Fernando 1

Please give us some details about your config (mobo, chipset, sort of hdd's etc.) and explain, what exactly you have done during nForce SataRaid driver installation (F6 method and nLite integration).

Are you sure about that? With the "regular" 9.34 package the Ethernet driver is suppost to be for NF3/4/5. Others didn't seem to have a problem with the Ethernet driver.Try it and find it out yourself. By the way: You won't find the new Ethernet drivers off the "regular" 9.34 package within the Remix packages we talked about. I am sure, that those guys would have taken them, if they really are fully compatible to nForce3 and nForce4 mobos.

That was a good idea from NVIDIA, because the Ethernet drivers off the "regular" 9.34 package don't work with nForce3 and nForce4 chipsets. There are more modded "unified" nForce chipset driver remixes in the net, which are based on the 9.34 driver package.Look here: http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/meis-nware...ix-vt66280.html and here: http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/nforce-934...64-vt66306.html

NVIDIA has developed new nForce drivers for Vista and nForce5 chipsets, but these brandnew SataRaid drivers are backwards compatible to Windows XP and all earlier nForce chipsets (nForce2/3/4).Each user should decide himself, if he wants to try the new drivers. I have tested them on my nForce4 array and they are working like a charme.

That is why I suggest to take the new Vista nForce package (downloadable here) instead of the "regular" 9.34 one. Those "unified" Remix driver packages are modded and not designed for a driver integration, but a driver installation after the end of the complete OS install. You may try them for the integration of SataRaid drivers at your own risk.

The Vista nForce driver package contains not only a new NVATABUS, but a new NVRAID driver too (both versions: 5.10.2600.667). I don't know where you got the above information about the NVRAID.INF from, but this is not true.The IDE, Audio and SMBus drivers off the new Vista nForce driver package are compatible to Windows XP and can be used for the intagration by nLite. I have already added this possibility into my guide (first post of this thread). No, you can update the Raid driver later (update is done after the reboot). Don't take the regular 9.34 driver package, because they don't have a LEGACY folder. Take the Vista 32-bit package. It contains the same drivers, but have a complete LEGACY folder with all necessary files.

NVIDIA has renamed the "PATARAID" folder to "LEGACY". So if you can find a LEGACY folder, just take this one. It is neither necessary nor useful to integrate the SATA_IDE folder, unless you rename some files and some INF entries. For details look into the first post of this thread. It is always up-to-date. CU Fernando

Thanks for the details.I really have no idea, why you got a BSOD by using my method according post 1 of this thread and no BSOD by using the F6/floppy method. Is it possible, that you used different drivers from different packages? There are two nForce packages v. 6.69, one 32-bit for W2k3 and one 64-bit for XP and W2k3. Are you sure, that you took the 32-bit ones?

Have you seen my second question?

1. Do you have a P-ATA or a S-ATA Raid?2. The content of which driver subfolder or which sort of mixture did you put onto the floppy for F6?

If you have integrated the nForce SataRaid drivers into your W2k3 CD, you should not hit the F6 button! If you do it nevertheless, you may get a BSOD with a 7B stop message.

Good news for users, who always want the newest drivers: NVIDIA has published a new nForce chipset driver package v. 9.34. Although this package is mainly designed for the future nForce5 chipsets, it is also usable for nForce4 chipsets. For the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers I do not recommend to take the "normal" 9.34 package, but the one laying here: ftp://download.nvidia.com/Windows/vista/beta2/ The SataRaid drivers off the 32-bit package are designed for Vista Beta2, but very good usable for XP too. Important is the presence of a full compatible LEGACY subfolder with all necessary files. I have added these drivers into my guide (first post of this thread). CU Fernando

As you have no Raid, this thread and the guide for the nForce SataRaid driver integration is not useful for you.Normally non-Raid nForce Sata systems don't need any third party drivers at all for the proper install of Windows XP. You can check this by booting off the original XP CD without hitting F6. If your Sata hdd is detected, you don't need a special nForce driver for the installation. If you want to integrate the nForce IDE drivers (S-ATA and P-ATA) into a bootable XP CD, you should integrate the SATA_IDE subfolder of the 6.70 driver package as PnP driver. There are some Asus boards, where the Raid ports have to be enabled within BIOS even when no Raidarray is built. So you have to check this in the user's manual of your mobo.

As I am not sure, that Nuhi has a look at all posts within this special thread I have sent him a PM with a link to your question.CU Fernando

The integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers is very problematic because all these drivers are not correctly digitally signed by MS.At least Nuhi and all nLite users with an nForce SataRaid system were happy, as I found a method to get these "ugly" drivers installed without manual editing INF or SIF files. This was in june 2005. I would do everything to make it easier, but I don't think, that the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers as CAB or Add-On-CAB would work. The only person, who can give you definitively an answer is Nuhi - ask him.

That is very interesting for all of us, because the chipset driver package 9.16 is designed for nForce5 and nForce430_410 chipsets.How did you manage the integration? Which IDE\WinXP subfolder and which files did you integrate?

Thank you for your post. There are not so many people who would realize, that they have done the mistake by themselves, and those, who realized it, mostly do not post it into this thread.Your advice is good, but not easy to realize. Nevertheless I will try it. Thanks again! Fernando

If the XP setup cannot find the necessary nForce SataRaid drivers although you have integrated them by nLite, you have either a CD problem (not correctly burned CD / not correctly working CD drive) or you did not exactly what I have written in the first post of this thread. If the XP setup only misses some CAT files (NVATA.CAT and NVRAID.CAT), there is nothing to warry about if you skip the install of these files, because they are useless. The LEGACY is nothing else as the former PATARAID subfolder. NVIDIA has just renamed this folder to LEGACY. You won't get your problem fixed by a mixture of files of several IDE\WinXP subfolders. Make sure, that a ) your hardware is OK (RAM, PSU and cables), b ) your mainboard BIOS contains an actual nVRaid BIOS (v. 4.84 or higher), c ) you have integrated the content of the IDE\WinXP\LEGACY subfolder of the 6.70 chipset driver package as TEXTMODE and have chosen both required drivers. Then burn a new bootable XP CD with lower speed (8x or 16x) and retry the installation.

That's really not the right place for this question, because I don't have any experience with VIA chipsets.

There is no cause for you to be irritated about this thread, because neither my guide (first post) nor all other posts of this thread are useful for you. Reason: You have a non-Raid system. If you have read the first post of this thread, you must have seen this: Attention: The following guide is only useful for users with an nForce Raid array! If you have troubles with the integration of the nForce SATA drivers, don't do it. Windows XP can be installed without any third party IDE drivers onto a non-Raid system. Here is the guide you probably are searching for:http://www.nliteos.com/guide/index.html CU Fernando

Your config looks good. The integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers off the 6.70 package should work.Preconditions: no hardware issues and a "healthy" Raid array. Further questions: a ) Has your Raid array been correctly detected as 1 device at the begin of the install? b ) Did you low level format both hdd's before creating the array? c ) Is the boot sector of your Raid shown as device C:? d ) Have you tried the XP installation by using F6/floppy (without nLite)? e ) Are you sure, that your memory sticks are ok (Tip: Retry the install with just 1 stick)? f ) Did you unplug all unneeded devices (USB sticks, card reader etc.) during the install?

With no informations about your system (mainboard and nForce chipset, nVRaid Bios version, numbers and sort of hdd's) I have no idea how I could help you.Please betray some details about your computer. CU Fernando

Unfortunately the actual nForce SataRaid drivers are not correctly digitally signed by MS (not really WHQL). That makes them difficult to install. Especially XPx64 does not like any not WHQL-certified drivers.Nevertheless you should be able to get Windows XP x64 installed onto your nVRaid array. Did you integrate the IDE\WinXP\LEGACY subfolder of the 64-bit nForce chipset driver package 7.15 as textmode driver? Is your nVRaid Bios actual (v. 4.84 or higher)? If the integration really fails (I don't know why), you can exclude a hardware issue by doing this: Download the 64-bit nForce chipset driver package 6.56 from Guru3D. Within the IDE\WinXP folder of that package you will find a zipped file named WINXP.RAR. Unzip this file onto an empty floppy and install XP x64 by using F6 and the just created floppy driver. After the successful install you can update the nForce SataRaid drivers. As I don't have access to a Promise PDC20779, I can't help you with a link to 64-bit drivers for that Raid Controller.

I don't know where you have read this, but this is nonsense. The truth is quite the contrary: You may get problems, when you have one or more hdd's outside the Raid array. That is the reason why I suggest to unplug such non-Raid hdd during the Windows Setup. CU Fernando

Have you tried to boot in safe mode (by hitting F8)?Which driver package did you use?