Highpoint, Abit Athlon and XP - not so good

[NaughtyNu 0]

I have a Abit KA7-100 (the one with the raid) and I have a problem. After so many hours of use, XP (builds 2481 and 2485 btw) will make the hd grind and then it sounds like it's posting and then it locks up. If any data was floating around my E: drive (more on that in a sec) it's toast, gone, obliterated.

 

I have a 20 gig for my C: and a small 3 gig for my D: as well as a DVD rom and burner. Since the Abit has 4 extra IDEs (the Highpoint) I decided to make use of it for my 40 giger on E:. Since I was doing something that involved data being read/written off E:, I'm under the assumption that the Highpoint driver in XP is sortof blarged. Before in earlier builds I just installed the 2k drivers and never had this problem. Never had this problem in either 98SE or ME.

 

Wondering if anybody else ran into this? Also any suggestions? I'm thinking of replacing the Highpoint driver with the 2k driver and hope it doesn't bugger up

[ThC 129 0]

try the newest BIOS for your HighPoint too.

[NaughtyNu 0]

I checked Highpoints page since it's been awhile, got newer Windows drivers for 9x and 2k. It said to check your mobo manufacturer for HP bios updates. Well, the last time Abit updated the KA7-100 bios was back on 8/9/2000

 

I guess the KT7A-100 (the same thing but socket not slot A) is too different? It was updated last month

[Reaper_uk 0]

there have been some much newer bios update for our board, just not offically through abit and HPT. i've forgotten the link now, but do a search for silcon dreamz and maybe pauls KA7-100 faq. if i find the link i'll let you know

[JJ32 0]

Check this out it sucks but it works...

 

You have to move the HDD over to the regular IDE controller (IDE 1) and away from the HPT controller when upgrading and/or installing Win XP. After you install it, then move it back to the HPT controller.

Before installing and upgrading I always move the HDD to IDE then remove the HPT driver for w2k (You don't have to do this). Then I do the upgrade/install. After, I merely move it back to the HPT and voila it works. Just a shitload of IDE cable swaps is involved everytime you play with the upgrade/install. Sucks, but at least it works! Good luck!

[NaughtyNu 0]

That's not a bad idea, but yeah a pita alright.

 

Since my E: drive is just games and stuff basically (no OS's or anything of the type) that should work fine.

 

Mind you I think I'll wait for a real RC1 to try it since I heard 2486 just came out

[NaughtyNu 0]

Hey Reaper.

 

I looked up Paul's KA7-100 site and grab those latest bios on it. Nice little Athlon logo when you boot up but the @#%^ thing doesn't find my HD that's plugged into the Highpoint IDE. I read that there's no RAID in it, but this is just a normal HD sitting in there. Good thing I kept all my older bios updates

[evil Homer 0]

Damn, this is the exact same problem I've been suffering, and I was stupid enough to not read it. DOH!

 

Homer (Not so evil, not so bright either!!)

[luders 0]

In my experience the problems with XP and the Highpoint controller started when the later builds built in support for the cotroller (Since drivers for it were included.) Even if you load different drivers problems have stayed with the later builds (248x and on I believe). My roomate and I have been running nearly every XP build and have put our drives on the standard ide since the 248x. We have had choppy sound erratic hard drive stuff and just plain slow performance. I have a VP6 and he has a KT7-RAID, both have the same controller. Anyway since we have disabled that controller with these builds it has been champ. -Aaron

[evil Homer 0]

The solution does work. I swapped my d: drive to normal IDE and XP installed fine and ran quite swiftly.

 

Stuck the drive back on the raid array, and it all slowed to a halt.

 

However, now that I know what is causing it, I'm happy its not my system. I hope MS and Highpoint realise this and get it fixed before the final release

 

Thankfully, when the final comes out, it should be going on my regular IDE channel!

 

Homer

[JJ32 0]

OK guys, this is kind of a an add-on to my last post. Install XP via the HDD on th IDE channel. Next, go to Highpoint's website and download the newest version of your HPT driver for Win 2k be it HPT RAID or Non-RAID, but get the right one for your system. Example like HPT RAID driver Win 2k for Abit KT-7(A) RAID boards and regular non-RAID driver for Abit KA7-100. I have the Abit KA7-100. Next if you look in the device manager you will get a Via Hardware IDE bus master under your SCSI devices. Weird huh? You then go to viahardware.com and download the Via 4.26 chipset stuff and install the IDE busmaster driver. It does it automatically, and forgets the rest of the stuff. Re-boot on leaving on cable on IDE and see if it is cool? If it is and everything boots fine you can switch IDE cable back over to highpoint controllers after shuting down. You will see a goofy DMA and VIA IDE tool come up on startup. Just kill them by uninstalling the tools only (not the driver) via Add/Remove and remove anything having to do with them out Prgram files the C: root and the startup groups. DO NOT DELETE THE DRIVER ITSELF VIA ADD/REMOVE. I do not remember if I deleted them via add/remove or by deleting the files off root and/or program files (and this I do know I did with the startup file deletion) deleting associated startup files.

BOOM! Your problem is fixed and XP runs fine on the Highpoint. That's my eXPerience and it has worked. Make sure you have the latest supported BIOS for your board and prepare for some headache and serious time involvement. Mine worked in XP 2481. Good Luck. Post reply if questions it's sloppy but I am working on something else..damn it sucks......leave multitasking to computers not humans...eh?

[evil Homer 0]

Hmmm, I might be doing something wrong here, but I can't get it to work.

 

I switched the drive back to regular IDE, installed the latest Highpoint drivers from the website.

 

Downloaded VIA 4in1 4.26, installed it.

 

Rebooted... Got back to XP, it said I had new Busmaster IDE drivers - but couldn't find any drivers. I pointed it in the direction of the 4in1 folder, but still said it couldn't find anything.

 

I went back to viahardware and downloaded the IDE Busmaster drivers.

 

Managed to install them.... Now XP refuses to boot.

 

Can anyone point out something I've done wrong there?

[NaughtyNu 0]

Well this is what I did with 2486:

 

- left my 40 gig E: drive usign the HP ide plugged in

- installed XP

- after XP was done installing (E: was working but it would crash eventually) I went to Highpoint's site and downloaded the latest Win2k HP drivers

- installed them

 

I've been running for about 4-5 days now, most of them online without reboots.

 

The only problem I got now is not with XP or the HP drivers but the TY KA7-100 bios that ignores my drive in the HP ide

[Reaper_uk 0]

sorry guys but i think i most be on of the lucky ones.

just installed 2486, my main HDD is one the HPT IDE and everything is up and working fine. i just downloaded the latest HPT drivers for win2k before formatting and used those during install. I'm using the VIA 4in1 v4.31 aswell. The only i can say, is my bootup and boot down seems atad bit slower than before, which i thnik someone said could be my HPT slowing things down, but in XP its not noticable.

oh, i'm also using the TY bios and the latest HPT bios, 1.03b i think. So i'm a happy chappy running XP very nicely off my KA7-100, pity my sound is still abit ****ed, hope they sort that out soon!

[JJ32 0]

Yeah this board and XP have some serious issues..

I'm having to do this different every time I reinstall xp on this Abit KA7-100. Freakin weird. I say forget my previous postings cause now it likes it no problem with 2486. It is XP that is causing it anyway. Just wait for MS,HPT and Abit to work it out. It is just freakin weird that I have to do it differnt for every single build. But not really I guess since the oS is updated every build. It has smoooth sailing for the rest of my boards, but definitely rought wit this one.

[NaughtyNu 0]

Weird. Still doesn't explain why the TY bios doesn't find my harddrive that's plugged into the Highpoint.

 

Did you guys who updated to the TY bios have the HP empty and then plugged a HD into it afterwards like the previously mentioned method of installed XP?