Fernando 1

Where did you get the SP3 for Windows XP x64? AFAIK Micriosoft didn't yet release a Service Pack 3 for their 64bit Operating Systems Windows XP x64 and Windows Server 2003 x64.

That will be easily to detect by hairbautt himself, because he is running Vista on that desktop computer.@ hairbautt: Open the Device Manager and look for the Controllers, which are listed within the "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" and "Storage Controllers" section. If you find besides the "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller" any other one, please do a right click onto it and look for the HardwareID's ("Properties > "Details" > "Property" >"HardwareIDs").

You can nite an XP x64 CD from within a running 32bit XP partition. The only thing, which will require a 64bit surrounding is slipstreaming a Service Pack into a 64bit OS.

Yes, Windows Setup needs the drivers already within the first (=TEXTMODE) part of the installation. Otherwise it will not detect the nForce SATA Controllers, which are set to "AHCI Mode". If you are not able to integrate these textmode drivers by using a tool like nLite, you have to do a lot of things: creating some new folders, editing some SIF files and copying the NVGTS.SYS file into the i386 folder. If you want to know the exact procedure, you may do a Google search.

@ WarS: You have to integrate just the SATA_IDE subfolder of a suitable nForce chipset driverpack as TEXTMODE driver. If you should not succeed with the nForce IDE drivers v10.3.0.42 of NVIDIA's official sets 15.23/15.24, you should download and unzip this small package containing just the suitable SATA_IDE drivers v10.3.0.21. Owners of an ACER X3200 reported, that they succeeded with the XP installation after having integrated these ones. I have no idea what to do with a BartPE CD. Good luck! Fernando

I don't think so.Questions: 1. What is the reason for you to manually edit the TXTSETUP.SIF? Why don't you just load or integrate the textmode driver? 2. Why did you post your question within the nLite forum? You obviously don't want to use this tool. 3. If you are just running your nForce S-ATA Controllers in AHCI mode, why did you put the RAID drivers entries and the RAID driver folder (SATARAID) into the SIF files? You will only need a suitable SATA_IDE driver folder and there is no NVRD32.SYS.

You are right, the direct links to the German-nLite Forum can only be used by registered users, but this problem will be solved as soon as possible.You can get the nForce IDE drivers v10.3.0.42, if you download and unzip this official driverpack 15.23 offered by NVIDIA. You will find the needed textmode drivers within the IDE folder. Regards Fernando EDIT: The problem with the direct links to the German-nLite Forum server has already been solved. If anyone should have any problem to get the files, please give me a feedback!

@ all users with an nForce RAID or AHCI system: Since my guide (first post of this thread) has not been updated fundamentally for a longer period, I have just revised it totally. The main things I have changed: Users will find a lot of new drivers, which are optimized for the use with RAID systems. For users with an nForce AHCI system there is a completely new chapter "Integration of nForce AHCI drivers". Since the guide "Integration of the nForce RAID drivers" has gotten very voluminous, I have added a "Short form guide". Users will now find direct download links to the suitable textmode drivers. At the end of the guide I have added links to all nForce chipset driverpacks, where the textmode drivers were taken off. I hope, that my renovated guide doesn't contain any big mistakes and that the drivers I have recommended for the different nForce systems, can be installed without any problems. Any feedback from your side is much appreciated! Have fun! Fernando

@ mprost and NBNDOTCOM: Welcome at MSFN Forums! It is really great, that you have done the MSFN Forums registration just to say "Thank you!" Feedbacks as your ones are much appreciated (but unfortunately not common). Best wishes! Fernando

That would be interesting for other nForce3 users too.Just a side note: 6.25 is the version number of NVIDIA's 64bit BETA nForce3 chipset driver package, the included nForce IDE drivers are v4.68. So you are going to compare these old 32/64bit nForce IDE drivers v4.86 dated 30th September 2004 with the natively 64bit supporting v6.99 ones dated 14th May 2007.

No, that wouldn't work, because the real Intel drivers (= SYS files) of all versions have the same name "IASTOR.SYS". So if you would integrate more than 1 Intel driverset, the previously integrated ones would be overwritten within the i386 directory. Furthermore you would get a driver version mix-up.Don't integrate more than 1 Intel driver set (A, B, C or D). That shows, that the notebook has an Intel ICH6M SATA AHCI Controller. You should integrate just version "C".

Then take the ones, which are working!Why are you still bothering me? The Intel textmode drivers v8.6.1007, which were modified by me last night, do support all known Intel ICH7-10 SATA AHCI Controllers. If this driver does not work for you, your notebook probably has an Intel ICH6(M) chipset Southbridge. None of the actual Intel textmode drivers do support any ICH6 Controller.

1. NVIDIA's Beta driverpack v6.25 was published during the first stage of the development of Windows XP x64 to give users with an nForce3 chipset mainboard the chance to use this OS. You cannot expect a high value of stability by using these early Beta drivers.2. If you are running a 64bit OS, you should use natively 64bit supporting drivers. Otherwise you will get problems (sudden BSOD's). 3. Benchmark results and the results while working are different things. You should compare the drivers with special scenarios, where the I/O activity is extremely high (Videeo encoding, copying big sized files etc.).

It is possible to modify the INF and OEM files, but I am not sure, that this modded version will work for you.By the way: If you read my guide carefully, you will find a modified version of the newest Intel textmode drivers with enhanced compatibility. The modded version is supporting even ICH8 and ICH9 chipsets without "M" or "R".

You had written, that your notebook has a Southbridge with an Intel ICH8M chipset. The actual Intel textmode drivers do fully support this chipset.If you didn't succeed with the installation by using the actual Intel driver, your information obviously was wrong. Please check the exact Intel chipset of your notebook's Southbridge. So you expect, that I will modify the INF and OEM files of Intel's newest textmode drivers for you, because you don't like to install a working, but too "old" drivers from 2007? That's a joke, isn't it?Without having the exact Device ID of your Intel SATA AHCI Controller I am not even able to customize the actual driver for your hardware. Furthermore it isn't assured, that the actual Intel drivers (the real driver is the file named IASTOR.SYS) will work with your chipset at all. ICH6M chipsets are not supported by them anymore. My advice: Take the modded driver you found. Good luck! Fernando

At which stage of the installation?Has your S-ATA hdd been detected? Are you sure, that the notebook has an Intel ICH8M Southbridge Controller and that the S-ATA Controllers have been set to AHCI mode (and not to RAID mode)? If not, you should create a new XP CD with integrated Intel textmode drivers, but this time you should enable all Intel Controllers, which are listed within the popup window during the textmode driver integration.

That doesn't have any effect, because the integrated "Intel® ICH8M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller" will support the "Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller" of your notebook.Let me explain: All AHCI capable mobile Intel Southbridge Controllers with an ICH7M, ICH8M or ICH9M chipset are "Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controllers". That means, that the "Intel® ICH8M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller" of your notebook is just the special name, but belongs to the series of "Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controllers". You don't find the name "Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller" within the actual Intel textmode driver popup window, because there are different Controllers (ICH7M, ICH8M and ICH9M) with different HardwareID's within this Controller generation.

The "64bit" nForce IDE drivers v4.68 of NVIDIA's BETA package 6.25 are 32/64bit compatible drivers, whereas the 64bit nForce IDE drivers v6.66 are clean 64bit ones, which cannot be used with a 32bit OS.You will get much better results with natively 64bit drivers, if you are going to install a 64bit OS.

I thought, that you are going to prepare just an XP CD for your Intel ICH8M chipset notebook. Your CD with integrated "Intel® ICH8M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller" will work with this machine.Do you have several notebooks/desktops with different Intel ICH7-10 chipsets and different IDE mode (AHCI or RAID)? If yes, you should enable all listed Intel Controllers within the textmode driver popup window.

Did Windows Setup detect your SATA hdd in reality by just integrating the driver with the Intel ICH8-M SATA AHCI Controller?By the way: Once XP is up, you should install the Intel chipset drivers (="Update INF Utility") from here by running the installer.

Ok, so do the following:1. Create a bootable XP CD with integrated Intel textmode driver by using nLite according to my guide (first post). Notice: a) Use a clean source and B) Choose the 10th Controller entry named "Intel® ICH8M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller" when you get the Popup window with the listed Intel AHCI and RAID Controllers. 2. Put the fresh created CD into the CD drive of your notebook and boot off it. 3. After having loaded some files into the memory, Windows Setup will probably show the S-ATA connected hard disk drive, which is running in AHCI mode. If Windows Setup should not detect the hdd, you should cancel the installation procedure at this point and report here. This test will be without any risk, because Windows Setup doesn't write anything onto the hdd of your notebook. Good luck! Fernando

Some drivers (the RAID ones for example) do not work in a virtual system. Maybe it's the same with the AHCI ones.I repeat it once more: Which mainboard or notebook are you using? Only by answering this question it is possible to give you any advice regarding the suitable textmode driver.

Maybe the southbridge chip of your mainboard/notebook is not supported by the original Intel drivers.That is why I asked for your mainboard/notebook details (vendor and product name) some posts ago.

@ Outbreaker: Why don't you just follow my guide (first post of this thread) and use the driver I have attached? By the way: That are the newest Intel textmode drivers. If you want to choose another way, you should ask support where you got the drivers and/or INF files from.

Why did you do that? Do you plan to install Operating Systems onto a lot of computers with different chipsets and hardware configuration?It is not always a good idea to add as many textmode drivers as possible. The better way is to add just the needed textmode driver, but in this case you must know the Southbridge chip vendor and the chip version of your mainboard. Maybe it is not even possible to get XP running in a virtual box, if you are running the S-ATA ports in AHCI or RAID mode. My advice: Check the S-ATA Controller details, integrate the suitable driver and do a real OS install.