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Integration of Intel's SATA AHCI and RAID drivers


Fernando 1

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I understand that for Windows XP 32-bit can not be integrated in the installation CD.
This is not true. You CAN integrate the 32-bit driver in Windows XP 32-bit. Get the driver you posted in your post.Cheers

I will try what you tell me. Thanks!

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You mean the point c of the guide?
Yes, as Sp0iiLedBrAt has written you have to integrate >this< special 32bit Intel RST driver, which is working with just 1 driver named iaStor.sys.
I understand that for Windows XP 32-bit can not be integrated in the installation CD.
The XP installation would fail, if you would integrate any of Intel's RSTe drivers, because they use an addidtional SCSI driver named iaStorF.sys. Windows XP (32bit) is not able to manage this SCSI filter driver.
The solution would be to install Windows XP 32-bit on IDE mode, once installed change BIOS to AHCI mode and install the driver RSTe. Is this OK?
No, you should have set the Intel SATA Controller to "AHCI" mode and boot off the Windows XP CD with integrated Intel RST driver I jhave linked above.

You won't be able to get any Intel RSTe driverpack installed while running Windows XP (32bit).

Edited by Fernando 1
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Hey Fernando. I took your advice and did a clean XP SP3 with nLite and added your 32 bit Intel RST textmode drivers v10.5.2.1010 for X79 (Asus P9X79 Deluxe MB) using Textmode through nLite. I was finally able to install Windows XP 32bit successfully, BUT just as I was at the progress bar for the Windows first boot I got the BSOD 0x7B. I feel so helpless with this. Any ideas? I ran DriverPacks, but did not include any Mass Storage drivers as you said it would conflict with the Textmode option. Is this correct? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

By the way I'm using a RAID 0 setup on the Intel Sata6 ports with two Samsung 840 Pro SSD drives.

Here is the complete error code: 0X0000007B (0XBACCF524, 0X0000034, 0X00000000)

Larry

** I solved this issue ** When I selected the driver(s) from the 32bit Intel RST Textmode v10.5.2.10.10 I inadvertently selected, by highlighting, both the AHCI and RAID. So the OS installed based on the RAID, but when it went to enter Windows it must have defaulted to AHCI, which caused the BSOD. It's the only thing that makes any logical sense to me. I've been doing stuff like this for a long time, but the conditions have changed since 2009. Anyway, I backed up to a clean nLite XPSP3 image and ran Textmode again, this time realizing the difference in what I was looking at and chose the RAID option. This worked and now I have Windows XP 32bit once again. Hopefully my last ever go around with the OS. I do have Windows 7 and 8, in fact I'm beta testing Windows 8 for my company along with my other IT colleagues. Unfortunately I work with a lot of sound files and a single piece of beta software wouldn't work on the newer OS' which caused me to revert back to XP until a suitable piece of software can be found to replace it.

Thank you so much for your help. I've been able to do amazing things like keeping my original nLite creation from 2009. I was able to write a Batch file that removed all of the original driver-packs used back then, as nLite keeps the original Driver-packs in the OEM folder. The Batch file was also written to replace the SIF files and a few other others and removed the setup files created by the driver-packs. This idea reverted my nLite to a pre-driverpack setup. This allowed me to only have to use the solution you tout in this blog regarding TEXTMODE and then to write ISO using nLite.

You've been a huge help to many. Keep up the good work. I'll monitor this site for any updates.

Larry

Edited by Caleb37
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** I solved this issue ** When I selected the driver(s) from the 32bit Intel RST Textmode v10.5.2.10.10 I inadvertently selected, by highlighting, both the AHCI and RAID. So the OS installed based on the RAID, but when it went to enter Windows it must have defaulted to AHCI, which caused the BSOD. It's the only thing that makes any logical sense to me. I've been doing stuff like this for a long time, but the conditions have changed since 2009. Anyway, I backed up to a clean nLite XPSP3 image and ran Textmode again, this time realizing the difference in what I was looking at and chose the RAID option. This worked and now I have Windows XP 32bit once again.
Hello Larry,

it is fine, that you succeeded at least with the XP installation onto your X79 RAID array.

Just to prevent any future problems regarding the integration of an Intel RST driver: If you have an Intel RAID system, you should not highlight any of the listed Intel SATA AHCI Controllers, when you get the nite textmode driver popup.

Enjoy your Windows XP!

Regards

Fernando

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Thank you. It was definitely a learning lesson when I realized my error. I have one last question. I need to update the Chipset drivers for XP. Should I use the latest Intel has to offer, or should I integrate the Chipset Drivers with your extracted pack "Intel_Chipset_Device_INF_Files_Set_V9.3.0.1020_WHQL_for_XP_Integration"? Would there be an issue with the latest by Intel? Any conflicts since I am using Windows XP SP3 32bit?

Larry

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I need to update the Chipset drivers for XP. Should I use the latest Intel has to offer, or should I integrate the Chipset Drivers with your extracted pack "Intel_Chipset_Device_INF_Files_Set_V9.3.0.1020_WHQL_for_XP_Integration"? Would there be an issue with the latest by Intel? Any conflicts since I am using Windows XP SP3 32bit?
No, the version of the package doesn't mean, that the INF files content have been edited by Intel at different dates.

Since you have a very actual chipset, it may nevertheless be a good idea to install the newest version 9.3.0.1026 of the Intel chipset device software (there are no real drivers, but just text files within the package).

Where resp. when did you see a link to the INF files v9.3.0.1020 within the start post of this thread? I ask it, because I have updated the link to the actual pack version 9.3.0.1026 at 11/22/2012.

Have a nice weekend!

Fernando.

Edited by Fernando 1
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Hello all,

I'm from the driverpacks.net forum, Caleb37 posted there about this problem he was having there too. - http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?id=6403

I'm asking, is the megasr.sys driver that intel provide for X79 RAID - http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=20963〈=eng&OSVersion=%0A&DownloadType=Drivers)

HWID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&CC_0104

Is this driver in fact incompatible for XP Textmode with RAID?

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I'm asking, is the megasr.sys driver that intel provide for X79 RAID - http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=20963〈=eng&OSVersion=%0A&DownloadType=Drivers)

HWID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&CC_0104

Is this driver in fact incompatible for XP Textmode with RAID?

Since I neither have an X79 RAID system nor trying to get Windows XP installed, I am not able to answer your question.

According to my knowledge none of Intel's regular RSTe drivers iaStorA.sys+iaStorF.sys can be used under Windows XP (32bit) for systems with an "Intel® C600 Series Chipset SATA AHCI Controller" (DEV_1D02) or "Intel® C600 Series Chipset SATA RAID Controller" (DEV_2826).

I have no idea, if the Intel ESRT2 driverpack will support "normal" non-Server X79 RAID systems.

This is what I found within the attached ESRT2_Windows_v.15.00.0811.2012_Readme.TXT:

Supported RAID Controllers
==========================
This download provides support for the Intel(R) C600 chipset on both AHCI Capable SATA Controller and SATA/SAS Capable Controller in Intel(R) Embedded Server RAID Technology 2 (ESRT2) mode.
NO OTHER INTEL(R) ESRT2 DEVICES ARE SUPPORTED WITH THIS PACKAGE

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You mean the point c of the guide?
Yes, as Sp0iiLedBrAt has written you have to integrate >this< special 32bit Intel RST driver, which is working with just 1 driver named iaStor.sys.
I understand that for Windows XP 32-bit can not be integrated in the installation CD.
The XP installation would fail, if you would integrate any of Intel's RSTe drivers, because they use an addidtional SCSI driver named iaStorF.sys. Windows XP (32bit) is not able to manage this SCSI filter driver.
The solution would be to install Windows XP 32-bit on IDE mode, once installed change BIOS to AHCI mode and install the driver RSTe. Is this OK?
No, you should have set the Intel SATA Controller to "AHCI" mode and boot off the Windows XP CD with integrated Intel RST driver I jhave linked above.

You won't be able to get any Intel RSTe driverpack installed while running Windows XP (32bit).

Hello.

With your help I managed to integrate the X79 chipset AHCI drivers and install Windows XP without problems. I want to thank you for your help.

I will recommend this useful forum.

Greetings from Spain!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello,

First, I want to thank you, Frenando, for the great work. I can tell you that my case is the worst posible, even if, finally, I found here my drivers. I cannot make the easy change in BIOS, because I haven’t the option to change in IDE mode. Obviously, I do not have a floppy drive, so I cannot use the F6 option to install the driver. I had to integrate the SATA driver in the install disk with NLITE. As the BSOD appears when installing with the DVD, my only option is to boot from a USB stick as a bootable device. Booting from the stick, I have no more the BSOD. Nevertheless, when installing, windows (XP 64 bit SP2) didn’t find any hard disk (in fact, it founds <none>). But, if continuing setting up, it founds only 1 partition (1922 MB, FAT), even if that partition have 100 GB, and the total amount of the disk is 1 TB. And it cannot continue the installation because it hasn’t enaugh space… I lost my hope, only if you have an idea…

My laptop is a HP Pavilion g6-2011 sq, with Intel ® 7 series/C216 Chipset Family SATA AHCI Controller – 1E03.

Hardware lds

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1E03&SUBSYS_183E103C&REV_04

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1E03&SUBSYS_183E103C

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1E03&CC_010601

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1E03&CC_0106

Thank you for your help,

Gabriel

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Hello Gabriel,

welcome at MSFN Forum!

This is what I recommend to do:

1. Download >this< driverpack, unzip it and integrate it into your XP x64 source.

2. When you get the nLite TEXTMODE driver popup window, just highlight the listed "Intel® 7 Series Chipset Family SATA AHCI Controller".

3. Let nLite create an ISO image.

4. Create a bootable CD or a bootable flash device containing the XP x64 image with integrated 64bit Intel AHCI driver.

5. Boot off the CD resp. flash device and install Windows XP x64 where you want

6. Enjoy XP x64.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

Fernando

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edit -- put my post (noob here) in a spoiler because it's too long, and because of my confusion, I wander off into too many different areas, where I'm still confused. I can see it would take several more pages by an expert to answer. I need to break my learning curve down into smaller pieces.

bit of a noob here so please pardon any stupidity ... it seems the more I googled this topic, the more confused I seem to got, until I found your explanation ...

The confusing parts to me were ...

The Intel chipset or "INF" drivers (like the set flagged in red on the first post) are for the northbridge (for example P43, or the Intel 3- 4- 5-series chips). They an independent of and separate from from the "textmode" or "F6-floppy" driver sets. They are called INF drivers even though the F6-floppy drivers also use inf files. (Please correct me if I'm wrong ... I'm still tryign to figure this out. Sometimes it seems like they are both referred to as textmode drivers.)

F6 floppy drivers (as distinct from "INF" drivers) are needed because XP does not ship with drivers that can connect to a southbridge chipset (ICH10R for example) when bios has the chipset running in native AHCI mode. XP has drivers that can connect with an old ATA chipset or to a newer chipset that is set to emulate an old ATA chipset. In BIOS-speak (sometimes wierd-speak to me), the ATA emulation mode is called "IDE" mode. IDE being a kind of 40-or 80-wire ribbon-type cable that connects an old ATA hdd to the motherboard. Without the F6 drivers XP has no way to connect to the southbridge chipset while that chipset is set to run in native AHCI mode in the BIOS. When the BIOS option for the southbridge chipset is set to "IDE" mode, it causes the newer AHCI chipset to emulate a pre-AHCI (i.e. for a pre-SATA or old ATA disk with IDE cable). In that case, the native ATA driver in XP can connect.

For a single user workstation, in terms of disk read/write speeds, there is little difference between BIOS IDE mode (ATA-emulation) and AHCI. (... a few % maybe, and that on a highly fragged hdd.) AHCI kicks into high gear when the heads on the hdds of a server are bombarded with the hundreds of simultaneous file requests, comping from different client-users all trying to get into different parts of the hdd all at the same time. For a single user like me, with well maintained defragged hdds, it's a 0.1 sec difference, maybe. The main reason for using AHCI is that AHCI is required for hotswapping external hdds.

I do not need to install or run a RAID console (i.e. run an exe from XP) nor do I need to figure out how to setup a RAID array, if I am happy with connecting the OS to the hdds through the AHCI controller, running as hot swappable in native AHCI mode, or as fixed in ATA-emulation mode (called IDE mode). To run in AHCI mode without RAID (mostly for servers or large workstations), I just need the AHCI F6-floppy drivers and not the RAID drivers. AHCI can be installed in XP by four methods: (0) by using F6 with a floppy drive (if one is available) or (1) using nLite (non commercial) to build a CD with Intel $OEM$ drivers integrated, or (2), by hand building the $OEM$ folders with personal tweaks etc in the setup INF/SIF files MSFN topic or MSFN tutorial .

A fourth method is (3) to install XP onto the boot SATA hdd, with the BIOS temporarily set to IDE (i.e. using chipset emulation of ATA mode so that XP drivers can install). Then while XP is installed and running, find both the hdd drivers under Device Manager, IDE Controllers section. Update them both, one by one, without allowing the requested reboot in between! Update each to the new iaAHCI.inf file from the F6-floppy driver set, again, without rebooting in between. When both are "updated" and the second update asks permission to reboot, then reboot, but reboot into the BIOS setup. With the new drivers installed in XP, then in BIOS, change the southbridge connection from IDE emulation to native AHCI. Save BIOS settings and reboot again, thish time into XP. XP will automatically detect the existing drives as new hardware. It will "update" using the new drivers and will reboot again. More explanation on updating ACHI using the F6-floppy drivers after XP is installed, without having to re-install XP and install and setup programs post#71 of main topic here (with reg file for ICH9, or here post#44 with reg file for ICH10. Laptop people without floppies, or CDs, or bootable thumbdrives can apparently use this method.

If I just want to use AHCI, then I do not need to figure out how to setup, install and maintain a RAID! That was big news to me. I don't know why, but I got confused on that. AHCI is installed at F6 textmode setup, RAID is installed after AHCI is running ... and can be setup after the OS is installed? (Arghhh ... don't care ... I'm confused enough as it is, and only want AHCI ... seems like the RAID hdds would have to be setup before the OS was installed onto them ... unless the OS is able to morph itself from AHCI into a RAID ... while running in AHCI ... that is total confusion to me. To me that is like installing an OS on a FAT OS-partion, and then asking the OS to morph itself into a NTFS OS-partion.

I don't know why I thought it might be helpful to how I got confusion on this subject. This thread was really helpful, as was the thread at hexus.net forums, but I still have some quesitons.

I have a MSI P43new3F motherboard for which I am trying to install XPsp3. I am integrating with OnePiece's UpdatePacks using RyamVM Integrator, and using nLite to tweak and install drivers for peripherals.

The motherboard has a JMicorn JMB363 chipset and a ICH10R southbridge, a P43 northbridge. The JMicron has 1 IDE port for Master-Slave by ribbon cable, and 2 SATA. The ICH10R has 6 SATA ports. The BIOS is American Megatrends. It was flashed with the latest version.

Re the JMicron ... my discoveries ... I started by setting the JMicron to IDE emulation mode in the BIOS. The CDrom is SATA-cable and I heard that some don't like AHCI, so I connected it there. Then I started experimenting, since there is no documentation. By experimentation (NOOB HERE!!) I found that, even though the BIOS has the JMicron running in ATA emulation mode (called IDE), if I download the latest JMicron installer from the MSI website, and run it from a fully installed and running XP (i.e. not the F6-method), then, the JMicron installer somehow automatically makes any hdd that is attached to it hot-swappable. Also, when I installed an earlier JMicron driver, the one came with the original MSI CD, it gave me the choice of installing for IDE or SCSI devices. (The newer one just installs SCSI mode.) If I chose IDE install with the old one, then a HDD is identified as a regular fixed hdd. If however, I install the JMicron as a SCSI driver, then when a HDD is attached, it is identified as a removable device, and it becomes hot-swappable, like a USB thumbdrive. The CDrom drive still runs just fine. In Device Manager, the driver for the JMicron hdd appears under SCSI devices. The CD is up with the CDs.

I was glad to find that out. As I understand it, it would be impossible to "F6" the floppy sets from JMicron and Intel, both at the same time. That is because they both use (and won't install properly without) a file named TXTSETUP.OEM. JMicron and Intel both use the same filename, for a different file. They both could not exist in the same dir (root) of an F6-floppy disk. To install both JMicron and Intel by F6-method, XP would need to loop through the F6-mothod twice during setup (can it do that? ... haven't tried it yet). That leaves the Unattended $OEM$ method where Intel and JMicron versions of txtsetup.oem can be manually placed in different $OEM$ folders. (since even nLite might be confused with the same .oem filename) Thankfully, somehow, the whole problem is moot, because the SCSI option of the JMicron install, installed from a running XP, makes any hdd attached to the open JMicron SATA port a hot-swappable one. That leaves the Jmicron in IDE emulation for the CDrom. By the way, the new link to ftp download the JMicron drivers for Windows is link .

For BIOS setup for the JMicron, I have the options of [Disabled], or [iDE mode(currently selected)], or [AHCI+IDE mode] or [RAID+IDE mode]. So apparently, the JMicron chip can be run in both AHCI and IDE modes, at the same time. (Screams!) Oh well! That pretty much blows away everything I thouight I had learned about AHCI or IDE ... More BIOS-speak wierdness! Any thoughts on which option I should choose for JMicron chip in my BIOS? Now that I've installed the driver from running XP, I might try IDE+AHCI? Owner's manual is no help.

The BIOS setup for the ICH10R is more conventional, but still confusing ... to me anyway. Under "Integrated Peripherals" I have the option to setup "On-Chip ATA Devices" That is apparently bios speak for the ICH10R SATA controller. The "On-Chip ATA Devices" page gives me three options.

(1) to set the PCI IDE BusMaster to [Enabled] or [Disabled(selected...arghhh)]. The help panel says quote "ENABLED: BIOS uses PCI busmastering for reading / writing to IDE devices." If my native OS drivers see only ATA or ATA-emulation devices, then do I enable or disable bus mastering? If I have installed F6 AHCI drivers, which one do I choose (enable or disable bus mastering)? Any thoughts? I set it to disabled, because I haven't got the first clue, so I make like a virgin and just say no. (Come to think of it, when it comes to understanding bios, I really AM a virgin! Is there a smilie emoticon for that one?)

(2) to set the On-Chip SATA Controller to [Enabled(selected)] or [Disabled]. The comment is again useless to me ... "DISABLED: Use if this channel on card does not need an IRQ. INTx: Use these settings to assign an IRQ to the IntPin used by this channel. Hardwired: The card hardwires a fixed INTx into the IntPin." I guess, enabled lets the SATA controller setup the IRQs, which is definitely what I prefer.

(3) to set the "RAID Mode" to [iDE] or [AHCI]. Darn, I thought it was IDE (ATA-emulation) or AHCI or RAID. Now, RAID is IDE or AHCI. ARGHHH!

If I set "RAID Mode" (arghh) to [AHCI] then BIOS opens an "AHCI Configuration" page. (If I set it to IDE, then there are no further options.) When I open the AHCI Configuration page, BIOS lists 6 new pages, "AHCI Port1" to "AHCI Port6". Even when a working SATA hdd is attached, BIOS shows [not detected]. I've attached Western Digital, Seagate and Maxtor SATA ... the result is the same. The Help panel says quote "While entering setup, BIOS auto detects the presence of IDE devices. This displays the status of auto detection of IDE devices." I guess that since my hdds are SATA hdds, and not IDE, the bios properly reports that there are no IDE devices detected. Bios speak again, so, not to worry about detecting/not detecting SATA.

Under each port page, "AHCI Port1" for example (which is probably port 0 in the AHCI inf files, where they are called ports 0 to 5 for the ICH10R), I can set that port to [Auto] or [Not Installed]. I leave it on [Auto]. I can also set "Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T." to [Enabled] or [Disabled]. I leave SMART to [Enabled]. The owner's manual suggests that the different AHCI ports are used to "Select the type of device." (Arghh!)

Back to the main BIOS page, for Standard CMOS Features, which lists time, hdds, cdroms and floppy, SATA2 in the BIOS is identified by serial number of a connected hdd. When I open that subpage, my choices are to set (1) LBA/Large mode [Auto(selected), or Disable], and (2) to set DMA Mode [Auto(selected) or ... whole bunch of strange DMA options] and (3) Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T. [Auto(selected, Disable, or Enabled]. There is nothing about AHCI. So the only place to set AHCI is globally, under the page for Integrated Peripherals. On this page, I leave everything on Auto. On the AHCI page, I ignore the port settings for the Port1 to Port6 ... does that sound right?

At this point, the main quesiton is ... Busmastering on or off? Under the IDE section of the owners manual, it says the JMicron supports PIO and Bus Master operation. It doesn't say anything for the SATA sectoin, other than 3 Gb/s.

Edited by Molecule
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@ Molecule:

I am sorry, but reading your post is a torture. Additionally I don't have the time for an academic discussion about the different SATA modes, Intel's Chipset Device INF files (which have nothing to do with the TEXTMODE drivers), the alternatives of the driver integration by using nLite and the best BIOS settings.

The topic of this thread is how to integrate the Intel AHCI or RAID drivers into a Windows XP CD and nothing else. Everything important is layed down within the start post.

If you should have any questions regarding my guide or if you should run into problems after having followed it, please let me know it and I will try to help you.

Hoping for your understanding

Regards

Fernando

Edited by Fernando 1
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