Adding SCSI Controllers to Onboard SCSI

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1

SYMPTOMS

When adding SCSI controllers to a computer that already contains an onboard SCSI controller, you may receive the following error message:

   Windows NT could not start because of a computer disk hardware
   configuration problem.

   Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path
   and boot hardware.

   Please check the Windows NT documentation about hardware
   disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for
   additional information.

   Boot failed.

CAUSE

This error may be caused when additional SCSI adapters are installed on computers that contain an onboard SCSI controller. This can change the device ID of the onboard controller, causing Windows NT not to boot.

RESOLUTION

Editing the BOOT.INI file to change the SCSI() and /SCSIORDINAL: parameters corrects this problem.

MORE INFORMATION

To edit the BOOT.INI file to correct the above problem, do the following:

1. Remove the attributes from the BOOT.INI file with the ATTRIB command:

         ATTRIB -R -S -H BOOT.INI
   

2. Use Notepad to edit the BOOT.INI file.

3. Change the following lines in the BOOT.INI

         [boot loader]
         default=scsi(0)...
   

   to

         default=scsi(z)...
   

   and

         [operating system]
         scsi(0)...
   

   to

         scsi(z)...
   

   and

         SCSIORDINAL:0
   

   to

         SCSIORDINAL:z
   

   where z = the new ID of the onboard SCSI controller.

4. Save the BOOT.INI file.

5. Restore the attributes to the BOOT.INI file with the following command:

         ATTRIB +R +S +H BOOT.INI