FSC Driver issues

legologic

I bought a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo 3438G Pentium M 760 from Jes. It's the same as the one below but mine has 2x80G HD'd not 100G
Linksky

It's a beautiful machine but I have a serious issue with it. Having ordered it from Germany I was aware it would arrive with a german version of windows installed, which I figured would not be a problem... format and a reinstall. Not the case.

The hard-drives are set up in a raid system. The drivers for this are not on standard windows installation disks. When I go through the format/reinstall process it cannot detect the Hard disks and says I have none. It does give me an option to install 3rd party raid/scsi drivers during installation but when I go to do that it only gives me the option to install from a floppy which is rediculous for a few reasons...
1)from what I've found the drivers would not fit on a floppy
2)The lappy doesen't have a floppy drive
3)when I use the OEM german version it apparently does not need these drivers!

I've given the laptop to two friends, one a microsoft debugger and the other a computer genius and both have tried loads of ways of fixin it to absolutely no avail I've gone trough trying to instal OEM, pro, home, corp and a couple of bodged together versions of XP to get it working but it just wont work. The original OEM XP home I got with it will install however that's in German (This apparently has the drivers on It). My two previous techo friends have both scoured this disk and dragged oodles of drivers from it onto XP english edditions and yet to no avail.

Because of complications with my bank and Jes It took just over a month to get this computer. Now after two weeks I still can't use it and i'm really trown out by this whole thing. I've spent a lot of money on this and any help anyone could give me would be hugely appreciated!

Does anybody out there posses this laptop in english? I have my own valid windows key so all I need is the XP disk to re-install on this machine.

feylya

Google slipstreaming XP with raid drivers. Then download the raid drivers for your motherboard. Basically, you're making a standard XP install disc with Raid drivers on it already.

legologic

I've (and when I say i've I mean somebody else of course) downloaded both the drivers Fujitsu say are on my machine and a number of other raid drivers and made XP installation disks. Needless to say it didn't work. It seems to be an issue rather specific to the configuration of this lappy.

Thanks anyway.

SouperComputer

where are you based?

Im in Dublin if you want me to have a look at it for you.

Drop me a line.........

WillieDH

If you can get your hands on an FSC Amilo recovery disk (in english), it should solve the problem for you.

Just run it, then use the drivers and utilities disk you got with the system.

legologic

@ SouperComputer. *PM'd*

@ WillieDH. Yup. Thats what I figured myself. Anyone out there got one? I gave tech support in Fujitsu a ring and after talking to three people (one of them twice) all they we're willing to do was sell me an english version of windows. Tho' chances are (it not being a fujitsu OEM version) that probably wouldn't even work! Y'gotta love tech "support"!

secret_squirrel

Daft question - cant you just disable RAID in the bios??

legologic

Eh... No

secret_squirrel

I would find it hard to believe that a laptop would be made with RAID fixed on in the hardware, it makes no sense from a materials/flexibility point of view.

Therefore another possible approach might be to find out if there are any 'manufacturer' only parts of the bios where you can switch between RAID and normal disk operation.

That would be another way to solve your problem.

A third way to solve it might be to physically pull one of the
Hard drives out. If there is only one drive detected the BIOS should automatically default to single drive operation.

secret_squirrel

There's a good thread about your issues here :

http://support.fujitsu-siemens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11833&sid=664719881f6cb87384ffee4902de9e3f

legologic

Little worried that it didn't seem to work for the guy with the exact same model as mine (3438G) but I'll give it a lash. Secret Squirrel you are turly a wonderful being! I shall go forth valliantly armed with this new knowledge!

Cheers mate!

legologic

Well I finally created an OEM that works (after getting about a dozen that didn't). Thank you kindly Squirrel and thanks a million SouperCompuer for the offer of help too. Take THAT raid array!

SouperComputer

NP, glad you got sorted.

secret_squirrel

Ditto. Now ghost or Acronis the damn thing!! Although come to think of it Im not sure either supports raid.