In order to install Windows NT, a system partition must be defined. On an a/au-Series system, a system partition is set silently in the background by AlphaBIOS when you install Windows NT initially.
The purpose of the system partition is twofold. First, it tells the Windows NT installation program where to place the OS Loader and hardware support files. Second, upon subsequent restarts of Windows NT, the system partition definition tells AlphaBIOS where the OSLOADER.EXE file is so it can successfully hand off control to the OS Loader and continue the boot process.
The system partition can be the same partition into which Windows NT is installed, or it can be separate. However, the system partition must be formatted with the FAT file system. Because the default recommended partition arrangement on au-Series calls for the partition into which Windows NT is installed to be an NTFS partition, the system partition will almost always be a small (4 to 6 MB) FAT partition on the same disk onto which Windows NT is installed.
If you have previously installed Windows NT on your system, then a system partition will have been defined already and Windows NT will know where to place the OSLOADER and hardware support files. However, if you are installing Windows NT for the first time, AlphaBIOS will determine that a system partition has not been defined when you select "Install Windows NT" in the AlphaBIOS Setup screen. When this occurs, AlphaBIOS searches for all FAT partitions on the system. If only one FAT partition exists (which would be the situation if only one hard drive is installed and you have just performed an express hard-disk setup), then AlphaBIOS designates that FAT partition as the system partition and continues with the Windows NT installation. If more than one FAT partition exists on your system, AlphaBIOS displays the list of FAT partitions from which you can choose the system partition. After choosing the system partition, the installation process continues.
If you have a system with Windows NT preinstalled, Windows NT setup will start automatically the first time you power-up your system. If your system does not have Windows NT preinstalled, you must have a CD-ROM drive attached to your system to install Windows NT. NOTE: Steps 1 and 2 are necessary only when you are first setting up your system. On subsequent installations and upgrades, begin at Step 3. To install Windows NT from CD-ROM for the first time: