SUMMARY
This article is part 2 of 2 articles that contain the complete text of
the SETUP.TXT file. These articles contains the following:
- Part 1 contains:
1.0 Removing Previous Versions
2.0 General Hardware Notes
3.0 Specific Computer Systems
4.0 General Disk Drive Information
5.0 SCSI Devices
- Part 2 (this article) contains:
6.0 Error Messages
7.0 Video Display Drivers and Adapters (x86 Computers)
8.0 Removable Media
9.0 Supported Keyboard Layouts
10.0 Installing Windows NT over NextStep
11.0 Converting File Systems During
Installation
Introduction
Feedback from the thousands of Windows NT beta sites has shown that
Windows NT Setup proceeds smoothly in the vast majority of cases.
However, there are cases where you may experience difficulties with
hardware incompatibilities or conflicts. SETUP.TXT contains
information that you may need in order to install Windows NT or
Windows NT Advanced Server (the article applies to both) on some
hardware configurations.
For more information on installation, see the chapters "Installing
Windows NT" and "Troubleshooting" in the "Windows NT System Guide" or
the "Windows NT Advanced Server System Guide."
6.0 Error Messages
6.1 Couldn't Find NTLDR
This message is displayed if the file NTLDR is missing from the root
of the C: drive. You can copy the file to C:\ from either the CD ROM
or floppy disks.
To copy NTLDR from the CD ROM, make the CD ROM your current drive and
enter the command:
To copy NTLDR from floppy disk, insert Disk 2 in your disk drive and
make that drive the current drive. Then enter the command:
6.2 Error 0000001E
Generally, this error implies a problem in the file system. Run CHKDSK
or another similar utility on the drive. Make sure your hardware is on
the hardware compatibility list.
6.3 Error 0x00000069 or 0x00000067
This initialization error indicates that Windows NT is unable to
communicate with the hard drive controller. Try the following:
- Slow down the DMA transfer rate on the controller.
- Make sure both ends of the SCSI bus are terminated.
- Make sure there are no IRQ or memory address conflicts.
- Make sure you are not using a faulty or unsupported driver.
- Make sure NTDETECT.COM is in the root of the boot drive partition.
- Make sure there are no missing Windows NT system files.
6.4 NMI Hardware Error
This error is caused by a hardware problem. In some cases, the
computer's memory can be at fault, leading to an error that does not
appear when running MS-DOS or Windows 3.x, but does appear when
running Windows NT. Memory errors can occur when the access rate does
not match the requirements of the system board or when the access rate
varies between SIMM modules or chips on a module. Cache memory access
rates that are too slow can also cause this problem. In general, the
first steps toward troubleshooting are to make sure that contacts for
all boards and memory modules are clean, that boards and memory
modules are properly seated, and that the computer is free of dust.
6.5 System Error F002
If you receive a System Error F002, this probably means that your
hardware is faulty; for example, you may be experiencing a memory
failure. If this occurs, run the manufacturer's diagnostics procedure
and check to see if your memory is the proper speed for your CPU.
7.0 Video Display Drivers and Adapters (x86 Computers)
Windows NT has excellent video support, supporting over 45 video
display adapters, including excellent high-end support. Here are some
detailed notes on Windows NT's video support.
The information in this section is applicable for x86 computers only.
To select a video adapter other than VGA, you must run Custom Setup or
run Windows NT Setup from the Main program group after you have
completed installation.
This release supports the VGA standard video cards plus some newer
video cards. If the video card you use is not listed in this section,
select VGA as the display device in Windows NT Setup. If you choose a
display mode in Setup that your hardware does not support, you will
need to reinstall Windows NT. You should be careful when installing
some of the higher resolution modes to be sure that your monitor
supports the resolution and vertical refresh rates.
If the display mode selected by the user is not valid--because the
video card was not present or because the card had insufficient video
memory--an alternate driver will be selected by Setup automatically so
that the computer is able to boot.
If you encounter problems read your video manual again for proper
settings. You may have overlooked something in the manual that
pertains to Windows NT if you previously installed the card under
Windows 3.1.
In general, Windows NT video drivers do not use interrupts. Many VGA
cards use jumpers to enable IRQ 2 interrupt for EGA compatibility.
When possible, you should disable the IRQ 2 interrupt.
During setup Windows NT may allow you to set the vertical refresh rate
for your card. Read your monitor manual to see what settings you can
use. If you are unsure, set up at the lower resolution, and then later
try higher resolutions. If after changing these settings and
rebooting, you find that your display is not operating correctly,
reboot again and use the "last known good" feature to restore your
previous video settings. Be aware of the fact that some monitors may
be physically damaged by wrong video settings.
Minimum video memory requirements for Windows NT:
640x480x16 colors 512K
640x480x256 colors 512K
800x600x16 colors 512K
800x600x256 colors 1M
1024x768x16 colors 512K
1024x768x256 colors 1M
1280x1024x256 colors See individual driver
requirements
7.1 VGA
If you experience a problem with the standard VGA driver, try the
alternative VGA driver that programs the VGA directly. The standard
VGA driver uses the VGA display adapter's BIOS to initialize the card.
To use the alternate driver, rename the standard driver VGA.SYS to
VGA.SAV. Then copy VGA_ALT.SYS to VGA.SYS and reboot.
7.2 8514/A and Compatible Cards
When installing Windows NT on a computer that has an 8514/A or
compatible graphic card (for example, IBM's 8514/A or ATI's
8514Ultra), and the computer has an older version of BIOS, Custom
Setup may display your video card as "Unknown."
You can change the video driver from "Unknown" to the Standard VGA
(640x480, 16 colors) driver during Windows NT Setup. If you have an
ATI 8514 Ultra graphic card, after Windows NT Setup is completed, you
can run Windows NT Setup located in the Main group in Program Manager
to select the appropriate ATI video driver. Express Setup will default
the video driver to the Standard VGA (640x480, 16 colors) when an
unknown video card is detected.
There is no other video driver for 8514/A or compatible graphic cards
included in this release of Windows NT.
7.3 Cirrus-based Cards
For boards based on the Cirrus Logic chip set, select Cirrus with the
appropriate resolution during Setup.
7.4 VESA VGA
The VESA VGA driver uses the newer standard for detecting if a card
can handle the 800x600 Super VGA mode. VESA VGA is not supported, if
you have a card that uses the old standard, or a card that required an
MS-DOS-based TSR to implement Super VGA functionality. Standard VGA
mode is supported instead.
7.5 Diamond SpeedSTAR (and any ET4000 SVGA)
For the Diamond SpeedSTAR cards, select ET4000 with the appropriate
display mode during Setup.
Some ET4000 adapters do not support the setting of refresh rates
through software.
If you have a card with only 512K bytes of video memory, the
800x600x256 and 1024x768x256 color modes will not work correctly.
7.6 ProDesigner II Display
For the Orchid Technologies ProDesigner II and ProDesigner IIs cards,
select ET4000 with the appropriate display mode during Setup.
7.7 S3 VGA
To run the S3 video driver, your graphics adapter must have at least 1
megabyte (MB) of video memory.
The vertical refresh rate for most S3 based video is set by dip
switches on the card, or by running an MS-DOS program that programs
the adapter's ROM. For these systems, select the default setting in
Windows NT Setup. The MS-DOS setup program for these cards, must be
run under MS-DOS. If you have a DELL machine or Number Nine card, you
may use the other settings when listed.
If you experience difficulties using the S3-based video card on your
Hewlett-Packard Vectra computer, call Hewlett-Packard technical
support to upgrade your BIOS EEPROMS.
7.8 Trident
For Trident cards, select Trident with the appropriate display mode
during Setup. Trident 8900c based boards do not show 256 color
MS-DOS-based applications in frozen windows well.
7.9 Video Seven, Headland Technologies VRAM II, and VRAM
II Ergo
For these devices, select Video Seven VRAM with the appropriate
resolution during Setup.
When using the VRAM II with BIOS version 8.05, you may see random
characters or vertical lines when rebooting. Contact Headland
Technologies for a ROM upgrade.
The VRAM II Ergo display card also causes problems if its DIP switches
are not set correctly. All the switches should be off (set to the
right) except for switch #3. If this fails to correct your problem,
please contact Headland Technologies technical support.
VRAM I BIOS rev. 1.18 does not support any 256-color modes under
Windows NT.
The IRQ jumper settings should always be set OFF. Note that on BIOS
rev. 8.57 and 8.59, the settings are the reverse of that shown in the
documentation.
7.10 Western Digital/Paradise
For Western Digital cards, select WD with the appropriate display mode
during Setup. We have performed testing on WD90C30 and WD90C31 chip
sets.
7.11 XGA
For these devices, select XGA or XGA2 with the appropriate resolution
during Setup. The XGA cards require 1 MB of video memory, and only
support 256 color modes. Make sure that your monitor supports the
modes you select.
Only install the XGA driver on portables with plasma displays if an
external monitor is attached.
7.12 ATI
The ATI drivers support the following boards:
GRAPHICS ULTRA
GRAPHICS VANTAGE 8514/ULTRA
GRAPHICS ULTRA PRO
GRAPHICS ULTRA+
The GRAPHICS ULTRA, GRAPHICS VANTAGE, and 8514/ULTRA with 1 MB of
graphics memory support resolutions of 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768 at
256 colors.
The GRAPHICS ULTRA PRO and GRAPHICS ULTRA+ with 2 MB of graphics
memory and the aperture enabled support the following resolutions:
- 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 at 8 bpp with 256 colors
- 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768 at 16 bpp with 65,536 colors
- 640x480, 800x600 at 24 bpp with 16,777,216 colors 640x480 at 32 bpp
with 16,777,216 colors
The GRAPHICS ULTRA PRO and GRAPHICS ULTRA+ with 1 MB of graphics
memory and the aperture enabled support the following resolutions:
- 640x480
- 800x600
- 1024x768 at 8 bpp with 256 colors
- 640x480 at 16 bpp with 65,536 colors
The GRAPHICS ULTRA PRO and GRAPHICS ULTRA+ in an ISA bus computer and
the aperture disabled support the following resolutions:
- 640x480
- 800x600
- 1024x768
- 1280x1024 at 8 bpp with 256 colors
- 640x480
- 800x600
- 1024x768 at 16 bpp with 65,536 colors
The supported resolutions and pixel depths are conditional on there
being enough memory on the card. All cards require a minimum of 1 MB
of graphics memory. The pixel depth is conditional on the DAC type on
the display adapter. If you choose a resolution that is not supported
or your card has not been installed for, the driver substitutes a
supported resolution.
The following configurations are not supported:
The GRAPHICS ULTRA, GRAPHICS VANTAGE, and 8514/ULTRA at 1280x1024 and
16 colors.
The GRAPHICS ULTRA PRO, and GRAPHICS ULTRA+ if you have an ISA bus and
NO aperture (that is, more than 12 MB of RAM) at the following
resolutions:
640x480, 800x600 at 24 bpp with 16,777,216 colors
640x480 at 32 bpp with 16,777,216 colors]
8.0 Removable Media
Removable media drives (such as Bernoulli and Syquest) are supported
for use with the FAT and NTFS file systems only.
Optical drives that support media with sector sizes larger than 512
bytes must have the 512-byte sector size media mounted while
installing Windows NT, even if Windows NT is not being installed onto
the optical drive.
If you install Windows NT or any portion of Windows NT onto removable
media, be sure to shut down Windows NT before removing the media.
(That is, choose Shutdown from the File menu of Program Manager.) Do
not remove the media until after Windows NT has completed its shutdown
process. Media must be installed to run Windows NT Setup.
9.0 Supported Keyboard Layouts
During setup, the following keyboard layouts cannot be
used:
Czech
Greek
Hungarian
Polish Programmer
Russian
These keyboards are for use only with Unicode applications and require
installing the Unicode font, Lucida Sans Unicode.
10.0 Installing Windows NT over NextStep
NextStep makes nonconventional changes to partition tables that can
distort measurement of the amount of space remaining on a drive. If
more space is reported than is actually available, installation can
fail due to lack of space on the drive.
11.0 Converting File Systems During Installation
If your disk is too fragmented, there may not be enough room for Setup
to create the system files. If this occurs, Setup will not be able to
convert a volume at the conclusion of installation. Before trying to
convert the volume again, either delete some files, or back up and
reformat the drive.
12.0 Reporting Problems
If you encounter a system problem, please report it to Microsoft using
BUGREP.TXT. This file is located in the \SUPPORT\SUPTOOLS directory on
the CD-ROM as well as floppy Disk #4 of the floppy install disk set.
Additionally, SAMPBUG.TXT is an example of a completed bug report.