| ProTIPS | Misc |
Rebuilding a Windows workstation |
| Example:
Rebuilding the Windows NT 4.0 Operating System on the hard disk of a HP Visualize
X550 workstation.
Attempt 1 (failed) Attempt 1 (failed)> Boot up from the Windows NT CDROM that came with the workstations.> Changed keyboard setting to UK, but left the other component options as default. > Create partitions 2048MB "C:" and (the remainder) 5985MB "D:". > Install NT in the C: partition. > Choose NTFS for both partitions. > After formatting C which took most of the day, the machine wanted to do a disk checkup and then a reboot, and we started again. > Then it said C was FAT and almost full, so I deleted the partitions, created C and D again, and started the format of C in NTFS again. Attempt 2 (failed)> Boot up from the Windows NT Setup Floppy Disk 1 that came with the workstations (NB not the CDROM).> Enter Disk 2 when prompted. > Press Enter to start install. > Enter Disk 3 when prompted. > Press Enter to accept the found storage devices. > Insert the WinNT CDROM when prompted. > UK Keyboard Attempt 3 (failed)> Enter Bios> Pnp Set to NO > Boot up in DOS using Win98SE boot disk > Do an unconditional format "format /u c:" > note what it says whether it did 2047 on C or 9GB Format complete 2,146,467,840 bytes total available disk space > run "fdisk" > large disk support Yes > display current partition C: 2047 FAT16 No D > if it reports that D is there too, you can go back to DOS and do an unconditional format on D > boot up into Setup from the NT CDROM and attempt to install in C as before. Unpartitioned space 32MB C: Unformatted or Damaged 36864 MB > FAT filesystem can be used, and converted to NTFS after a successful NT install. > Rebooted machine, and pressed F6 to enter the Adaptec SCSI Select utility to reformat the hard disk on SCSI ID 0. Format complete, Esc to exit and reboot with NT Setup CDROM for another attempt. Now reporting 1024MB unformatted disk space. Formatting C: with NTFS using the whole 1024MB
Attempt 4 (successful)> Print out Installation Instructions from "HP Visualize Tools and Support CD" (HPCD).> Boot up from the Windows NT CDROM that came with the workstations. > Changed keyboard setting to UK, but left the other component options as default. > Create partitions 2048MB "C:" and (the remainder) 5985MB "D:". > Install NT in the C partition. > Choose NTFS for C partition. > Do not set up for network. > Stay with VGA 640x480 256 colours 60Hz. > Install Service Pack from CD (Used SP5 disk that came with computer). Then reboots. > Installed graphics driver from "HP Visualize Tools and Support CD". Then reboots twice. > Set the Display HP Options to PTC Pro/E. > Deinstall the IDE CD-ROM (ATAPI 1.2) driver and install the IDE driver from the "HP Visualize Tools and Support CD". Then reboots. > Install the (Multimedia Devices) Audio driver from the HPCD. Then reboots. > Install the HP Multimedia Keyboard Utility from the HPCD. Then reboots. > Install HP_Info from HPCD into C drive and configure i button to launch. > Install TopTools from HPCD. Then reboots. > Install DirectCD UDF Reader from HPCD. Then reboots. > Install Network Driver from HPCD, and configure to the network. Then reboots. > Re-install Service Pack from CD-ROM (Used SP5 disk that came with computer). Then reboots. > Log in as Administrator on the EEA domain. > Copy A5014 drivers from network, including the latest FX4 driver. > Copy Service Pack 6a from Eea_nts01/winntSP.... > Log in as the local machine Administrator again. > Install Service Pack 6a. Then reboots. > Install latest FX4 driver. Then reboots twice. > Reinstall Service Pack 6a. Then reboots. > Install HP Lock > Install HP Soft Power Down (cannot do this as it says SP is not supported). > Format D partition NTFS. > Switch on Screen Saver for Administrator including password protection. > Set TMP and TEMP to D:\TEMP > Set Virtual Memory to 40MB on C and 2048 on D. Then reboots. Simon Toon, 28/November/2001
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