STOP: 0x0000007B "Inaccessible_Boot_Device" - during setup disk2

 Last reviewed: December 19, 1997
Article ID: Q126423

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

Many computers are equipped with both the 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch floppy drives in one single unit. When you install Windows NT on a computer with this floppy drive unit, the following error message may appear during Windows NT Setup Disk 2. 

   STOP: 0x0000007B
   Inaccessible_Boot_Device

CAUSE

This problem occurs if the original path of the floppy drives has changed through the BIOS configuration of the computer. Some computers that include the two floppy drives in a single unit have a BIOS option to swap the floppy drives logically without changing the hardware jumpers. This allows any one of the floppy drives to become the "boot" floppy drive. When you install Windows NT, this BIOS setting is ignored and the Windows NT kernel addresses the floppy drives as configured with the jumpers.

RESOLUTION

To correct this problem, do the following:

  1. Do not use the DRIVE SWAPPING option in the computer system BIOS to change the logical configuration of the floppy drive letters. If you have changed the configuration, change it back to the original settings.

  2. Make sure the jumpers on the floppy drive unit matches the drive types defined in the computer system BIOS.

MORE INFORMATION

This error may also occur on systems with a LS/120 floppy disk drive installed.

For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

  ARTICLE-ID: Q172773
  TITLE     : Problems Using LS/120 Floppy Disk Drive with Windows NT
              Setup

Additional query words: 3.50 3.51 4.00 cmos stop 0x7B
Keywords : nthw ntsetup ntstop kbhw kbsetup

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Last reviewed: December 19, 1997
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