2,001 Tips
Windows NT 4.0
Hardware

NT Hot List

Before you try to use new hardware with NT, check the current NT hardware compatibility list (HCL) to see if NT works with it. The HCL is included on the NT 4.0 distribution CD-ROM (look for HCL.HLP in the CD's SUPPORT directory), and it's also available online at http://www.microsoft.com/BackOffice/ntserver/hcl/hclintro.htm.

Device Driver Dilemma

Incompatible device drivers can be a problem when upgrading from NT 3.x to NT 4.0. In particular, Microsoft drastically changed the video architecture in NT 4.0 to improve performance. Hence, NT 3.x video drivers are completely incompatible with NT 4.0. If you use one of the standard video drivers from the NT CD, you'll get an updated driver automatically when you upgrade. If you use a third-party driver, check with your vendor for NT 4.0 compatibility. Besides video drivers, SCSI and printer drivers are also affected.

Antique Cards

Drivers for some older SCSI cards have been removed from the basic NT Setup, and are now located in the DRVLIB directory on the NT distribution CD. To install NT on a system with one of these cards, you'll have to create a driver diskette by copying the relevant files onto a floppy before running NT Setup.

Mistaken Identity

In some cases, NT 4.0 can fail to recognize a second drive in a 2-disk EIDE setup. The EIDE adapter is misidentified as a generic ATAPI controller by NT 4.0 Setup, which automatically loads the ATAPI.SYS driver. To correct the problem, disable ATAPI.SYS (using Control Panel/Devices) and load the appropriate EIDE driver.

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