Integration of nvRaid drivers into XPx64 and W2k3x64

[TinTin]

Slipstreaming XP installation worked for me, but my nvRAID RAID0 acted weirdly after the installation.

1) it shown me the desktop once i've logged into the windows, however it takes another 2 minutes for my other desktop components to pop up, e.g. icons & task bar.

2) it was achieving some amazing writing speed but read speed was terrible. It loaded and verified my client data in BF2 2 times slower than a P4 530 PC w/ 80 GB Seagate SATA HDD

3) i can't seem to o/c my machine. I o/c'd that just a little and the system can't boot to windows. Array werent being detected and i had to delete it. After that i can't even slipstream the Windows no more! NOW i can't even format the HDDs..

it says my HDDs are damaged in the XP installations when it failed to format, however i could still format the HDDs w/o a hitch in my P4 530 system..

WTH is going on...

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my rig: AMD Venice 3500+ | GA-K8N-Pro sli | 2X WD1600JS | 1GB DDR | e-vga 7800GT

Edited September 16, 2005 by TinTin

[Fernando 1]

Slipstreaming XP installation worked for me, but my nvRAID RAID0 acted weirdly after the installation.

1) it shown me the desktop once i've logged into the windows, however it takes another 2 minutes for my other desktop components to pop up, e.g. icons & task bar.

2) it was achieving some amazing writing speed but read speed was terrible. It loaded and verified my client data in BF2 2 times slower than a P4 530 PC w/ 80 GB Seagate SATA HDD

3) i can't seem to o/c my machine. I o/c'd that just a little and the system can't boot to windows. Array werent being detected and i had to delete it. After that i can't even slipstream the Windows no more! NOW i can't even format the HDDs..

it says my HDDs are damaged in the XP installations when it failed to format, however i could still format the HDDs w/o a hitch in my P4 530 system..

1) When you install Windows XP or Windows XP x64 on a system with firewire and ethernet ports, it is not unusual, that it takes a few minutes after the last reboot until you can work with your computer. You can prevent this behaviour, if you deactivate all network options (Microsoft Network etc.) of all firewire and LAN ports during the installation.

2) I don't know the reason for your low speed. What shows your Device Manager (everything OK there?)?

3) When you delete your Raid array, you cannot boot anymore, because the system looses the Master Boot Record (MBR). You have either to reconfigure your Raid array or to install a new MBR. If you have a system, which is overclocked to the limit, it might be possible, that you get trouble after the installation of a 64-Bit OS, because it needs some more resources.

If you want help, please answer the following questions:

1. Did you install XP x64 into a seperate partition?

2. Have you formatted this partition, before you installed XP x64?

3. Which NVIDIA driver package did you use?

4. Is your BIOS up-to-date?

5. Are you sure, that your mainboard, your hard disk drives and your RAM don't have any issues?

[TinTin]

First of all thank you for the quick reply

Everything in D.Manager is fine and i was achieving some amazing speed in HDTach. Burst speed was 250MB/s, squential read average around 120MB/s, random access was 13.2 & read speed was 94MB/s. Just that the CPU utilization rate skyrocketed at 8%.

Also i did reconfig the array, but still i can't format the hdds, either in RAID or in single drive mode. But i can do that on the other machine with the same drive.

I had BIOS v. F4 loaded n was installing with NV package for X64, 6.66. So i guess it may be the problem of the MB?

My ram did work fine, it was the corsair VS 1GB CL2.5.

Edited September 16, 2005 by TinTin

[Fernando 1]

I had BIOS v. F4 loaded n was installing with NV package for X64, 6.66. So i guess it may be the problem of the MB?

What kind of motherboard do you have? Is it an nForce3 or nForce4 board?

Did you install XP x64 onto a clean, formatted partition?

To verify if your RAM is ok, make a memtest!

[Fernando 1]

The RC1 version of nLite 1.0 has brought some important changes, which make it easier than ever to integrate the x64 nVRaid drivers into a bootable Windows XP x64 Edition CD.

That is the reason why I have just edited the new method within post No 1 of this thread.

CU

Fernando

[stinart]

Hey i'm a newbie here but i can't figure out what i'm doing wrong.I followed exactly the steps of the guide (edit the oem file,intergrade drivers,unattended setup with oem preinstall) but when the cd starts loading the drivers in the very first steps(blue screen),i always get the message 'nvrdx64.sys not found' and the setup ends there.Is something wrong with the nlite process?(i get a "p11" error message when i intergrade the drivers but i checked that they are in the cd after the process).Any ideas?

(Yes i was in the wrong thread Fernando)

[Fernando 1]

Hey i'm a newbie here but i can't figure out what i'm doing wrong.I followed exactly the steps of the guide (edit the oem file,intergrade drivers,unattended setup with oem preinstall) but when the cd starts loading the drivers in the very first steps(blue screen),i always get the message 'nvrdx64.sys not found' and the setup ends there.Is something wrong with the nlite process?(i get a "p11" error message when i intergrade the drivers but i checked that they are in the cd after the process).Any ideas?

If you use nLite 1.0 RC1, there is no need any more to edit something or to choose "unattended install" etc.

For details look into post No 1 of this thread.

My tip is to take the LEGACY subfolder of the nForce chipset driver package 6.67 for the Textmode Driver integration.

If you still have any troubles, post it here. But without any details about your current system (chipset of your board, Sata or Pata hard disk drives, Bios version etc.) it will not be easy to help.

CU

Fernando

[stinart]

I'd followed the guide from the first page , but it brings the same result:"xxxx.sys not found" in x64 setup screen.

MSI Neo2 k8n platinum(nf3 ultra)

4.82 bios version(i don't think it's the problem)

2x sata disks in raid0

Edited October 7, 2005 by stinart

[Fernando 1]

I'd followed the guide from the first page , but it brings the same result:"xxxx.sys not found" in x64 setup screen.

MSI Neo2 k8n platinum(nf3 ultra)

4.82 bios version(i don't think it's the problem)

2x sata disks in raid0

The Raid Bios version might be a problem, when you use the 6.67 driver package. New Raid drivers need a new Raid Bios (v. 4.84 or higher).

As you have an nForce3 chipset, I suppose, that you have edited the TXTSETUP.OEM file. This was reported by a user with an nForce3 board, but he used the PATARAID subfolder from the6.66 package. Maybe the TXTSETUP.OEM files are different.

Which chipset driver package and which subfolder did you use?

[stinart]

I used the 6.67 ->ide->legacy driver and i hadn't changed the txtsetup.oem because the nvatax64.inf that you mention to add was already written in the [Files.scsi.BUSDRV] field.I tried 6.25 raid driver too, but again in the x64 setup screen i get a "nvraid.sys not found" error and all stops there.

tnx for your assist.

Edited October 7, 2005 by stinart

[Fernando 1]

I used the 6.67 ->ide->legacy driver and i hadn't changed the txtsetup.oem because the nvatax64.inf that you mention to add was already written in the [Files.scsi.BUSDRV] field.I tried 6.25 raid driver too, but again in the x64 setup screen i get a "nvraid.sys not found" error and all stops there.

tnx for your assist.

Take a look into the AMD64 folder of your nLited CD using the 6.67 driver package. Is there a file named "nvrdx64.sy_"?

Are you sure to have not corrupted files, when you downloaded and unzipped the driver packages?

If both answers are "Yes", try the following:

Create a new CD by using nLite 1.0 RC1, but this time use the SATARAID subfolder of the package 6.67. Before you integrate the SATARAID subfolder you should do the following:

1. copy the NVATAX64.INF (from the LEGACY folder) into the SATARAID subfolder and

2. make the changes within the TXTSETUP.OEM file (see above).

I am really sorry, but I cannot try it myself, because I have only a PC with an nForce4 chipset.

Please report about your results.

Goodluck!

Fernando

[stinart]

No, the "nvrdx64.sy" isn't in the amd64 folder.What i have to do now?May i copy all the files in that folder too?

Edited October 7, 2005 by stinart

[Fernando 1]

No, the "nvrdx64.sy" isn't in the amd64 folder.What i have to do now?May i copy all the files in that folder too?

If the drivers NVRDX64.SYS (the compressed form is NVRDX64.SY_) and NVATAX64.SYS (compressed: NVATAX64.SYS_) are not copied by nLite into the AMD64 folder, you cannot build a bootable XP x64 CD, because the Setup cannot find your Raid array.

I believe, that you have done something wrong within the driver integration part of the nLite processing.

Did you really integrate the content of the LEGACY subfolder as TEXTMODE drivers?

Did you take both drivers which were proposed by nLite to integrate?

[stinart]

nlite inserts automatically both ".inf' files(textmode) from the legacy folder and proposes to insert an nvatabus driver which i can't find in the 6.67 version.(only 6.25 has that).May i have to insert the nvatabus driver from the 6.25 too?

If i move manually the files in the amd64 folder, would that make the trick?

tnx.

Edited October 7, 2005 by stinart

[Fernando 1]

nlite inserts automatically both ".inf' files(textmode) from the legacy folder and proposes to insert an nvatabus driver which i can't find in the 6.67 version.(only 6.25 has that).May i have to insert the nvatabus driver from the 6.25 too?

If i move manually the files in the amd64 folder, would that make the trick?

1. The 6.25 driver package don't have native 64bit drivers. That is the reason why they have names as the "normal" 32bit drivers (NVATABUS.SYS and NVRAID.SYS). On the other hand the new packages as 6.67 have native 64bit SataRaid drivers (NVATAX64.SYS and NVRDX64.SYS). That is the reason, why the TXTSETUP.OEM from the 6.25 package asks for the NVATABUS.SYS and the TXTSETUP.OEM from the 6.67 package wants the NVATAX64.SYS, and the reason, why you don't find a NVATABUS.SYS within the 6.67 package. Is it possible, that you have mixed the TXTSETUP.OEM files between the 6.25 and the 6.67 packages? That would explain your issue.

2. No, I don't think so.

You have done something wrong during the textmode driver integration.

These are the 2 drivers which nLite proposes to integrate:

RAIDCLASS = "NVIDIA RAID CLASS DRIVER (required)"

BUSDRV = "NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller (required)"

The first one is the Raid driver NVRDX64.SYS (real 64bit) or NVRAID.SYS (32/64bit),

the second is the Sata driver NVATAX64.SYS (real 64bit) or NVATABUS.SYS (32/64bit).

You have to take both.

At the end of the processing nLite will copy all driver files into the folder AMD64\NLDRV and the 2 just mentioned SYS-files addtionally into the AMD64 root.

You should repeat your work and be carefull during the textmode driver integration part.

Edited October 7, 2005 by Fernando 1