r/reactos • u/GregTheMadMonk • Sep 02 '26

ReactOS 0.4.16 (and newer 0.4.17 images) fails to install with IDE "Compatibility" mode on real hardware: IO1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED

Hello!

I have a motherboard which has a setting in it's BIOS called "Onboard IDE Operate Mode" which I set to "Compatible" since it's a multiboot setup with legacy OSes. It's configured to use "Primary P-ATA+S-AT" and all my drives (DVD drive and HDD) are primary devices on legacy P-ATA connections.

I was previously able to install an older version of ReactOS on it, but now when I try to run the boot CD, I get the BSOD with IO1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED error. That is, unless I run the live environment from RAMFS, in which case it loads successfully, but fails to see any discs to be installed onto.

The live environment loads successfully if I switch IDE mode to "Enhanced" instead of "Compatible" - but this breaks my setup.

Is this a regression or does ReactOS just not support older IDE modes anymore?\

P.S. Text setup crashes with the same BSOD

P.P.S. I've tried using a newer SATA drive in the same configuration and setting _it_ as a boot disk drive, but the result was the same - it stars loading then hits BSOD

P.P.P.S. Funnily, if I plug in a USB stick, _this one_ the live RAMFS environment does see as a possible install location :)

24 Upvotes

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6 comments sorted by

1

u/danisbars Sep 03 '26

Eu não sabia que era possível instalar em um hardware real

3

u/nombrorignal2 29d ago

https://reactos.org/wiki/PC_ROS_Rigs

1

u/danisbars 29d ago

Obrigado 🫂! Que notícia maravilhosa 😌 eu não sabia que isso era possível, acho que tenho um hobby agora, quero instalar reator em uma máquina real, claro vou fazer isso em um Pc velho.

2

u/nombrorignal2 29d ago

debería funcionar en cualquier pentium 4 sin problemas, están trabajando en la compatibilidad con chipsets más modernos pero aún no está en las nightly, y preparate a reinstalar. Suerte!

2

u/ConstanceJill Sep 03 '26

If previous versions did work on the same hardware, I'd say that does sound like a regression indeed :(

6

u/GregTheMadMonk Sep 03 '26

I've messaged the ReactOS Mattermost channel with that question and it's an issue with the new IDE/PATA/SATA stack. The OS doesn't have a working arbiter yet which, if I understand the explanation correctly, is required for it to initialize hardware by itself instead of relying on BIOS to do it.

They already have a debug build with an arbiter that I was able to verify boots, but I guess I'll have to wait for it to come out properly to update

Shoutout to The_DarkFire for the working arbiter build and to everyone else in the Mattermost channel for their support :)