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"Slipstreamable" Intel Chipset INF Drivers


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If anyone is interested, I'm looking for some assistance with making an updated (possibly final, more on this below) version of the INF package.

With data from the newer Intel INF package xrayer found, adding another MACHINE6.INF will be required in order to contain all of the device data and keep the INFs below the 64KB limit.

In the last version I split the collected data from the various Intel INFs up however seemed best in order to use the smallest number of INF files and still get all of the necessary actions performed during SETUP.

Since I'm going to have to add another INF this time anyway, I would like to step back and attempt to organize all of the previous data in a "chronological order" according to when each chipset was released.

Here's what I need:
When the Intel INF packages are extracted, one ends up with a whole folder full of small INF files which are named either according to their Chipset family number, ICH level, or more confusingly the "code name" associated with the chipset or CPU intended for the chipset. I need someone to organize these file names into a chronological order from the oldest devices to the newest. Then I can use this to rearrange the data inside the INFs accordingly. (A detailed list of Intel chipset/CPU code names in chronological order might work here as well, depends on the detail.) I have attached a list of the file names to be organized.

 

Obviously the first file would be "ich5core.inf" then the other "ich5*" files, then the "8xx" files, then the ICH5 server chipsets (E7xxx), then "ich6core.inf" and so on accordingly. It gets much more confusing as the devices get newer and the files are no longer named according to chipset or ICH level.

 

Now, above I mentioned that this may be the final version of these INFs. This is due to the fact that the current Intel INF package 10.0.27 intended for Windows 7/8/8.1/10 etc is almost completely useless. I downloaded it and was forced to find a Windows 7 machine to extract it on (it wouldn't even extract under Vista!), and once extracted I discovered that it simply names anything and everything to "Intel Device" with no further description. Wow, just how far will the "dumbing down to the lowest common denominator" go? :wacko:

So, if anyone knows of other versions of the Intel INF's between the last one xrayer found 9.4.4.1006 and the 10.0.27 version I tried, please post links here to them.

 

LIST.TXT

Edited by LoneCrusader
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Appasrently that Write Inhibiter does not have the code needed to tell Windows it is safe to take control.

I wrote a Write Inhibiter and it ran fine with Windows 98SE.

 

Ok, nice, is it freely available?

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Appasrently that Write Inhibiter does not have the code needed to tell Windows it is safe to take control.

I wrote a Write Inhibiter and it ran fine with Windows 98SE.

Ok, nice, is it freely available?

I just wrote it, so I have not made a product out of it, so it is not currently available.
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I just wrote it, so I have not made a product out of it, so it is not currently available.

 

 

OK, I did tried some attempt with TSR myself...

I found an opensource program protect.com for DOS. It's simple to understand and modify. I modified it to be silent on discarded write access. The unload after Win98 boots is not so easy as I though because when a DOS window is launched and program executed again to disable it only affect environment of that one DOS window and not system in global. So as a dirty test I added a counter of dicarded writes with condition that passed all writes after reaching some count. Then I do trial-error tune of count to see how system will react. If I block more than about 300 writes it booted to GUI. Unfortunately whole write protection idea proved wrong because when write access via INT13h was reenabled Win98 hanged totally. So even after esdi_506.pdr driver takes control there still seems to be INT13h accesses that kill it. So what only could help would be to patch BIOS INT13h routine to not doing any buggy DMA operations. This task going too complicated over the discomfort of booting Win98 from slave HDD on SATA2 port (where I have smaller primary partition that I cannot easily increase because of need to keep extended partition on the same HDD below 8,4GB limit for DOS 6.22).

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>LoneCrusader

this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_chipsets could give you some idea what ICH, MCH and CPUs belongs together but I think it's not needed to loose much time with it. I think that I googled a lot for the latest Win2k/XP compatible INFs so I doubt there's something newer than 9.4.4.1006...

Edited by xrayer
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I just wrote it, so I have not made a product out of it, so it is not currently available.

OK, I did tried some attempt with TSR myself...

I found an opensource program protect.com for DOS. It's simple to understand and modify. I modified it to be silent on discarded write access. The unload after Win98 boots is not so easy as I though because when a DOS window is launched and program executed again to disable it only affect environment of that one DOS window and not system in global. So as a dirty test I added a counter of dicarded writes with condition that passed all writes after reaching some count. Then I do trial-error tune of count to see how system will react. If I block more than about 300 writes it booted to GUI. Unfortunately whole write protection idea proved wrong because when write access via INT13h was reenabled Win98 hanged totally. So even after esdi_506.pdr driver takes control there still seems to be INT13h accesses that kill it. So what only could help would be to patch BIOS INT13h routine to not doing any buggy DMA operations. This task going too complicated over the discomfort of booting Win98 from slave HDD on SATA2 port (where I have smaller primary partition that I cannot easily increase because of need to keep extended partition on the same HDD below 8,4GB limit for DOS 6.22).

I doubt that PROTECT.COM has the Windows 9x handoff code in it. I suspect that ESDI_506.PDR was never invoked so Windows continued using the problematic BIOS INT 13.

I do have a product, called DISKBIOS, that replaces the BIOS INT 13 and properly handles DMA. It correctly hands off to Windows 9x. E-Mail me if you wish to order it.

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https://web.archive.org/web/20131217103733/http://downloadmirror.intel.com/23411/eng/INF_allOS_9.4.4.1006_readme.txt

* Version: 9.4.4.1006

* Target SOC: Bay Trail-M/D SOC (formerly known as Valleyview2)

* Date: August 01 2013

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/23061/eng/inf_9.4.0.1027_readme.txt

* Version: 9.4.0.1027

* Target PCH/Chipset: Xeon® processor E3-1200 v3,Intel® 4th Gen Core processor * Intel® 8 Series,C220 Series

* Date: September 02 2013

Version: 9.4.0.1027 as mentioned in the top post appears to be more recent (September 02) than Version: 9.4.4.1006 (August 01)

What Target should we be searching for?


Edit:

Then there's SuperMicro's

ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/CDR-X10_1.03_for_Intel_X10_platform/Intel/INF/Chipset_v9.3.2.1020/Releasenote_9.3.2.1020.htm

Intel® Chipset Device Software

9.3.2.1020 PV Release for IvyTown Brickland & Romley-refresh

Release Notes

March 6, 2014

with History and changelog from 2012-2014

And Intel's link for Intel desktop boards.

Edited by jumper
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Dieter (alias Fernando) at Win-raid.com: Preliminary Notes regarding Intel's Chipset "Drivers"

And discussion: http://www.win-raid.com/t895f42-Intel-Chipset-Device-quot-Drivers-quot-INF-files.html#msg15789

All INF files of the "Intel® Chipset Device Software" v9.4.4.1006 are dated 08/01/2013. Intel 7-Series chipset users, who want to get the "newest" INF files, should better take the "Intel® Chipset Device Software v9.3.2.1020, because all included INF files are dated 02/27/2014.

There also exist versions: 10.0.13, 14, 20 WHQL, 22, 24, 27

and v10.1.2.10 WHQL.

Edited by jumper
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But ver 10.x is for Win7-10 only and it's reworked differently (useless).

I'm confused about intel's versioning systems. It seem's there are more INF packages targeted for different platforms but in fact they are mostly overlaping.

I see that version  from supermicro web 9.4.2.1019 is even newer dated April 25 2014

* Target CPU/PCH: Intel® Xeon® E5 v3/Core i7 / Intel® C610 series/X99 chipset

but it seems to be a mix of older INFs, e.g.

file couide2.inf:

DriverVer=07/25/2013, 9.2.0.1035

it's same as from package 9.3.2.1020

So probably there was only a few inf files added/updated...

 

update:

I compiled one zipped INF package with most of and latest versions of files collected from 9.x.x inf packages and uploaded it here http://ulozto.cz/xHLkZvUK/infxp944-zip (click "Stahnout", fill the captcha and click stahnout again)

Edited by xrayer
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I do have a product, called DISKBIOS, that replaces the BIOS INT 13 and properly handles DMA. It correctly hands off to Windows 9x. E-Mail me if you wish to order it.

 

OK, thanks. As I run my W98 at home as a hobby system without any commercial potential I don't intend to order commercial patches for it. So I sticked with alternate boot from SATA2 HDD. I just wanter to try myself all possibilities that I could try...

Edited by xrayer
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Well, there actually seems to be a version of UNIATA for 9x, which was created by Xeno86 from Alter's sources from that time, just before Xeno86 gave up 9x/ME. While I've never had a copy of it, it seems Bearwindows either has it or knows who does. It's also possible that Alter himself does have a copy of it. Or maybe you can get it from Xeno86 himself, in case he still is reachable. In any case, it seems there were still some bugs in that version, that being the reason it was never released... then again you might try it, and maybe even get to fix those issues, in case you manage to get a copy of it. I didn't post about it before, because it seems to me to be little more than a legend, but seeing all your other options were already explored, I think it just fair that I make you aware of this story, in case you want to pursue it further. Of course, there's no guarantee whatsoever the driver I'm talking about is anything more than vaporware but, then again, it may even be usable... no way to know it unless you get a copy of it. Good luck!

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I do have a product, called DISKBIOS, that replaces the BIOS INT 13 and properly handles DMA. It correctly hands off to Windows 9x. E-Mail me if you wish to order it.

OK, thanks. As I run my W98 at home as a hobby system without any commercial potential I don't intend to order commercial patches for it. So I sticked with alternate boot from SATA2 HDD. I just wanter to try myself all possibilities that I could try...

My Patches are not specifically designed for Commercial systems. In fact most of my Customers are individuals like you. You have requested trial versions of my "Commercial" Patches in the past.
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