SCSI setup and basic troubleshooting



Document ID: 94000304

 

Posted Date: 1996-08-19

 

Last Updated: 1996-08-19

 

Distribution: View Public Website

 

Applicable Models
Satellite 100CS
Satellite 110CS
Satellite 110CT
Satellite 200CDS
Portege 610CT
Portege 650CT
Portege 660CDT
Tecra 500CDT
Tecra 500CS
Tecra 510CDT
Tecra 530CDT
Tecra 700CS
Tecra 700CT
Tecra 710CDT
Tecra 720CDT
Tecra 730CDT
Tecra 730XCDT
Tecra 740CDT
Satellite Pro 400CDT
Satellite Pro 400CS
Satellite Pro 415CS
Satellite Pro 425CDS
Satellite Pro 430CDS
Satellite Pro 430CDT

 

Information
Setting Up SCSI Adapters in Windows 95

NOTE: Before installing the Windows 95 protected-mode drivers for your SCSI adapter, make sure the adapter is working in a real-mode configuration. Verify that the drivers for the adapter are loading in the Config.sys and/or Autoexec.bat files. Once the adapter is working correctly in real mode you can set up its protected-mode drivers.

To install a Windows 95 protected-mode SCSI controller driver, run the Add New Hardware Wizard from Control Panel. Windows 95 currently supports SCSI and SCSI 2 adapter types. If Windows 95 cannot detect your SCSI adapter, manually select your adapter from the list of SCSI controllers in the Add New Hardware Wizard.

If your controller card is not listed, Windows 95 does not currently support it. Windows 95 will not load protected-mode drivers for the adapter and you must use real-mode drivers. You may want to contact the card manufacturer to see if a protected-mode driver is available for Windows 95.

Plug and Play SCSI Specifications
  1. The adapter must support at least the SCAM level 1 protocol for automatic SCSI ID assignment. SCAM (SCSI Configured automatically) refers to a proposal for the SCSI-3 interface standard.
  2. Automatic termination of the SCSI bus by the SCSI controller must occur.


NOTE: SCSI controllers that do not meet these requirements may be compatible with Windows 95 but are not supported with Plug and Play functionality.

Troubleshooting

One of the first steps in troubleshooting is to remove a conflicting device driver and reinstall it in Device Manager. An exclamation point in a yellow circle or an "X" in a red circle in Device Manager indicates a potential hardware conflict or a device that has been disabled. Restart Windows 95 in Safe mode and remove any conflicting SCSI device drivers in Device Manager. Restart Windows 95 normally and start the Add New Hardware Wizard by double-clicking the Add New Hardware icon in Control Panel.

If you are still experiencing problems, check the following items:

The SCSI bus must be configured properly for Windows 95 to load protected-mode drivers. The configuration of a SCSI bus can be separated into the two following processes:
onfig
  1. Configuring the SCSI bus itself. This includes terminating both ends of the SCSI bus, setting the Logical Unit Number (LUN), and setting the device IDs. The LUN is used to designate which SCSI controller is being accessed in a system with more than one controller being used. The SCSI device ID is similar, but is the designation for multiple devices on one controller. Check to make sure that termination is correct. Incorrect termination is a common problem when setting up SCSI devices. Consult the SCSI controller manual or manufacturer for details on configuring your SCSI bus.
  2. Configuring the SCSI host adapter. This includes assigning its IRQ line, DMA channel, UMB range, and so on. Consult the SCSI controller manual or manufacturer for details.


NOTE: Most ASPI-compliant cards have an option to enable or disable their boot ROM BIOS. Enabling the BIOS makes the SCSI drive bootable. However, SCSI drives are commonly used as a secondary disk subsystems (with the traditional IDE/ATA drive serving as the boot disk subsystem). Disable the BIOS if the computer does not boot from the SCSI drive.

NOTE: If the SCSI card works in MS-DOS but is not fully functional in windows 95 using the protected-mode drivers, look at the parameters in the real-mode driver line in the Config.sys file and modify the switches or parameters on the Settings tab in Device Manager. The Windows 95 drivers support only the switches and parameters supported by the real-mode drivers provided by the manufacturer.

NOTE: Windows 95 may have problems switching from real-mode drivers to protected-mode drivers with untested third-party real-mode drivers. Temporarily disable the real-mode drivers in the Config.sys and/or Autoexec.bat files by placing the word "rem" (without quotation marks) at the beginning of the driver lines. Restart Windows 95 and try accessing the SCSI drive or check Device Manager for non-functioning devices.

NOTE: Examine the Bootlog.txt file. Check the following items:
  1. Are the SCSI drivers being initialized properly?
  2. Can the SCSI drive be accessed at all?
  3. Is a Windows protection error (WPE) received and is a SCSI VxD/MPD/PDR the last entry in the file?



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