Restoring or Changing the Operating System in a VXIpc-770/870B Series Embedded Controller

This document provides step-by-step instructions on the available options for restoring or changing the operating system on a VXIpc-770/870B series controllers(VXIpc-770, VXIpc-871B, VXIpc-872B).

Introduction

When you purchase an NI VXIpc-770/870B series controller, National Instruments provides you with a means to restore the original operating system that shipped with the controller. This feature may be necessary if you need to return to a clean working environment. The restoration options enable you to take advantage of the built-in features that National Instruments provides for you to recover this original operating system. In the event that your application requires you to install an operating system different from the one originally shipped with your controller, this document also describes the different ways you can do that.

National Instruments embedded VXI controllers provide you with a flexible, high-performance embedded computer for your VXI system, which provides industry-standard computer technology in VXI C-size packaging. As such, an embedded controller in a VXI chassis gives you direct control of VXI registers, memory, interrupts, and triggers while maintaining compatibility with the scores of software packages and tools available for general-market desktop PC computers. When using a National Instruments VXI controller, you still have the ability to both restore the current Operating System (OS) or change it, just as can be done in a traditional PC.

Methods Available for Restoring or Changing the Operating System

The following table lists the different methods available for restoring or changing the Operating System (OS).

Operating System Installation Methods	VXIpc-770/870B Series Controllers(VXIpc-770, VXIpc-871B, VXIpc-872B)
Restoring the Operating System	A: Restoring the Operating System: Recovery CD B: Images Directory
Changing the Operating System (OS)	C: Windows Installation CD VIA External CD-ROM D: Create New Images Folder E: Windows Installation CD via Shared Files on a Network

A: Restoring the Operating System: Recovery CD
For the NI VXIpc-770/870B family of controllers, you can restore the Operating System from the recovery CD that ships with your controller. If you do not have this CD you can use a regular Windows installation CD. The CD can be used either with an internal IDE CD-ROM drive, external CD-ROM drive, or over shared resources in your network.

Via CD-ROM
In general, you will need the recovery CD that comes with your controller and a CD-ROM drive to restore the hard drive. You can use either a USB, SCSI-based, parallel port-based, or IDE (included with the VXIpc-871B only) CD-ROM drive. You might need to use a boot disk that includes drivers for the CD-ROM drive. Contact your CD-ROM drive vendor for assistance with configuring the driver files for the CD-ROM drive. National Instruments also provides a compatible USB CD-ROM drive, part Number 778492-01.

Follow these steps to restore your operating system via an external CD-ROM drive.

1. Load the recovery CD into the CD-ROM drive.

2. Press <Esc> during the BIOS POST. After the POST, a boot menu is displayed. Select the CD-ROM drive.

3. The BIOS boots from the CD-ROM drive. Follow the prompts to recover the hard drive. All of the peripheral drivers you need are located in the c:\images\ directory.

Via Shared Resources on Your Network
The Recovery Media CD-ROM for the NI VXIpc-770/870B family of controllers is configured to allow an installation over a network. This is useful if you do not have access to an external CD-ROM drive for your VXIpc controller. This procedure makes extensive use of an existing computer network. If you are unfamiliar with the setup and use of your corporate network, we recommend your network administrator assists with this procedure.

For more information, refer to the section Recovery from a Network in Chapter 6 of the VXIpc 770/870B User Manual (see Related links below).


B: Restoring the Operating System: Images Directory
To restore your OS, you do not have to reformat your hard drive. You can reinstall the OS from the images directory located on the controller's hard drive. The images directory is located on the boot partition (usually c:\images). The images directory contains a readme.txt or drivers.txt file that describes how to install device drivers for all supported peripherals. The images directory does not include an image of LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI. You can reinstall these applications via CD-ROM or across a network. You may need an external floppy drive for this procedure. National Instruments provides a compatible USB Floppy Drive, Part Number 778492-02

Note: The images directory only contains the installation files necessary to do a complete reinstall of your operating system. It is not a ghost image.

1. Make sure that you have the proper Product Key as you will need this to install your operating system. The Product Key for the operating system should be found on a Windows sticker included in the documentation that shipped with the controller.

2. Make a Windows 9x bootable floppy disk. Make sure the disk contains deltree.exe (even if you are installing Windows NT). You can copy this from a Windows 9x machine from the c:\Windows\Command directory. For more information on completing this step, refer to KB 2IKA5RLS, How Do I Create a Boot Floppy for My Windows-Based Computer or PXI/VXI Controller, in the links under Related Links below.

3. Boot the controller from the floppy disk. For more information on completing this step, refer to KB 1X0H52KS How Do I Make My PXI or VXI Controller Boot From a Floppy Disk, in the links under Related Links below.

4. At the command prompt, type deltree c:\*.*. You will be prompted to delete each file and directory in the root c:\ directory. Caution: Do not delete the c:\images directory. Answer no for this prompt, but answer yes to all other prompts to delete files and directories.

5. Reinstall the OS following one of the procedures listed below:
• Windows XP: Reinstall Windows by running Winnt in the c:\images\os\xp\I386 folder. Winnt does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, choose the option to set up Windows. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows XP to its factory state.
• Windows 2000: Reinstall Windows by running Winnt in the c:\images\os\win2k\I386 folder. Winnt does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, choose the option to set up Windows. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows 2000 to its factory state.
• Windows NT: Reinstall Windows by running Winnt /B in the c:\images\os\NT40\I386 folder. Winnt /B does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, you need to choose the Set up Windows NT now option from the splash screen. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows NT to its factory state.
• Windows 9x: Reinstall Windows by running setup in the c:\images\os\Win98 directory. Use \Win95 instead of \Win98 for Windows 95.
6. You also can install the drivers for supported peripherals by installing them from your recovery CD, or by visiting the VXI/VME and PXI Controller Peripherals Web Page in the links under Related Links below. From there, click the name of the controller you are restoring. Once you have the correct controller, click the green-checked boxes to locate a specific driver for a peripheral.

C: Changing the Operating System: Windows Installation CD via CD-ROM
You can change or upgrade your operating system on your controller if you have your own Windows installation CD and the VXIpc-871B or an external CD-ROM. In general, you will need a Windows installation CD and an external CD-ROM to restore the hard drive. You can use a SCSI-based CD-ROM drive.

To install an OS from a Windows Installation CD:

1. Load the new Windows Installation CD into the CD-ROM drive.

2. Press <Esc> during the BIOS POST. After POST, a boot menu is displayed. Select the CD-ROM drive.

3. The BIOS boots from the CD-ROM drive. Follow the prompts to install the OS. Peripheral drivers for supported operating system can be found on the VXI/VME and PXI Controller Peripherals Web page under Related Links below.

D: Changing the Operating System: Create New Images Folder
You can change or upgrade your operating system on your controller if you have your own Window installation CD. If you would like to install a new operating system, and your controller can currently boot into another operating system, you can create your own images folder and use a CD-ROM drive or existing network to transfer the necessary files. You will need your own Windows installation CD to do this.

If you do not have an external CD-ROM for your controller or the VXIpc-871B, you will have to copy the files from the CD-ROM drive of another computer on your network. In this case, your VXI controller must be on your network.

Note: National Instruments does not support specific operating system and networking configuration issues required to set your controller up on a network. Please contact your Information Technology group for assistance.

1. Create a new folder on the c:\drive of your controller and call it Images. Within this folder create another folder and name it OS. Create another folder within the Images folder and name it Peripherals.

2. Place your Windows installation CD in either your external CD-ROM, internal CD-ROM if you have a VXIpc-871B, or in the CD-ROM drive of another computer on your network. Copy over the installation files from the Windows installation CD into the OS folder. Copy over the required peripheral drivers into the Peripherals folder. To find out what drivers you require, refer to the VXI/VME and PXI Controller Peripherals Web page in the links under Related Links below.

3. Create a Windows 9x bootable floppy disk. To create the boot floppy see KB 2IKA5RLS How Do I Create a Boot Floppy for My Windows-Based Computer or PXI/VXI Controller? in the links under Related Links below.

4. Insert the boot floppy into the floppy drive of the controller and boot up the VXI system.

5. At the command prompt, install the OS following one of the procedures listed below:
• Windows XP: Install Windows by running Winnt in the c:\images\os\xp\I386 folder. Winnt does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, you need to choose the option to set up Windows. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows XP to its factory state.
• Windows 2000: Install Windows by running Winnt in the c:\images\os\win2k\I386 folder. Winnt does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, you need to choose the option to set up Windows. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows 2000 to its factory state.
• Windows NT: Install Windows by running Winnt /B in the c:\images\os\NT40\I386 folder. Winnt /B does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, you need to choose the Set up Windows NT now option from the splash screen. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows NT to its factory state.
• Windows 9x: Install Windows by running setup in the c:\images\os\Win98 directory. Use \Win95 instead of \Win98 for Windows 95.

E: Changing the Operating System: Windows Installation CD via Shared Resources on a Network
You can change or upgrade your operating system on your controller if you have your own Windows installation CD. If you do not have an Images folder, or you do not have access to an external CD-ROM, or if your controller cannot boot into another OS because of registry problems or because the hard drive does not boot, you can install an operating system on your 770/870B series controllers via shared resources on your network. The NI 770/870B series controllers use the Intel 82559 ethernet adapter (Intel PRO/100). You will need an external floppy drive.

1. Create a boot disk with the appropriate ethernet drivers. Refer to KB 2OKAG7WD, DOS Ethernet Drivers for the Intel PRO/100 Adapters in NI 8171 Series Controllers, the PXI-8211/2 Boards, and VXI-770/870B Series Controllers, in the links under Related Links below.
2. Connect your controller to your network.

Note: National Instruments does not support specific operating system and networking configuration issues required to set your controller up on a network. Please contact your Information Technology group for assistance with this.
3. Go to a computer on your network. Create a folder on this computer and call it Images. Within this folder create a folder and name it OS. Create another folder in the Images folder called Peripherals.
4. Place your Windows installation CD in the CD-ROM drive of this computer. Copy over the installation files into the OS folder. Copy over the required peripheral drivers into the Peripherals folder. To find out what drivers you require refer to the VXI/VME and PXI Controller Peripherals Web page in the links under Related Links below.
5. Using the xcopy utility, copy the above directories to your controller through the network. For example, if you wanted to copy all of the files and subdirectories (including any empty directories) from drive A to a folder named temp on drive C, type:
xcopy a:*.* c:\temp /s /e
For more information refer to the Microsoft Help Page on the xcopy function in the links under Related Links below.

Note: This utility can be found in the command folder of a Windows 98 machine.
6. Install the OS following one of the procedures listed below:
• Windows XP: Install Windows by running Winnt in the c:\images\os\xp\I386 folder. Winnt does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, you need to choose the option to set up Windows. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows XP to its factory state.
• Windows 2000: Install Windows by running Winnt in the c:\images\os\win2k\I386 folder. Winnt does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, you need to choose the option to set up Windows. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows 2000 to its factory state.
• Windows NT: Install Windows by running Winnt /B in the c:\images\os\NT40\I386 folder. Winnt /B does not reinstall the OS. This command only copies the necessary files to the hard drive so that Windows can be reinstalled. Once you reboot the controller, you need to choose the Set up Windows NT now option from the splash screen. This option will run the setup files necessary to restore Windows NT to its factory state.
• Windows 9x: Install Windows by running setup in the c:\images\os\Win98. Use \Win95 instead of \Win98 for Windows 95.

Special Cases

1. If your system is formatted as the NTFS file format, you will not be able to access the data on the NTFS partition of the hard drive from DOS with the Windows 98 boot disk. If this is the case, you can either try to create an NTFS boot disk or reformat your system into FAT32 format using a Windows 98 boot disk and the format.exe utility (found in the Command folder of a Windows 98 machine). You can use the Recovery Media CD to reinstall your image.

2. If your PXI controller does not boot because the hard drive is damaged you will need to send the VXIpc-770/870B series controller to National Instruments for repair or replace the hard drive yourself.
Related Links:
KB 2OKAG7WD: DOS Ethernet Drivers for the Intel PRO/100 Adapters in the NI 8171 Series Controllers the PXI-8211/2 Boards and the VXI-770/870B Series Controllers
VXIpc 770/870B User Manual
KB 2ZHGIH2P: Should the Windows OEM Number be Used to Restore My PXI or VXI Controller?
KB 2IKA5RLS: How Do I Create a Boot Floppy for My Windows-Based Computer or PXI/VXI Controller?
VXI/VME and PXI Controller Peripherals
KB 1X0H52KS: How Do I Make My PXI or VXI Controller Boot From a Floppy Disk?
Microsoft Web Page: Xcopy

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