Hp Xw8400 Workstation; Boot To Dos; Dla; Update Bios Using The Computer Setup Utility (F10 Setup) - HP Xw6400 - Workstation - 4 GB RAM Overview

HP xw8400 Workstation

The following topics are specific to the HP xw8400 Workstation.

Boot to DOS

The xw8400 can boot from a bootable DOS CD-ROM in combined or separate modes. Boot to DOS
currently does not work in RAID+AHCI mode or when the SATA optical disc drive is connected to a
SAS port. The following are suggested workarounds:
• Develop and use a WinPE based CD-ROM or DOK.
• Develop and use a DOS bootable DOK.
• Change SATA emulation settings to either combined or separate mode.
• If DLA is not required, then use ISOLinux to wrap your current bootable DOS CD-ROM.
HP is investigating possible solutions to the limitations that currently exist when a SATA optical disc
drive is attached to an onboard SAS port.
HP is investigating possible solutions to the limitations that currently exist in RAID+AHCI mode.

DLA

In combined mode oakcdrom.sys will detect and address the SATA optical disc drive, therefore
mscdex.exe will be able to assign a drive letter to the drive to provide DLA. In separate mode a 3rd
party DOS SATA CD-ROM driver will detect and address the SATA optical disc drive, therefore
mscdex.exe can assign a drive letter to the drive to provide DLA.
As you cannot boot to DOS when in RAID+AHCI, DLA is not available in this mode. Suggested
workarounds for this problem are:
If DLA is required to access tools and/ or utilities, then use ISOLinux to wrap your current bootable
DOS CD-ROM, and place these files on a network share.
If the SATA emulation mode is changed for the purpose of imaging, then be sure the setting is
reverted to the emulation mode on which the image was created.
HP is investigating possible solutions to the limitations that currently exist in RAID+AHCI mode.

Update BIOS using the Computer Setup Utility (F10 Setup)

When the SATA configuration mode is set to RAID/AHCI mode, the system BIOS cannot be updated
from the SATA optical drive using the Computer Setup Utility (F10 setup). The following are suggested
workarounds:
• Update the system BIOS using a USB Disk On Key (DOK) and the Computer Setup Utility (F10).
• Update the system BIOS using a PATA optical drive, if installed, and the Computer Setup Utility
(F10).
• Temporarily change SATA Emulation to Separate IDE Controller to update the BIOS from the SATA
optical drive. If SATA Emulation is changed to update the BIOS, then the SATA optical drive must
be attached to a functional SATA port.
HP is investigating possible solutions to the limitations that currently exist in RAID+AHCI mode.