XP will not install with PCI-E card installed

[BG4533]

I have had the following system up and running under Fedora Core 4 for a month now and it has worked great, but I want to install Windows XP Pro on it.

Specs:
Asus A8N-CSM
Athon 64 3500+
1GB PC3200
Arec ARC-1210 PCI-E RAID card
4x320GB Seagate 7200.10 in RAID 5

When I try to install XP Pro I get the very first Setup is examining your hardware message and then the screen just goes black. I have tried this with SP1 and SP2.

For testing purposes I put in a Windows 2003 Server disc and it took me to the configuration screens without issue.

The Areca 1210 requires a x4 PCI-E slot and since the mobo only has a x16 slot thas there it is. I think Windows XP thinks the Areca is a graphics card or something. When I remove it I am able to get to the configuration screens without issue in XP.

Any ideas on how to make this work without changing hardware?

 

[intogamer]

Are you using the port closest to the mobo?

Does the comp start up with the PCI-E card? model?

 

[BG4533]

The PCI-E card is the Areca ARC-1210 I mentioned in my first post. This exact system has been running Fedora Core 4 for about a month without issues.

The mobo has a x16 and x1 PCI-E slot. Since the Areca requires x4 it is in the x16 slot.

I just removed the Areca and am installing XP on an old 40GB HD. I am going to see if I can get the Areca up after the install. If so I am going to try to make a ghost of the 40GB drive and put it on the array.

 

[mleonard]

I was having a similiar issue with my WinXP SP2 Pro install thread. The solution was to use an old PCI video card.

 

[pcgeek11]

Originally posted by: mleonard
I was having a similiar issue with my WinXP SP2 Pro install thread. The solution was to use an old PCI video card.

He is using a PCIe RAID Card not a PCIe Video Card...

 

[BG4533]

I was able to get the system running by doing what I said above.

I removed the Areca and installed to a 40GB IDE drive. After Windows was setup I put the Areca back in and Windows booted and loaded the drivers I supplied. After that I booted to Ghost and ghosted the 40GB drive to the raid 5 array attached to the Areca. I shutdown, removed the IDE drive and XP booted from the array without issue.

The system is running, but if anyone has any ideas as to why the installer wouldn't work please let me know.

Thanks.