DBF68

Cool. Glad it worked.

Well, WXPP isn't going to install an AHCI driver when you have the RAID controller enabled any more than it's going to install a RAID driver when the AHCI controller enabled. You know far better than I do that the OS install routine is going to be looking for parameters that verify whether or not a set of drivers is compatible with the enabled hardware. So, by its design nature, WXPP is going to install the right drivers or give you a BSOD. Short of trying to give the OS install routine a file that says a set of drivers you're trying to feed it are something they're not, you usually don't have to worry about the OS getting confused. Based on how nLite operates, from my pov, it seems to imply it's going to retrieve, incorporate, and make availabe all compatible drive controller drivers for your mobo. For instance, it has the ability to allow you to point it at a folder containing a drive controller driver package. When it scanned a folder for compatible 780a controller drivers, it came up with a list containing "both" AHCI and RAID drivers and associated files. Afterwards, nLite didn't pop up a message that said, "I'm going to roll both of these driver sets into the ISO, but the OS install routine will only be aware of one driver set based on what driver controller you've selected in your mobo BIOS.". Instead, it rolled both driver sets into a folder contained in the Windows folder and didn't let the OS install routine know it had access to both sets of drivers. In hindsight, I probably should be saying that it should be leaving some notation for the installed OS that the other set of drivers are available in a folder in the Windows folder. Why bother rolling both drive controller drivers into the ISO if you're only going to allow the Windows install routine to be aware that there's only one that works based on the user's drive controller selection? It seems like a wasted effort. The WXPP install routine has its cache of drivers it goes through during the text mode phase to check for compatible drivers via process of elimination. It doesn't get hung up on the fact that there are a lot of drivers rolled into it that aren't compatible with the system where it's trying to be installed. So, it would make sense for nLite to make the text mode OS install process aware that it had both AHCI and RAID drivers available. The primary reason why nLite's driver roll-up efforts seem odd to me is because it restricts any future hard drive controller choice. Say for instance a person using AHCI mode wants to use the RAID controller to create a RAID-1 mirrored array for storage and backup purposes. Well, that scenario would be possible if nLite made some kind of notation for the Windows install routine so it knew it has access to both AHCI and RAID drivers in the Windows folder. Unfortunately, this is not the way nLite works, and blowing out the old OS is the only real option. Again, it just seems like a wasted effort to role up both sets of drivers into the ISO if you're not going to have the future option to use both of them. Sorry for the long ramble. ------- As for your other suggestion to FBratwurst, that's an excellent idea. As I was reading your suggestion, I was reminded of the annoying backwards hierarchy of importance that both WXPP and W7 give to older hard drive technology. For instance, when doing a new OS build, I have to remind myself to unplug the power plug to any older PATA drive technolgoy drives first. Otherwise, the WXPP install process will detect the PATA drives and give them install priority over the newer SATA technology hard drives. W7 does the same dumb thing, i.e. it'll give install priority to PATA drives before SATA drives. So, maybe that's part of FBratwurst's problem. In his case, it'd give the Samsung SATA drive install priority over the OCZ Vertex 3 SSD.

Hi FBratwurst, I feel your pain with troubleshooting oddball things. Although, as Fernando stated, it seems like you're having a non-nLite related problem, but posted in the nLite Nvidia driver related forum. I'm not familar with SSD drives other than they are exceedingly fast. Although, I've gotten the impression from some readings that they have nuances that need to be considered prior to just popping them in the case and installing an OS on them. Then gain, I could be wrong on that point. I'm sort of surprised that you're having problems getting W7 installed on the SSD drive with the mobo in AHCI mode. When I tried the W7 trial release, I didn't have any problems installing on a primary partition on my SATA drive connected to my 780a chipset mobo while in AHCI mode. Granted, I'm comparing apples to oranges to some extent between storage device types. Although, the 780a chipset can be a PITA. Some design limitations were imposed on its users when it comes to switching between AHCI and RAID mode. With the 590 chipset, installing a WXPP (Windows XP Pro) OS was a piece of cake, regardless of what mode you used. The reason why it was easy is because there were dedicated AHCI/IDE, RAID/IDE, and IDE modes. So, WXPP automatically detected the AHCI or RAID controller and asked for the drivers. Because you were in this kind of 50/50 controller mode, it didn't just BSOD all over you due to a driver finding problem. With the 780a chipset, it's all or nothing when it comes to choosing a controller option. There's only AHCI, RAID, or IDE mode. The IDE mode is kind of an all purpose failsafe mode that (should) work all the time because of the generic IDE drivers included with WXPP. Where you get into a problem is having to choose either AHCI or RAID during the OS WXPP install process (F6). You can only choose one controller mode, install the drivers, and your choice is set in stone unless you want to blow out your OS and create a RAID controller build. Even though I got pretty familiar with nLite to the point I believe I was doing everything correctly, it did not do a good enough job of rolling in the compatible 780a AHCI and RAID drivers into the final slipstreamed ISO file. What I expected was for it to pack in those drivers and make registry modifications or notations "somewhere" so the installing OS knew it had access to both AHCI and RAID drivers if I chose to switch between controllers. Well, nLite never did what it should have done in that regard. If I switched between controllers, I'd get a BSOD based on what drivers the OS couldn't find, but had access to in the Windows folder. So, I was forced to rely on my old tried and true method for getting dual AHCI and RAID driver access within WXPP. My tried and true method does depend on having at least one PATA drive. From that point, I install a raw uncustomized nor updated WXPP copy on a primary partition while in IDE mode. Once that process is done, I reboot and go through the process of enabling the AHCI controller in the mobo BIOS, have WXPP detect it, and then install the AHCI drivers. Then, I just repeat the process for the RAID controller until I have a raw WXPP copy on the PATA drive that has both driver sets installed. Afterwards, I use my Segate provided copy of Acronis True Image to copy that OS image to a SATA drive primary partition while in either AHCI or RAID mode. Then, I boot to that SATA primary partition and continue my OS build process until I've got something I want to image and put on the storage drive for safe keeping. This is sort of a PITA rigamarole process, but it's the best method I've found to work. Anyway, this info probably won't help you with your particular problem, but if sparks an idea for a breakthrough or helps someone else with a 780a chipset, great. Good luck on your efforts. P.S. Make sure you've got the most recent BIOS version from your mobo manufacturer installed. Since W7 walks you through the process of choosing a hard drive, formatting it, and then creating a primary partition on the soon to be OS system drive, I'm assuming you've gone through that process without any success. The only other thing I suggest like Fernando suggested is to check out the Nvidia 780a mobo chipset forums and the forums related to your mobo on the manufacturer's website.

There is a Install Windows from USB section too. http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/157-install-windows-from-usb/ I saw that section prior to posting here and looked at it a little. Rather than take off in some other direction for another week of frustration, I thought I'd start asking questions here. Still, I'll take a look at that section too. It seems some people have had success. BSOD 0x7B refers to boot drive too. That's the USB Flash Drive. After the fact, I wondered if those BSODs might have been due to going through the USB subsystem vs. the controller subsystem. So, it made sense that I'd be getting those BSOD. Although, I got the impression that if the bootable USB software provided by my flash drive maker could load ISOs, and nLite could pack up current SATA drivers into the ISO, then the install program should have found them, installed them, and let me be on my way. Since the setup program installed USB drivers, I didn't think I'd have a problem with USB or SATA driver detection. Even so, I guess there's more to the process than I realize. I thought I'd give it a try since there are implications other people have got it to work for them. From what I've read, some people have even been able to re-purpose the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool for XP installs. Although, it doesn't always work. There's something about making sure the ISO image is 9660 and UDF compliant that's worked for some people, but I didn't have any luck. OS manufacturer provided software does find single files at a USB Flash Drive. That's possible within OS manufacturer provided software. Maybe the USB install forum has the answers. Worst case scenario, I'll just rely on WinSetup. Worst-Worst case scenario, I'll go buy another 5-pack of CD-RW media, but a better brand. Usually, I create an OS build by installing service packs and hotfixes, drivers, software, tweak everything, and then create an image of the OS for storage. Then, if I need to blow out an OS install, I just backup my critical files, and use the Acronis software to install the fresh image. After going through all this rigmarole of trying to create a custom image with nLite and install the ISO via USB drive, I might just go back to the tried and true method.

I apologize if I'm posting this request for help in the wrong place. Since my problem seems to be a Fernando Specialty, this seemed to be the appropriate place to post. Let me know if I should have posted elsewhere. Maybe I’m going about this OS build and install the wrong way. For some background info, I’ve been building PCs since 1996. So, I know my way around a computer. As for OS knowledge, I’m familiar with Windows beyond the basic user level, i.e. point and click. Even so, I’m really stumped as to why I’m having a problem getting nLite to work properly. It’s been a serious week of hell. Attached is the Last Session file. Let me know if you want the TXTSETUP.SIF too. Problem: Nvidia SATA AHCI & RAID drivers will not load during OS textmode install • Getting BSOD associated with OS install program not being able to find either nLite provided SATA AHCI or RAID drivers • STOP 0x0000007B (0xFFFFFADF90A323C0, 0Xffffffffc0000034, 0x 16 0’s, 0x 16 0’s) Using nLite 1.4.9.1 - Last build as of 2008.09.11 • OS build being saved on root of K: drive as file name WXPPx64_SP2_nLite.iso Instead of using a CD-RW disc, I’m trying to install the ISO with my flash drive loaded only with manufacturer provided software. Why am I trying to use a flash drive? Well, of the five seldom used Memorex CD-RW discs I have, three separate ISO burn programs have found read errors on all five discs. So, rather than messing with old fashioned junk CD-RW media again, I thought I’d try using a bootable flash drive. Even so, maybe I’m doing something wrong. • Flash Voyager 4GB USB Flash Drive SKU# CMFUSB2.0-4GB • Formatted with Corsair provided “Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive” software • http://blog.corsair.com/?p=2619 o GRUB4DOS 2004-2009 o Syslinux 1994-2009 o Memtest86+ 2009 o FreeDOS  COPYING  fdboot.img  grub.exe  memtest86+-4.10.iso  menu.lst  pmagic-6.6.iso  Readme.txt  syslinux.cfg Computer System Info: Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Pro x64 • SP2 and all hotfixes up to date • Dual-boot system along with WXPP x32 Motherboard: ASUS M3N-HT • BIOS 2904 12-7-2009 (Most current - 3401 2011.04.29) • MediaShield 10.x.x • MCP = Northbridge & Southbridge in one 780a chip • Using Nvidia 780a 15.57-nforce-novideodriver-winxp-64bit-international-whql drivers - 2011.05.02 • WinXP 64-bit nForce UDA driver package for C51M/MCP51, C55/MCP51, C72, C73, MCP77, and MCP79 o Ethernet Driver (v73.30) WHQL o Network Management Tools (v73.25) "Sedona" o SATAIDE Driver (v11.1.0.43) WHQL o SATARAID Driver (v11.1.0.43) WHQL o RAIDTOOL Application (v11.1.0.43) WHQL o SMBUS Driver (v4.79) WHQL o SMU Driver (v2.08) WHQL o Installer (v8.36) Hard Drives: 2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 160GB drives in individual RAID Stripe Configuration per drive, not as RAID-0 2 Western Digital 120 GB & 160 GB drives set up as a RAID-1 mirrored array for backup and storage Processor: AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition Heka 2.8 GHz (Not OC’ed) Memory: 4GB of OCZ Platinum DDR2 1066 DC (5 5 5 15 20 2T) (Not OC’ed) Video: MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 (Not OC’ed) Audio: SB X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro Network Adapter: Intel Gigabit CT Desktop Adapter USB flash drive install methods tried without success • Read more than one version of nLite user instructions/manuals. • Clicked on each nLite help icon to read information concerning that program page OS build step. • Downloaded and tried using CDImage.exe for ISO building instead of using default Mkisofs.exe program. • Tried building ISO image with ImgBurn and vaguely remember same BSOD or Grub4DOS saying invalid image. • Prior to trying any new nForce drivers, deleted old nLite OS build and created a new one. • Tried older Nvidia nForce Driver Version 15.24 (15.25 “no video driver included” set). • Tried older Asus Nvidia NVIDIAnForceMCP72_Chipsetpackage_V1808_XP drivers. • Moved Nvidia nForce drivers to root of K: drive in case nLite had a problem with long folder path. o H:\Drivers-Progs-Updates\Drivers\Nvidia\nForce\15.57-nforce-novideodriver-winxp-64bit-international-whql • Created an nForce driver only build sans SP2 integration and PE tweaking. • Searched nLite forum and Fernando’s post for similar problems to find solutions. • Read Fernando’s Nvidia SATA/RAID driver post and followed the quick instructions. • Read the long detailed info in Fernando’s Nvidia SATA/RAID driver post to see if I missed anything. • Downloaded and tried Nvidia SATA/RAID drivers Fernando provided via Mediafire. o 64bit nForce SATARAID drivers v11.1.0.43 WHQL for XPx64 • Used Comodo Internet Security to scan nLite OS folder build ARMPXOEM_EN_WXPP_x64_Disc. • Set the Comodo Internet Security settings for AV and Defense to disabled. • Uninstalled Comodo Internet Security program entirely. • Have tried to create a service pack free barebones build with just Nvidia nForce drivers. • Removed old SCSI support drivers in Component screen as nLite help recommended. • Tried to create a WXPP x64 nLite build on the dual-boot WXPP x32 OS. • Could only create an nForce driver build sans SP2 slipstream because WXPP SP2 x64 is 64-bit. • Created an nForce driver only build sans PE tweaking. • Tried installing nLite OS builds with all drives powered and using RAID controller. • Tried installing nLite OS builds with only the 2 stripped Seagate drives powered and using RAID controller. o nForce RAID drivers rolled into nLite OS build • Tried installing nLite OS builds with only 2 Seagate drives powered and using AHCI controller. o nForce AHCI drivers rolled into nLite OS build • Oddly enough, a WinSetup-1-0-beta7 flash drive install of an nLite WXPP x64 build works without a BSOD. o Drawback: 7700+ files from the ARMPXOEM_EN_WXPP_x64_Disc folder are slowly loaded to flash drive. o If nLite ISOs won’t work, would love to find a way to make a WinSetup-1-0-beta7 compatible ISO. Since it's been a whole week that I've been working on this problem, I might have forgotten some other things I've tried too. What else might I try to get things to work? Thanks. Last Session (2011.09.03-03.48.34).ini