Member Avatar for wbhambone

i'm installing win2000. i booted from cd, bios finds both drives, everything seems normal.

win2000 setup starts up, begins to loads files it needs. after loading files, right before the actual install begins i get a message the 2000 can't find any installed hard drives. it tells me to check connections, etc.

any thoughts?

both drives are connected to a pci card, not to the board itself.

both drives are completely functional...win98 is currently on system and works fine.

thanks.
brad

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Brief diagnosis and the key point: Windows 2000 setup runs in its own minimal environment and will not pick up drivers installed inside the existing Win98 install. Updating the controller driver from Win98 changes only the running OS, not the installer. To make the Win2K text-mode setup see disks behind a third‑party controller, either present the drives to setup at POST (controller option-ROM/firmware), supply a Win2K mass‑storage driver to setup itself, or install Windows on an onboard channel and add the controller driver before moving the disk back.

Clarification on the three practical routes (and why and were on the right track):

  • Supplying a Win2K mass‑storage driver during text‑mode setup is the standard fix. The installer accepts third‑party mass‑storage drivers early in setup (the “F6” prompt). Vendor driver packages often include an F6 floppy image or a small utility to create one; use that for a clean text‑mode install.
  • If creating an F6 disk is awkward, a low‑risk workaround is to install onto an onboard IDE channel, boot into the finished Windows 2000, install the controller’s Win2K driver there, then shutdown and move the drive back to the PCI card. That ensures Windows has the right driver loaded at first boot.
  • If the controller’s option‑ROM can be upgraded so it exposes attached drives as a native channel at POST, the setup will see them without extra drivers. Firmware flashing must only be done with an official vendor ROM and flasher, after a full backup and with uninterrupted power—there is a real risk of bricking the card.

Quick checklist (prioritized):

  • Try to obtain the vendor’s Win2K F6 floppy/image and use it during text‑mode setup.
  • If not possible, install to the motherboard channel, then install the controller driver in the running Win2K before moving the drive.
  • If a firmware/option‑ROM update is available, follow vendor instructions exactly and back up the system first.

Note references: described the F6 approach and noted the firmware/BIOS angle; those suggestions remain the practical starting points.

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Member Avatar for TallCool1

Win2000 setup starts up, begins to loads files it needs. after loading files, right before the actual install begins i get a message the 2000 can't find any installed hard drives. it tells me to check connections, etc.

both drives are connected to a pci card, not to the board itself.

It's that old Catch-22 -- in some cases, the drive can't boot Win2K until it "sees" the drive, but it can't see the drive until the card drivers are installed, but it can't install the drivers until it sees the drive. Go to the website of the card's manufacturer and check it out -- someone has already had that problem, I'm sure and, hopefully, solved it. If it's a no-name card, go to the chipset manufacturer's site and find out who else used those chips. You may need a firmware upgrade.

Also, are you sure that your card is bootable? Not all IDE add-in cards have their own BIOS. I assume that it does, since it worked with Win98...

Member Avatar for wbhambone

The card is a CMD Technology 648/649 IDE Controller card. I still have the box it came in which states that the BIOS can be easily updgraded. Problem is I can't find the upgrade anywhere. I did find win2000 driver updates for the card. Question is: if I update the drivers while in win98 and reboot to the win2000 cd will it even be able to see the new drivers?

Any thoughts on where to find an update to the BIOS?

Thanks.
Brad

Member Avatar for antioed

So...setup probably doesn't have drivers for the controller card. Copy the Windows 2000 drivers for the controller card to a floppy and during Windows 2000 setup when it gives you the option to load 3rd party drivers (press F6) you should be able to load the drivers in for the pci card so setup can see the HD attached to it. Alternatively, I think you could go directly to an IDE channel on the motherboard to do setup, then install the drivers from within 2k and after they're installed reconnect the HD to the PCI card.

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