HP Vectra Pauses During WinNT Install or During Cold Restarts

• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you install Windows NT on a HP Vectra computer, Setup pauses or appears to stop responding for a very long time at the point it is trying to copy the Kbdus.dll from the CD-ROM.

   -or-

Select [VGA MODE] when starting into GUI-mode setup to display the device driver that causes the computer to stop responding.

After Windows NT finishes installation and you power off the computer to perform a cold restart, Windows NT again seems to stop responding for several minutes while displaying the dots (for example, . . . .) on the boot screen.

Once you get into Windows NT, everything works normally and a warm restart (that is, Shutdown – Restart) starts normally without the long pause.

CAUSE

This problem has been isolated to a machine BIOS setting for the secondary IDE controller when only an IDE CD-ROM is attached.

To verify that this is the cause, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the Devices icon.

2. Change the startup type of CD-ROM from system to disabled.

3. Shutdown Windows NT and perform a cold restart of the computer. If the pause does not occur or the system responds as expected, then communications to the CD-ROM is the source of the system not responding.

4. Re-enable the CD-ROM device in the Control Panel Devices tool to start at startup.

RESOLUTION

The system BIOS has configured the secondary controller to show a CD-ROM attached. This setting needs to be disabled. To disable the setting, perform the following steps:

1. Go in to the system BIOS and disable the secondary controller by following this BIOS option tree:

   configuration

         hard drives
            hard drive #2 --> enter
               auto or none - select none.  (f7 or f8 to select)
   
   

2. Exit and save the BIOS options.

3. Power off the computer and cold start it. The computer should start normally and not pause while starting Windows NT. After you log on, you should have access to the CD-ROM drive.