installing win2k nightmare

[71skylark]

I spent 2 1/2 hours trying to install win2k to my raid array last night and I always get the same error while finishing the 4th boot disk "INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE". I press F6 during the startup and install the drivers for my highpoint 370 controller after the 2nd bootdisk. I reformatted my harddrive using IBM disk manager (latest version, selected win2000 as my new operating system) a few times already. In the bios I disabled all shadowing and caching like win2k told me too. Any tricks I don't know about?

Here's my system:
abit KA7-100 mobo (RY bios I believe)
athlon 750 slot-a-tbird
leadtek 32mb GF2
Netgear FA310tx
3com 509b-TPO
LIVE! X-Gamer
Jaton 56k $12 modem
toshiba 8x dvd
HP 1800i CD-RW (4x :-( )
dual 75gxp 46gb in raid 0
WD 18.1gb 7200rpm for MP3s etc (disconnected for w2k installation because it always wanted to install it here)

[RED Hot Machine]

One thing to check is that p'n'p os is disabled. Have you tried booting to the CD?

Also scandisk the 4th boot disk to make sure that the disc has not been damaged.

Jsut a few ideas, hope that i helps. :D

[71skylark]

PNP OS? I didn't disable that! Thanks, but it didn't fix it. Still the same old "INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE". I just made a new disk with the latest win2k drivers for my raid controller too but that didn't help either. I'm trying to update the RAID controller's bios right now but I keep getting the message from the bios flashing program highpoint provides that the vendor is invalid. GRRRR Anyone else have this problem trying to install win2k to a 92gb IDE raid 0 array?

[supraway]

I never did enjoy using boot disks to install Win2k. Do you not have a bootable CD of Win2k? When you first see the blue screen, there will be a text message down at the bottom saying "Press F6 to install a SCSI or RAID device", press F6, let it go through loading files, and it will say "Press S to specify an additional device, or press Enter to continue". Press S and it will ask you to insert your driver disk. Insert it and press Enter. It should find the driver and take you back to the Press S or Enter screen. THEN press Enter, and it should see your array.

[71skylark]

I can't Boot from the CD for some reason. I'm wondering what could be wrong with my bios settings or the way I formatted and partitioned(1 big chunk) my 92.3gb raid 0 array s that would cause the INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error. Maybe I should unhook my CD-RW? any recommedations?

[71skylark]

Finally got it working! I loaded 98se then installed W2k over it. What a pain in the ASS! Microsoft should be punched in the throat for that kind of install software.