Fernando 1

@ 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

Look into the I386\NLDRV folder of the image. There you can see all integrated driver subfolders, beginning with 001, 002 and so on. The files are compressed, that is why the extensions look a little bit else as the original file extensions(SY_ instead of SYS, IN_ instead of IN, DL_ instead of DLL, EX_ instead of EXE etc.).

Thank you for the flowers, but I am not an Intel RAID guru at all. I'm just an owner of an nForce4 SataRaid system and trying to help other users with similar problems.Nevertheless I will try to give you some support: Do exactly what you have written. If nLite asks you, which driver you want, choose the drivers suitable for your system. If you want to integrate PnP drivers and you have a folder with INF files, it does not matter which one you take. nLite will copy all files of that folder and even all subfolders and their content onto your nLited CD. Windows Setup will only install those drivers, which are suitable for your system. So there is no reason to warry about this. If you don't want to get useless drivers copied onto your hdd, you may delete them before you are going to integrate the drivers, but you have to be sure, that you do not delete files, which are needed for your system.After the integration of the Intel RAID drivers (as TEXTMODE) and the Intel Chipset drivers (as PnP) you can integrate the other PnP device drivers (Realtek audio, Marvell Ethernet etc.). CU Fernando

You are welcome.I am happy, that you got it working!

No, there is nothing else to do for you. Is it possible, that you did not activate the SATA ports within the mainboard BIOS? This is absolutely necessary, if you want to use them. The error message, that a SYS file is corrupted, is probably misleading.If I am right, enable the SATA ports and retry the installation of the OS without any Intel SATA drivers.

Have you integrated SP2 too?If yes, try to integrate the Intel SATA drivers (look for the latest XP drivers for your Laptop at HP homepage) as TEXTMODE drivers. For Intel SATA driver installation details look here: http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/hp...load/23306.html

If you have XP with integrated SP2, you will not need any third party SATA drivers. XP will detect your hdd without F6/floppy or integrated Intel SATA textmode driver. If you want to integrate the Intel SATA drivers, do it as PnP device drivers.

If you want help, we need to know a ) which OS you are going to install and b ) to which sort of S-ATA controller (nForce/VIA/Intel etc.) your hdd is connected.

When you don't want to slipstream the newest nForce IDE drivers by using a tool like nLite, you will have to take the IDE drivers off the old nForce chipset driver package v. 6.53. After the successful install you can update the nForce IDE drivers NVATABUS.SYS (as nForce S-ATA Controller driver) and NVRAID.SYS.

Yes, you can use the Vista Beta2 nForce IDE drivers with nearly all nForce chipsets. By the way: None of the nForce SataRaid drivers usable for nForce2/nForce3/nForce4 are WHQL certified, even not the official ones. Only the drivers within the SATARAID and SATA_IDE subfolder of some nForce packages are digitally signed by MS, but owners of a mainboard with an nForce2, nForce3, nForce4 and even nForce430/410 chipset cannot use them, when they have built a SataRaid system. They get endless reboots at the end of the installation. That is the reason why I propose to take the not WHQL certified drivers off the LEGACY subfolder.

You will get an error message, if you hit F8 at startup and choose the option "do not automaticly restart at any system failure" (or similar). Whithin my guide I recommend to take the IDE drivers off the 6.85 chipset driver package for nForce4 ultra systems. You have to integrate the LEGACY subfolder and you have to pick up both recommended controller drivers.

Thanks for your posting. Let's wait, what NVIDIA says. Thank you for this information. I will modify my guide concerning the suitable SataRaid drivers for users with an nforce 430/410 chipset.

Hi siobhanellis,as I don't have an nForce430 mainboard, I cannot test it myself. NVIDIA had announced, that SataRaid systems wth an nForce430/410 or nForce590/570/550 chipset do not need the LEGACY subfolder and can be installed by using the SATARAID one. I cannot verify, if they are right. Users with an nForce5XX chipset reported, that they could install XP onto their RAID by just using the content of the SATARAID subfolder, but I don't have any feedback yet from a user with an nForce430/410 chipset mainboard. This is why your post is very appreciated. My advice for you: 1. Before you begin to create a new nLited CD, have a look into the nForce chipset driver package of your mainboard CD and report here, if you find a IDE\LEGACY subfolder. 2. Copy the content of the IDE\SATARAID subfolder (as it is) of your mainboard driver CD onto a floppy and try to install XP or W2k3 by using the F6/floppy method. 3. If you succeed, you can create an nLited CD with integrated nForce SataRaid drivers by using the same drivers as with the F6/floppy method. If the installation with F6/floppy using the SATARAID subfolder fails, then NVIDIA is wrong and you have to use the LEGACY subfolder of your mainboard driver CD (if there is a LEGACY folder) or from the driver package I suggested within my first post. In this case you should not use the F6/floppy method (you will get endless reboots at the end), but create a new nLited CD. There is no need at all to mix the content of the subfolders. Please report here about your results, because it may be very helpful for other users. Thanks and good luck! Fernando

That is the reason why I recommend to take the 6.85, when you are going to install Windows XP onto an nForce4 RAID array. You won't even find a notice about the 6.86 chipset driver package wthin my guide (first post of this thread). You obviously did not read accurately the first post of this thread: 1. When you don't have a brandnew nForce5xx mainboard, you should not integrate the SATARAID, but the LEGACY subfolder. There is no need to copy anything, because the LEGACY subfolder contains all needed files. 2. It is not recommended at all to copy the TXTSETUP.OEM from one IDE subfolder to another. 3. When you are going to install Windows Server 2003, you should integrate the SataRaid drivers into a bootable CD as well. Use the drivers I recommend (look into the first post).

Thank you both for your posts. Your results are very usefull for other owners of a mainboard with nForce 590/570/550 chipset. As a consequence I have put your recommendation to integrate the SATARAID subfolder of the mainboard driver CD into my guide (first post ofthis thread). Thanks again! CU Fernando

As I have the same mainboard and a very similar system, I don't have any ideas about the issue, that might be responsable for your problem.If you really followed all my advices giving in the first post of this thread, I would suggest the following: 1. Remove 1 of your RAM sticks (if you have more than 1) and retry to install XP using your nLited CD. If you succeed, you can reintegrate the removed RAM sticks. 2. If the installation fails, retry it after having updated your BIOS. Take the BIOS version you can grab here: http://us.dfi.com.tw/Upload/BIOS/NF4LD406.EXE Good luck! Fernando

1. No, you don't need to update your BIOS, unless you want the new MediaShield 5.50 (new name for Raid BIOS). In this case you have to update your BIOS. If you want a tutorial how to update your BIOS, have a look here: http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/index.php? 2. No, the NVATA.CAT doesn't mess things up. 3. Problems with SataRaid systems are very often caused by broken or not correctly connected SATA cables.

All things look good....It is not required to put any file (for example the NVATA.CAT) into the LEGACY subfolder. My advice: Control your SATA cables and retry the install with your nLited CD.

Is your Board the DFI NF4 UltraD (as mine)?Which driver package did you take for the SataRaid driver integration? Why and from where did you get the NVATA.CAT into the LEGACY subfolder? Is your Raid "healthy" and set as bootable device? Are RAM and PSU ok? Do you use a SATA connected CD-ROM/DVD device? Which mainboard BIOS and which Raid BIOS version do you have (look at second boot display)? Did you use safe BIOS timing settings (no overclocking) during the install?

When you unpack the 6.86 chipset driver package, you will get folders named "AudioDrv", "Ethernet" and "SMBus". Each of these folders contain INF files ready for an integration as PnP drivers by using nLite.There is an other folder named "IDE". There you can find INF files too, but you have to search for the suitable subfolder. You only need to integrate nForce IDE drivers, if you have an nForce Raid system. In this case you should integrate them as TEXTMODE drivers.

Yes! The replacement of the correct NVIDIA SATA drivers by the wrong MS IDE drivers during the GUIMODE part of the installation does not take place, when you integrate the nForce SataRaid drivers as TEXTMODE drivers using a tool like nLite. That is the reason why I don't suggest to take the nForce SataRad drivers off the 6.86 chipset driver package.

1. What RAID BIOS version do you have (look at the second boot display)?2. Did you do the XP installation with GENIE BIOS default settings (no overclocking)?

As I have exactly the same motherboard, I suppose, that the present BIOS version of your mobo does not support the integration of the new nForce SataRaid drivers.My advice: 1. Check your nLited XP CD, if you have integrated the correct IDE\WinXP driver subfolder (only the LEGACY works with your board, don't use the SATARAID or SATA_IDE one!). If necessary, create a new nLited XP CD with integrated LEGACY subfolder off the 6.70 or 6.85 chipset driver package as TEXTMODE driver. 2. Download the newest BIOS for your motherboard dated 2006/04/06 (look here: http://us.dfi.com.tw/Support/Download/bios...=A&SITE=US) 3. Flash the new BIOS named NF4LD406.BIN (look into the tutorial for BIOS flashing at http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/index.php?) 4. Restore the necessary RAID and SATA entries within your BIOS. 5. Install Windows XP by using the nLited CD. If Windows Setup asks for CAT files, just skip. This has no influence at all for a successful installation. Good luck! Fernando

Thank you very much for your troubleshooting report.It would be very important to know, which nForce IDE driver version you used at least (check the "properties" of the NVRAID.SYS by right-clicking on the file) and which driver subfolder you integrated. @ all users with an nForce 590/570/550 chipset and an nForce RAID array: As I cannot test my guide with these new nForce chipsets, I am very interested to get feedback from you. Did you succeed with the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers by using nLite? Which chipset driver packages did you use? Did you try to integrate just the SATARAID instead of the LEGACY subfoder? If yes, did the integration succeed?