Right, some muppet changed the admin password and can't remember it. We want to scratch the machine anyway and re-install Win2k. The Win2k disk won't boot from the CD-ROM, win 98 boot disk won't let us to a prompt as the Dell box is RAID/SCSI and the 98 disk is PCI based, and the 4 Floppy disk Win2k installer bombs out because it can't find any disks.

Suggestions on getting round this would be welcome

 

When you say you can't boot from CD have you changed the boot sequence in the BIOS ? To boot from CD first

 

Server or workstation?

 

Yup - boot sequence changed, and it won't boot from the CD, left no other secondary boot methods and it just sits there saying invalid boot disk!

Its a rack mount Dell server.

 

Is the cd drive scsi or ide?

If scsi then see if the cd drive is deteced before the raid card. If not, swap the pci detection thingy-me-bob round L/H or H/L.

 

Not sure which it is... I'll have a look.

I tried the 4 floppys to start the 2k install, and they worked, loaded up the setup prog, came to install and said there were no hard disks in the machine

 

Thats because the drivers for the raid card need to be loaded at the beginning of the setup. Think its F6 right at the start.

But there should be a bootable cd called Dell Open Manage Server Assistant. Boot this, it will help you install the OS with all the drivers required.

H

 

*Spits* I'm a unix bod at heart and I still don't want Linux even though I've got Red Hat!

Unfortunately Cisco products only run with Windows so the options not there anyway

 

Correct - slap F6 when it says "Inspecting Computer..." and feed it the OEM driver floppy.

 

Whats wrong with Wine

 

Its a server my boss ponced second hand from another dept somewhere! So we've no stuff for it!

I'll try the Dell site for the drivers and hit F6 and try and load em up! Cheers chaps!

 

All sorted - thanks for the help fella's

 

Don't forget the raid management software

Depending on the make of raid card, adaptec or ami, get the right software. I really hate the OpenManage sw and since most of ours are adaptec, I use FAST software.

H

 

This ones adaptec too!