Fernando 1

Yes, and don't remove any driver or hardware support by nLite. Just integrate the both "requested" drivers as TEXTMODE, nothing else. You may disable the "Oem Preinstall" option.After a succussful install you may update the PataRaid drivers with the 6.86 chipset driver package by running the Setup of this package or directly by driver update of the nForce4 Parallel ATA Controller and NVIDIA nForce RAID driver within the device manager. Good luck! Fernando

-yes-yep first time using the raid part -dont think so Try the following:1. Download the nForce chipset driver package v. 6.53 (download link is within my guide). 2. Prepare a new driver floppy with the content of the IDE\WinXP folder (except the RAIDTOOL subfolder). 3. Then try again to boot from the XP CD by using F6/floppy. If XP does not detect your RAID this way, I can't help you from here. In this case you should ask ASUS for technical support.

Is your RAID "healthy" and set as first bootable Hard Disk Drive within BIOS?Is this the first try to get any OS installed onto your nForce RAID array? When you used the MSI drivers, did you try to boot in safe mode at the end of the installation by hitting F8? If yes, what happened?

1. If you want to test nForce SataRaid drivers by using Floppy/F6 method (just to see, if they will work, if you would integrate them), you should take the LEGACY subfolder. Just copy the whole content, that means all files onto an empty floppy disk.2. HDC can be "Hard Disk Controller". I think, that this is nothing to warry about. If you want to know more, you should post the line with these entries (by editing with "CODE" and "/CODE"). In which INF file did you find these entries?

You are writing, that the XP setup only was able to detect your RAID, when you used these old MSI drivers, but you didn't note which other SataRaid drivers you have tried to integrate.PLease give us some additional informations: Which different nForce SataRaid drivers (version number of the used chipset driver package) did you test? Which of them failed by detecting your RAID array? Do you have a floppy drive? If yes, did you try to install XP by using F6 method (this is the easiest way to test, which nForce SataRaid driver might be suitable for your system). Which version has your nVRaid BIOS (look at second boot display)? What do you mean with "the only way i see only one array ..."? Do you have more than 1 RAID array? Notice: If you have already one or more Windows version installed onto your RAID array, you will see all these Windows partitions.

The first CD contains the full version of Windows Server 2003, the second CD is just an Update to R2. You will only be able to update to W2k3 R2, if you will use the special R2 CD Key during the installation of W2k3.My suggestion: Create an nLited CD by taking just the first CD of your package. After the complete installation of W2k3 you can update to R2 by using your second (=R2) CD.

The name "nLite Vista" would be a good choice, but maybe you will get problems with Microsoft.....

Hi Shodan,thank you very much for your report, because it might be very helpful for other users. As you can see within the "last session.ini", nLite has integrated not only the SATARAID, but also the SATA_IDE subfolder. This is a new feature of nLite. Since v. 1.20 nLite will take automaticly both subfolders, if you present the SATARAID subfolder of an nForce chipset package. This explains why nLite "said", that the content of the SATA_IDE folder is already there. This error message came because you had not removed your USB drive during the installation of your nLited CD.The Windows setup routine always tries to install the OS onto another drive than a RAID one, if it finds one. That is the reason why I suggest to unplug all other drives during the OS installation onto a RAID array.

As Stove 39 has written within the last post, the new WHQL driver integration method does work with W2k3 x64. So there is a good chance for you too.My advice: Download the newest W2k3 x64 driver package suitable for your special nForce chipset and integrate the SATARAID (as Textmode) and the SATA_IDE (as PnP) subfolder into the first CD of your R2 CD pack. Please report here about the result. If you succeed, I will update my guide. CU Fernando

The guide for XP should work for MCE too.

Thank you for this clarification. I had already realised, that the WHQL certificate of the nForce SataRaid drivers within Mei's UDP have gone lost by modding the INF files.Nevertheless I have modified my guide (first post of this thread) by adding your experience with Mei's Unified Driver Packet as a chance for users with nForce3 (or nForce2) chipset to integrate actual nForce chipset drivers including the SATARAID ones. Maybe Mei will find a way to prevent the lost of the WHQL signature of these drivers. Thanks again!

Can you please give me a link to that drivers please?Here is the link to Mei's actual driver package: http://troglo.u-strasbg.fr/~3fmauricard/nw...e_x86_06-10.exe and here is the link to Mei's thread about these drivers: http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/meis-nware...3a46d7ddcfd92ec

Thanks for your post, because this certifies, that the new WHQL integration method even works with nForce3 chipsets.CU Fernando

Look here: http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/1-vt66299.html?start=0 I proposed to use the 6.86 chipset driver package (WHQL method). That is not a problem at all. When you use the WHQL method, Windows will automaticly install the MS IDE drivers instead of the NVIDIA Parallel ATA device drivers. If you are not satisfied with the MS IDE (=P-ATA) drivers, you can easily substitute them by the nForce Parallel ATA device drivers (device manager > IDE/ATAPI Controllers > Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller > Update drivers > have disk > compatible drivers > NVIDIA nForce Parallel ATA Controller > OK).CU Fernando (still not at home for a while)

Hi Fernando,your RAID configuration (a combination of SATA and PATA and a mixture of different HDD's of different manufacturers) is quite unusual and might be the reason for your problems. I'm sorry, but I have no idea how to help you. If you want a working RAID configuration, I would suggest to buy a second Seagate SATA hdd and build a new RAID array. By the way: There is no need to read all pages of this thread, everything important is layed down within the first post. Good luck! Fernando @ everyone who needs help regarding the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers: Because of a 5-week holiday trip I will not be able to support this thread until 15th October. After my return I will be back again here and help where I can.

Congratulations, that you have found at least the solution for your problem.You should have read the first post of this thread:

1. You can always replace the NVIDIA nForce P-ATA (=IDE s/w) driver by the MS Standard IDE driver, but you can not replace any other nForce IDE driver (as S-ATA or RAID) by an MS driver. 2. The SendTo folder is a hidden folder you have within each partition where an Operating System is installed. It does not depend on a drive letter.

This issue has another reason. A driver has no influence on how many entries are done into the Windows folder "SendTo".Search for the folder, delete the second entry "My Documents", but do not install old drivers to get the same effect.

Now I realized what you meant.No, I have never seen 2x "My Documents" within the "SendTo" folder. Have you tried to delete one of them? Search for the folder "SendTo" (you have to show invisible/hided folders by "folder options" > "view").

What happened exactly? The attached pic is not very informative.Please give me some more informations about your config - I am not a clairvoyant. Did you try the WHQL method too? If not, why not?

The problem might be caused by the combination of a ) using the nLite option "Unattended Install" and b ) loading the controller driver by F6/floppy. If you choose the "Unattended Install" option of nLite, you should integrate all needed mass storage controller drivers, because Windows Setup only remembers the content of the "unattended" CD and will not remember the floppy driver files presented by F6. If you want to load mass storage drivers by F6, you should not use the nLite option "Unattended Install". CU Fernando

So, is that a fix for the endless reboots with the latest nLite? If yes, just let me say "I LOVE YOU" man This is not a fix for nLite, but a big chance to get WHQL certified SataRaid drivers installed.An additional advantage of the WHQL method: You only will be able to do an Upgrade from Windows XP to Vista, if the controller drivers of your XP are correctly digitally signed by Microsoft. This has to be done right from the start (Vista looks into the drivers list, which were first of all installed during the XP installation). Users with LEGACY drivers will probably not be able to Upgrade to Vista.

@ all users with an nForce SataRaid system: After a lot of new tests with the current version of nLite I figured out, that it is possible to get the newest WHQL certified nForce SataRaid drivers installed onto an nForce SataRaid system, when you do a special combination of the nForce SataRaid integration: Integration of the SATARAID subfolder (from the suitable nForce chipset driver package) as TEXTMODE driver and additionally Integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder (from the same nForce chipset driver package) as PnP driver! At the end of the successul OS installation I had a flawlessly running Windows XPx64, all nForce IDE drivers (the SATA and RAID ones) were WHQL certified, which is very important especially for Microsoft's 64-bit operating systems. Another advantage: Windows did install the MS IDE instead of the NVIDIA PATA (=IDE s/w) drivers (a lot of nForce users have troubles with the NVIDIA ones). These findings might be a big step forward for all users with an nForce SataRaid system, but - as I could only test it with my nForce4 system - the new method has to be confirmed by users with other nForce chipsets. Nevertheless I am very optimistic, that the method works with every actual nForce chipset (except the nForce2 and nForce3 ones). Please post a feedback of your results into this thread! This would be very helpful for all other nForce SataRaid users. After having done some more tests I will modify the first post of this thread. Have a look at it for more details about the new nForce SataRaid integration method. CU Fernando

@ all users with an nForce SataRaid system: After a lot of new tests with the current version of nLite I figured out, that it is possible to get the newest WHQL certified nForce SataRaid drivers installed onto an nForce SataRaid system, when you do a special combination of the nForce SataRaid integration: Integration of the SATARAID subfolder (from the suitable nForce chipset driver package) as TEXTMODE driver and additionally Integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder (from the same nForce chipset driver package) as PnP driver! At the end of the successul OS installation I had a flawlessly running Windows XP, all nForce IDE drivers (the SATA and RAID ones) were WHQL certified. Another advantage: Windows did install the MS IDE instead of the NVIDIA PATA (=IDE s/w) drivers (a lot of nForce users have troubles with the NVIDIA ones). These findings might be a big step forward for all users with an nForce SataRaid system, but - as I could only test it with my nForce4 system - the new method has to be confirmed by users with other nForce chipsets. Nevertheless I am very optimistic, that the method works with every actual nForce chipset (except the nForce2 and nForce3 ones). For further details look into the first post of this thread. CU Fernando

Hi Bobindeed,welcome to the nLite forum! There is no need for any excuse. Nobody can or should read all contributions. The only important one is the first post of this thread. The guide was written for users with an nForce RAID array. Whithin the first post of this thread you find this: So if you don't have built an nForce RAID array, my guide will not really help you.My advice for you: If you want to integrate the nForce SATA drivers into an nLited CD, just integrate the SATA_IDE subfolder of the 6.86 chipset driver package as PnP driver. XP with integrated SP2 should detect your SATA drives during TEXTMODE (=first) part of the installation without any third party SATA driver. You can simply test it by booting off the original XP SP2 CD without hitting F6. You can't simulate nonexistent hardware with VMWare. So you cannot be really sure, if the drivers tested with VMWare will work in reality.CU Fernando