette, the system hangs during driver initialization, i.e. the system does not successfully load the driver.

PROBLEM ISOLATION AIDS:

•  The system is a Netfinity 3500 server, Type 8644, any Model.
•  The system is configured with Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 applied.
•  The 01/12/98 AND ABOVE Device Driver for the 7895 ON BOARD SCSI is affected.
•  The 1.31 Firmware for the 7895 ON BOARD SCSI is affected.

WORKAROUND:

Boot to the Netfinity 3500 SCSI Initialization Utility V1.02 (P/N 33L3959A).

Utility directions:

1.  Boot from this diskette.
2.  At DOS prompt type "zero".
3.  When Prompted to choose port, enter "0" for the appropriate port.
4.  After "A" prompt returns to screen, remove diskette and reboot system.

The referenced files are available from the following URL:

http://www.pc.ibm.com/searchfiles.html

NOTE: This utility is not to be distributed to customers or utilized for any other purpose than to address the symptoms described in this TIP.

DETAILS:

Some Planar FRUs are escaping to the field without the proper initialization of the on-board Adaptec EEPROM.
The result of not initializing the EEPROM is that the EEPROM will have incorrect bit assignments and the Adaptec driver will read that portion of the EEPROM and read the incorrect bit assignments, causing the system to hang during Windows NT 4.0 install or load.
The utility mentioned above will ensure the proper initialization of the EEPROM, thus allowing the systems BIOS to assign the proper values to the specific portion of the EEPROM.

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