Hello,

I have a problem with installing my Adaptec AHA 2940u2w card into a HP
Compaq dx7300mt computer. For some reason, the computer will not boot
beyond the innitial scanning for peripherial devices stage.

I am using the card because I am using it with some software / driver
bundle related to an attached scanner-like instrument that will not
work on any other card.

I have heard that this SCSI card would only work on the HP Compaq if
it was the OEM version made specifically for it. Is this the case?

My card is old and no doubt has old firmware. Will updating the BIOS
of the card help resolve this problem but maintain compatibility with
my software? Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just as
compatible with my software as the generic variety is?

Thankyou for any help you can provide in advance.

"DustWolf" <jure.sah@bia.si> wrote in message 
news:1186135324.777283.73600@l70g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I have a problem with installing my Adaptec AHA 2940u2w card into a HP
> Compaq dx7300mt computer. For some reason, the computer will not boot
> beyond the innitial scanning for peripherial devices stage.
>
> I am using the card because I am using it with some software / driver
> bundle related to an attached scanner-like instrument that will not
> work on any other card.
>
> I have heard that this SCSI card would only work on the HP Compaq if
> it was the OEM version made specifically for it. Is this the case?
>
> My card is old and no doubt has old firmware. Will updating the BIOS
> of the card help resolve this problem but maintain compatibility with
> my software? Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just as
> compatible with my software as the generic variety is?
>
> Thankyou for any help you can provide in advance.

Can you test the card in another system? It may be faulty. You could try 
resetting the BIOS on your motherboard. WinXP has drivers for that card. You 
could try changing the setting for Plug & Play in the BIOS.

    Mike. 

"DustWolf" <jure.sah@bia.si> wrote in message news:1186135324.777283.73600@l70g2000hse.googlegroups.com
> Hello,
>
> I have a problem with installing my Adaptec AHA 2940u2w card into a HP
> Compaq dx7300mt computer. For some reason, the computer will not boot
> beyond the innitial scanning for peripherial devices stage.
>
> I am using the card because I am using it with some software / driver
> bundle related to an attached scanner-like instrument that will not
> work on any other card.

> I have heard that this SCSI card would only work on the HP Compaq if
> it was the OEM version made specifically for it. Is this the case?

Sounds plausible, but not necessarily. My Compaq OEM-ed 39160 came
with a S2 designated bios. Could just be a different default setup though.

> My card is old and no doubt has old firmware. Will updating the BIOS
> of the card help resolve this problem but maintain compatibility with
> my software? Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just
> as compatible with my software as the generic variety is?

If it is not an OEM itself, sure why not? But like you say yourself, your
hardware/sofware bundle only works with that card. That is suspicious.

Btw, how do you expect someone to answer this question from own experi-ence if you can't be bothered to tell what the product is
that you're using.

>
> Thank you for any help you can provide in advance.

On 3 avg., 16:40, "Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply...@myweb.nl> wrote:
> > My card is old and no doubt has old firmware. Will updating the BIOS
> > of the card help resolve this problem but maintain compatibility with
> > my software? Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just
> > as compatible with my software as the generic variety is?
>
> If it is not an OEM itself, sure why not? But like you say yourself, your
> hardware/sofware bundle only works with that card. That is suspicious.

The devoloper of the software has that general tendency to hardwire
everytihing with the chips. This is very likely the case here. I would
suppose the card would say "OEM" on it if it was one... right? I have
pictures of the card.

> Btw, how do you expect someone to answer this question from own experi-ence if you can't be bothered to tell what the product is
> that you're using.

Because the software is highly specific laboratory software that I'd
bet not another 5 more people on Earth use. It's a scanner as far as
anyone is concerned and I did tell you that.

On 3 avg., 16:29, "Michael Hawes" <michael.hawes1rem...@tiscali.co.uk>
wrote:
> "DustWolf" <jure....@bia.si> wrote in message
>
> news:1186135324.777283.73600@l70g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > Hello,
>
> > I have a problem with installing my Adaptec AHA 2940u2w card into a HP
> > Compaq dx7300mt computer. For some reason, the computer will not boot
> > beyond the innitial scanning for peripherial devices stage.
>
> > I am using the card because I am using it with some software / driver
> > bundle related to an attached scanner-like instrument that will not
> > work on any other card.
>
> > I have heard that this SCSI card would only work on the HP Compaq if
> > it was the OEM version made specifically for it. Is this the case?
>
> > My card is old and no doubt has old firmware. Will updating the BIOS
> > of the card help resolve this problem but maintain compatibility with
> > my software? Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just as
> > compatible with my software as the generic variety is?
>
> > Thankyou for any help you can provide in advance.
>
> Can you test the card in another system? It may be faulty. You could try
> resetting the BIOS on your motherboard. WinXP has drivers for that card. You
> could try changing the setting for Plug & Play in the BIOS.

The card works fine in the original system.

"DustWolf" <jure.sah@bia.si> wrote in message news:1186496008.913895.154890@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com
> On 3 avg., 16:29, "Michael Hawes" michael.hawes1rem...@tiscali.co.uk wrote:
> > "DustWolf" jure....@bia.si> wrote in message news:1186135324.777283.73600@l70g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> > 
> > > Hello,
> > 
> > > I have a problem with installing my Adaptec AHA 2940u2w card into a HP
> > > Compaq dx7300mt computer. For some reason, the computer will not boot
> > > beyond the innitial scanning for peripherial devices stage.
> > 
> > > I am using the card because I am using it with some software / driver
> > > bundle related to an attached scanner-like instrument that will not
> > > work on any other card.
> > 
> > > I have heard that this SCSI card would only work on the HP Compaq if
> > > it was the OEM version made specifically for it. Is this the case?
> > 
> > > My card is old and no doubt has old firmware. Will updating the BIOS
> > > of the card help resolve this problem but maintain compatibility with
> > > my software? Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just as
> > > compatible with my software as the generic variety is?
> > 
> > > Thankyou for any help you can provide in advance.
> > 
> > Can you test the card in another system? It may be faulty. 

> You could try resetting the BIOS on your motherboard. WinXP has drivers 
> for that card. You could try changing the setting for Plug & Play in the BIOS.

> The card works fine in the original system.

Right, so make it a point of not following-up his suggestions.

"Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply-to@myweb.nl> wrote in message news:46b33fa3$0$97256$892e7fe2@authen.yellow.readfreenews.net
> "DustWolf" <jure.sah@bia.si> wrote in message news:1186135324.777283.73600@l70g2000hse.googlegroups.com
> > Hello,
> > 
> > I have a problem with installing my Adaptec AHA 2940u2w card into a HP
> > Compaq dx7300mt computer. For some reason, the computer will not boot
> > beyond the innitial scanning for peripherial devices stage.
> > 
> > I am using the card because I am using it with some software / driver
> > bundle related to an attached scanner-like instrument that will not
> > work on any other card.
> 
> > I have heard that this SCSI card would only work on the HP Compaq if
> > it was the OEM version made specifically for it. Is this the case?

> Sounds plausible, but not necessarily. 

> My Compaq OEM-ed 39160 came with a S2 designated bios. 

Correction: 
I looked at a Compaq once but the one in my possession is a *Dell*, actually.
So the special bios version may or may not (always) apply to Compaq/HP.
As mentioned in the other post the Adaptec and Compaq sourced 2940u2w 
2.57.2 bios versions are the same.

[snip]

"DustWolf" <jure.sah@bia.si> wrote in message news:1186495965.460043.218930@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com
> On 3 avg., 16:40, "Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply...@myweb.nl> wrote:

> > > My card is old and no doubt has old firmware.

No doubt? How 'old' does it have to be to not have the latest 'firmware'?
Newest (official) version is of 2000, oldest 1998.
Even the newest (official) version is 7 years 'old'.
The unofficial 3.10.0 is only a year 'younger'.

> > > Will updating the BIOS of the card help resolve this problem but

Perhaps.
Google nor HP  show any results of a problem -that I can find- though.
Btw, the 2.57.2 bios at the HP site is exactly the same as the one from Adaptec. (It's there for supporting One Button Disaster
Recovery).

So you could even try the inofficial 3.10 version available here:
ftp://ftp.adaptec.com/tmp0001/adaptec/photo/2940u2w_bios_3100.exe ...

> > > maintain compatibility with my software?

Sure it does IF someone has written such a BIOS.

> > > Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just
> > > as compatible with my software as the generic variety is?

Since there is no apparent difference -see above-, yes, probably
just as compatible or incompatible, whatever the case may be.

> >
> > If it is not an OEM itself, sure why not? But like you say yourself, your
> > hardware/software bundle only works with that card. That is suspicious.

> The devoloper of the software has that general tendency to hardwire
> everything with the chips. This is very likely the case here.

In which case the card likely has a proprietary bios (meaning support
was added for scanner devices) or the bios doesn't matter at all.

> I would  suppose the card would say "OEM" on it if it was one... right?

No. Compaq/IBM/Dell OEM-ed  cards are only recognizable by a small
extra paper sticker -usually only showing the OEM's part number- that
you won't find on the original. Everything else is the same with a possible
exception for the OEM bios version that may or may not have an 'S' in it.

> I have pictures of the card.

Even if it looks like a standard Adaptec card there is no way to tell
(from a picture) whether your 'developer' hasn't OEM-ed it. One way
to tell (if not immediately apparent from it's bios announcement) is to
save the bios from the card and compare the image with an image of the
same version directly from Adaptec (if still available for download).

>
> > Btw, how do you expect someone to answer this question from own experi-
> > ence if you can't be bothered to tell what the product is that you're using.

> Because the software is highly specific laboratory software
> that I'd bet not another 5 more people on Earth use.

So it was a stupid question that no-one here can answer.

>  It's a scanner as far as anyone is concerned and I did tell you that.

Which is of no use to me and I bet you for 100$ that the other 5 people are
not here.

Thank you for your answer it was most helpful.

On 7 avg., 19:35, "Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply...@myweb.nl> wrote:
> "DustWolf" <jure....@bia.si> wrote in messagenews:1186495965.460043.218930@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com
> > On 3 avg., 16:40, "Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply...@myweb.nl> wrote:
> > > > My card is old and no doubt has old firmware.
>
> No doubt? How 'old' does it have to be to not have the latest 'firmware'?
> Newest (official) version is of 2000, oldest 1998.
> Even the newest (official) version is 7 years 'old'.
> The unofficial 3.10.0 is only a year 'younger'.
>
> > > > Will updating the BIOS of the card help resolve this problem but
>
> Perhaps.
> Google nor HP  show any results of a problem -that I can find- though.
> Btw, the 2.57.2 bios at the HP site is exactly the same as the one from Adaptec. (It's there for supporting One Button Disaster
> Recovery).
>
> So you could even try the inofficial 3.10 version available here:ftp://ftp.adaptec.com/tmp0001/adaptec/photo/2940u2w_bios_3100.exe...
>
> > > > maintain compatibility with my software?
>
> Sure it does IF someone has written such a BIOS.
>
> > > > Is it likely the OEM version of the card would be just
> > > > as compatible with my software as the generic variety is?
>
> Since there is no apparent difference -see above-, yes, probably
> just as compatible or incompatible, whatever the case may be.
>
>
>
> > > If it is not an OEM itself, sure why not? But like you say yourself, your
> > > hardware/software bundle only works with that card. That is suspicious.
> > The devoloper of the software has that general tendency to hardwire
> > everything with the chips. This is very likely the case here.
>
> In which case the card likely has a proprietary bios (meaning support
> was added for scanner devices) or the bios doesn't matter at all.
>
> > I would  suppose the card would say "OEM" on it if it was one... right?
>
> No. Compaq/IBM/Dell OEM-ed  cards are only recognizable by a small
> extra paper sticker -usually only showing the OEM's part number- that
> you won't find on the original. Everything else is the same with a possible
> exception for the OEM bios version that may or may not have an 'S' in it.
>
> > I have pictures of the card.
>
> Even if it looks like a standard Adaptec card there is no way to tell
> (from a picture) whether your 'developer' hasn't OEM-ed it. One way
> to tell (if not immediately apparent from it's bios announcement) is to
> save the bios from the card and compare the image with an image of the
> same version directly from Adaptec (if still available for download).
>
>
>
> > > Btw, how do you expect someone to answer this question from own experi-
> > > ence if you can't be bothered to tell what the product is that you're using.
> > Because the software is highly specific laboratory software
> > that I'd bet not another 5 more people on Earth use.
>
> So it was a stupid question that no-one here can answer.
>
> >  It's a scanner as far as anyone is concerned and I did tell you that.
>
> Which is of no use to me and I bet you for 100$ that the other 5 people are
> not here.