dionb wrote on 2020-02-16, 19:16:
As in your previous topics, you're getting into a mess by trying to do everything at once. Take it one step at a time, get one configuration working before adding a single extra component...
Totally understand and appreciate the advice.
By installing windows a good 20+ times so far - that's been how I've been attempting to get ONE good configuration before adding anything else. The first step of course is to get a hard drive hooked up via whatever method (of which I've tried numerous drives and numerous different methods). Then just to test out a single game (the entire point of these builds) I need video, sound, and a type of removable media to get drivers and game files onto the computer - so that's a MINIMUM of 3x devices with 3x sets of drivers to even start to test things out (and that's the only way to see if things are working properly is to test these games out).
I'll also reiterate that (besides random cards these systems originally came with) we're talking about a super small number of devices I even own. On the video/graphics side I literally only have a GeForce4 and a Voodoo2 SLI setup. I only own a single ISA sound card (ESS ES1869F), and a single PCI sound card (Audigy 2 ZS). That's it. Trying to run them on two super similar Dell computers.
So the problem with following your totally sensible logic is issues don't arrive immediately after installing X, Y, or Z driver or device. Issues don't crop-up ONLY if I do it in a certain order: like if I run the Geforce4 with the ESS sound card, vs. the GeForce4 with the Audigy 2 ZS sound card. It's so very random it's not even funny (and a super wide range of funky problems I outlined in my other topic). Like an install can commonly be going perfect, then on the 2nd or 3rd night when I'm loading up game #43 and some weird issue(s) creeps up BEFORE I even install that game (without changing any hardware or drivers or anything). Could happen on game #3, or game #80 the next Windows install (or BEFORE I even install a single card or a single driver - like right after Windows boots up for the very first time!). There's no rhyme or reason I can pinpoint, thus no way to tell what, where, and when exactly things go wrong. This is why it's so frustrating.
So (taking a deep breath 🤣 😉 me attempting to use the Promise controller is actually me trying to SIMPLIFY my setup! We all know something isn't working properly, and numerous people are telling me it's because I'm using SSD's (and the SATA to IDE adapters needed to do that), so I thought if I remove those adapters (I've been using 2x StarTech's, that CF card reader you recommended from AliExpress, and the Neon SATA to IDE kolderman swore by in my first topic here) and instead go straight to SATA drives from a Win98SE-compatible SATA controller like the Promise you and many others have recommended, that might just take away one level of complexity here... but unfortunately it seems to have opened up another can of worms...
dionb wrote on 2020-02-16, 19:16:I'm not convinced by what Der Sammler said about the TX2Plus BIOS rendering the onboard IDE inoperable. I have a TX2Plus on an M […]
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I'm not convinced by what Der Sammler said about the TX2Plus BIOS rendering the onboard IDE inoperable. I have a TX2Plus on an MSI MS-6168 board (also i440BX chipset) and can use the IDE on the motherboard for my DVD-player at the same time as using SATA on the TX2Plus for my SATA SSD. I just booted it up to double-check and it works fine. If I remember rightly the TX2Plus doesn't support ATAPI-drives (CD/DVD), which is why I need to hook it up this way.
Just to be sure:
- have you set the master/slave jumpers correctly for the drives you are using? A single drive on a channel should always be master.
- have you attached a mini-molex power connector to your CF-IDE adapter?
That 2GB CF card is a sensible start. Apparently it isn't being detected when connected to the TX2Plus. So let's remove the TX2Plus and disconnect all other drives (SSD and optical) first and see what happens when the CF is connected directly to the primary onboard IDE controller. If that works, we can see about getting it to work on the TX2Plus. If not, we know the TX2Plus isn't part of the problem.
Thanks for the tip about ATAPI CD/DVD drives not working (I'm assuming my plain-jane IDE CD/DVD burner is ATAPI).
When I first installed the Promise card, the primary MB's IDE was unplugged. The secondary MB IDE cable was running to the CD drive, with the drive at the end of the cable, and the drive set to Master (this is how it's been ran for the past ~month or so). I tried it on CS as well. Also tried another drive. Also tried another ribbon cable. None would let me use the CD drive.
For the CF card (which was booting up into DOS 7.10 fine before), after the Promise card was installed I plugged the CF card (with that AliExpress adapter) straight into the MB's primary IDE slot. It was powered with mini-molex. It wouldn't boot and didn't show up in the BIOS as a drive. I also tried plugging the CF directly into the IDE header on the Promise card - both with a SATA SSD plugged in as well, and alone. The CF reader is set to master, and 5v via the jumpers (both defaults). --still wouldn't recognize the CF card (only recognized a SSD hooked up via SATA).
So now the problem is the Promise card seems to turn off the ability for me to use anything plugged into the MB's IDE connectors... including the CD drive I need to load any OS.
cyclone3d wrote on 2020-02-16, 19:38:You need to get into the Promise card's BIOS to set everything up. […]
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You need to get into the Promise card's BIOS to set everything up.
Without configuring stuff in the card's BIOS it will never work.
Ctrl-F is the key combo to get into the card's BIOS. You must do this on the POST screen when it says it is loading the card's BIOS. They usually come up with a message that says the key combo to get into the card's BIOS.
Here is the quick start guide.
http://firstweb.promise.com/upload/Support/Ma … tart%20v1.2.pdf
Thanks. Would you believe in the FULL manual there's not a single mention of that keyboard shortcut? Unbelievable. Is that quick start guide for my model though? That guide is for the "FastTrack S150", where mine is the "SATA150" (mine doesn't say FastTrack anywhere, and a quick search looks like there's multiple versions of the TX2plus?). My full manual says my "SATA150 TX2plus card supports up to two Serial ATA drives and up to two Parallel ATA drives". The FastTrack version says "FastTrak Serial ATA RAID card supports up to two Serial ATA hard drives and up to two Ultra ATA/133 drives"...
When I'm done installing this next Windows version I can test if CRTL+F works. What setting(s) should I be looking for? Hopefully self-evident...
dionb wrote on 2020-02-16, 19:51:
Word of warning: almost all of that is about setting up RAID arrays. Don't do that here. I'm not so sure Ctrl-F is required, unless there is already a RAID array defined that needs clearing. Normally the card just detects whatever is connected and tells you during POST, then the system boots whatever it is told to (in BIOS you need to select "SCSI" for booting off the TX2Plus)
But again: I strongly recommend getting at least that CF card running on native IDE before messing around with an add-in controller.
As mentioned above the CF card works just fine without the Promise card installed (as does any one of my SSD's with SATA to IDE adapters). Biggest problem is the Promise card seems to turn off the MB's ability to use anything off its IDE ports....and the IDE port on the Promise card itself won't work an ADAPI CD/DVD drive... so kinda a catch 22 at this point.