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Integration of Intel's SATA AHCI and RAID drivers


Fernando 1

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From the guide, Part (2) : Step (4)
When you come up to the task "Drivers", hit the "Insert" button, use the "Single driver" option and point to the content of the driver package you have downloaded and extracted at first step. Click onto one of the shown INF files (it doesn't matter which one).
Judging by the fact that it says it doesn't matter which INF file is clicked on when via the "Single driver" option, I'm guessing it also doesn't matter if one clicked on "Mulitiple driver folder" option instead rather than "single dirver"?
You can use the "Multiple driver" button as well, but you have to pay more attention as with the "Single driver" option (to prevent, that you get more drivers integrated than you want).
After I had extracted the drivers and found there were two INF files, I guessed that the folder option was more appropriate. On the next screen, just selected the two relevant controllers from the list of 10 or so.

Seems to have worked, so is the proper way to select "single" next time?

Yes.
Intel controller in raid mode does not need a raid array and intel actually reccomend this for single drive configs as well as raid since its the same as ahci except it will support future raid use without an OS reinstall.
Thanks for this additional information.
I added my intel drivers on my new sp3 cd and I notice nlite is telling me I should disable the use of OEM Preinstall $OEM$ folder which I have always been using fine in the past and I dont remember nlite having this warning before, is there a known real problem by integrating text drivers at the same time as using OEM preinstall? --edit-- I misunderstood it says not to use it when using f6 method, I wonder if thats the problem the other poster had then.
There is no problem at all, if you have integrated the textmode drivers.

You are right regarding the F6/floppy driver loading option. OEM Preinstall should be disabled in this case.

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not tested it yet on the pc that has the intel controller only in virtual pc to make sure the cd actually works, the first time I downloaded your 64bit drivers ooops and I got a corrupt sys error on the driver, but now with 32bit that error is gone. I should be testing on this pc (different drive but on intel controller) before end of the week hopefully. Thanks for having the drivers as it would have been a pain to extract from intels floppy iso.

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Howdy, new member here. I think it's amazing the effort people here go to to help others with problems -- I hope I'm as useful in my own areas of expertise.

Unfortunately, installing an OS isn't one of them. :) I've read this entire thread looking for info that will fix my install problem, but haven't been able to find it.

I just bought a used Acer Aspire 9800 laptop running Vista Ultimate. I need XP Pro for its reliability using high-end music apps, so I used Nlite to put together a slipstream disc incorporating the drivers from the Acer driver disk as well. I have been able to get the install to read the hard drives, format, and begin installation, but no matter what I do, the install hangs at the first reboot -- not even a BSOD, just black screen.

I made sure I used the Intel 8280GHM controller drivers the mobo uses. I have no options in BIOS regarding SATA drives (disabling AHCI, for instance); the Phoenix BIOS is very rudimentary and doesn't allow much user flexibility (can someone explain why I can buy a desktop and be allowed to tinker with it as if it is truly mine, but laptops are sold as if they really still belong to the manufacturer).

Because the install hangs at the same point every time, I suspect that there is a key driver missing, or an element in the drive recognition process I'm overlooking, but I can't figure out what it might be. I'm operating at about the edge of my knowledge and ability here. I'm getting desperate because I just found out the Vista image disks I made aren't bootable (if they require a working Vista to restore my Vista, I'm not sure what use they are), and the OEM Vista install disk that came with the laptop is a nonbootable upgrade. So now I don't have much choice about XP if I want this thing to be anything but a very large doorstop.

Any help is enormously appreciated, and many thanks in advance!

--steve

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I just bought a used Acer Aspire 9800 laptop running Vista Ultimate. I need XP Pro for its reliability using high-end music apps, so I used Nlite to put together a slipstream disc incorporating the drivers from the Acer driver disk as well. I have been able to get the install to read the hard drives, format, and begin installation, but no matter what I do, the install hangs at the first reboot -- not even a BSOD, just black screen.
Hi Steve,

since your hdd has been detected by Windows XP Setup, you obviously had integrated the correct Intel S-ATA AHCI Controller driver. I think, that your issue was caused by another driver you had integrated.

My recommendation:

Create a new nLited XP CD with just the integrated Intel S-ATA drivers. Don't add any other driver.

If the installation should fail, try to additionally integrate the Intel INF (=chipset) drivers as PnP drivers.

Once Windows XP is up, you can install the other needed drivers for your system.

Good luck!

Fernando

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I tried an install with just the Intel SATA driver. Got a BSOD on the first reboot, but after that it went to the exactly the same pattern as before: boot XP, "startup is restarting your computer," black screen.

I downloaded the Intel PNP files from your link in your terrific tutorial, but when I tried to open it I get the message "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installation of the software." I will try on another computer and see if I can just copy over th extracted files.

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I figured it out in a totally inexplicable way, but maybe the knowledge will benefit others with the same problem. My laptop has 2 2GB RAM sticks. Something about the way it was hanging on boot reminded me of previous RAM issues I've had on other PCs. I had a feeling the install wasn't recognizing the RAM, or was conflicting with it somehow. So on a hunch I yanked the RAM and reinstalled a 1 GB stick. Bingo: the install completed!

I'm installing mfgr drivers now and will see if I can reinstall the 4GB RAM after XP is in and updated. Meantime, though, maybe this will help someone else. Thank you for your help, Fernando!

--steve

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I figured it out in a totally inexplicable way, but maybe the knowledge will benefit others with the same problem. My laptop has 2 2GB RAM sticks. Something about the way it was hanging on boot reminded me of previous RAM issues I've had on other PCs. I had a feeling the install wasn't recognizing the RAM, or was conflicting with it somehow. So on a hunch I yanked the RAM and reinstalled a 1 GB stick. Bingo: the install completed!

I'm installing mfgr drivers now and will see if I can reinstall the 4GB RAM after XP is in and updated. Meantime, though, maybe this will help someone else. Thank you for your help, Fernando!

This is a known issue of any 32bit Windows OS, if you try to install it with 4GB of RAM.
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Hi Fernando 1, can you update the intel raid/ahci drivers if you have the time?

In case you didn't know Intel recently update them to version 8.2.0.1001

Thanks for your suggestion. I have already recognized the new Intel textmode drivers, but since I am not at home for a while, the users of my guide have to wait some days.

I will update the linked drivers next week, when I am at home again.

CU

Fernando

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Hi Fernando,

I am planning to integrate Intel AHCI drivers for IHC6R and ICH9DO chipsets.

-But I could not find a single Intel driver package with support for both.

So now I am thinking of integrating an old Intel driver package for IHC6R and a new driver package for ICH9DO

-However I looked a little into how nLite integrates these packages and I am not sure whether this work.

-One problem might be that all these driver names are the same.

Do you have a suggestion?

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I am planning to integrate Intel AHCI drivers for IHC6R and ICH9DO chipsets.

-But I could not find a single Intel driver package with support for both.

So now I am thinking of integrating an old Intel driver package for IHC6R and a new driver package for ICH9DO

-However I looked a little into how nLite integrates these packages and I am not sure whether this work.

-One problem might be that all these driver names are the same.

Do you have a suggestion?

You are right. The integration of both Intel textmode driver versions (v8.2.0.1001 for the ICH9DO and v7.8.0.1012 for the ICH6R SATA AHCI Controller will be a problem, because the drivers themselves have the same name (IASTOR.SYS) and will be overwritten, when additionally copied into the i386 directory by nLite (the presence of the SYS file within this directory is necessary during the TEXTMODE part of the OS installation). As a consequence one of the Controllers (ICH6R or ICH9DO) will not be detected, if you integrate both driver versions.

Solution: You have to create 2 separate nLited CDs, 1 with integrated Intel textmode drivers v8.2.0.1001 (for the ICH9DO AHCI Controller) and 1 with integrated Intel textmode drivers v7.8.0.1012 (for the ICH6R AHCI Controller).

@ all users, who are using my guide (start post of this thread):

The guide now contains download links to the brandnew official Intel S-ATA and AHCI drivers v8.2.0.1001 dated 05/07/2008. As usual I have prepared them for an easy integration.

Have fun!

Fernando

Edited by Fernando 1
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I can tell you that latest driver is finally acting how it should.

I started using my ich7 controller about a year ago and I think was a 6.7 driver then, the driver actually turned off all write caching for all drives connected to the ich7 controller and also for all drives on my jmicron controller. So basically the pattern was write cache if you using raid otherwise the only way to use write cache was to use the ide compatible mode which uses microsoft generic drivers and no sata features.

The 7.8 driver stopped turning off write cache on the jmicron so was an improvement and I think forced on the basic write cache mode for drives on the ich7 controller bit still could not be toggled on/off via device manager.

Finally this 8.0 driver allows full control of write cache in device manager and if using dskcache tool can enable power protected write cache on all connected drives. So intel finally got a proper functioning driver, if you google ich7 +write cache you see what I mean in the past people complaining ghosted out write cache tick box when using ahci/raid mode.

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@ Chrysalis:

Thanks for your comment about the development and abilities of INTEL's different textmode driver versions.

So it was obviously not a bad idea to update my guide with the links to the brandnew Intel S-ATA and RAID drivers.

Greetings

Fernando

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fernando,

Would appreciate some help regarding the nLite install of the Intel RAID drivers.

As far as I'm aware ,all steps necessary for a successful integration have been carried out

However, at the finalizing stage of nLite,an error message crops up every time , indicating nLite has to close etc.

The whole procedure has been lost at least 6 times because of this- :( time to stop.

The only meaningful part of the very lengthy error report for me was the mention of an "appcompat.text" error.

By elimination,I have narrowed the fault down to the integration of the Intel TextMode Raid Drivers,which is all that was slipstreamed,nothing else at all!

The addition of the Intel INF drivers does not help either.

Textmode is enabled.

Have used the latest drivers containing txt.setup.oem.

No malware is present.

Thanks

Hairy

edit;My reading of the Intel instructions indicates that a text file containing the following ;

"[MassStorageDrivers]

"Intel® 82801IR/IO SATA RAID Controller" = OEM

[OEMBootFiles]

iaStor.inf

iaStor.sys

iaStor.cat

Txtsetup.oem"

should be added to the drivers file for unattended installs.

Is this at all relevant?.Is it the same as the TxtSetup.OEM File?

However, it made no difference in my case.

Edited by hairy coo
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