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Integration of nvRaid drivers into XPx64 and W2k3x64


Fernando 1

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I personally wouldn't recommend updating RAID drivers with windows. It seems to me to be a risky procedure. Myself I reformat with the nvidia raid drivers integrated and I do not update them, but if I do want to update then I reformat. :}

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Guest owenkun
I personally wouldn't recommend updating RAID drivers with windows. It seems to me to be a risky procedure. Myself I reformat with the nvidia raid drivers integrated and I do not update them, but if I do want to update then I reformat. :}

A good point, I'm sure, but I'm interested in performing an installation with the normal 'high performance' nVidia-provided non-RAID SATA drivers. I figure, given that they're part of the same package, that someone here might have had a similar experience.

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I'm sure, but I'm interested in performing an installation with the normal 'high performance' nVidia-provided non-RAID SATA drivers. I figure, given that they're part of the same package, that someone here might have had a similar experience.

Why have you not tried to integrate the new 64-bit nForce SATA drivers (LEGACY folder from the 6.67 package) as I have described in post No 1 of this thread?

There is no cause to warry about the missing Raid array. Windows XP x64 Setup will not install any Raid driver, if it does not detect an activated Raid Controller.

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Guest owenkun
I'm sure, but I'm interested in performing an installation with the normal 'high performance' nVidia-provided non-RAID SATA drivers. I figure, given that they're part of the same package, that someone here might have had a similar experience.

Why have you not tried to integrate the new 64-bit nForce SATA drivers (LEGACY folder from the 6.67 package) as I have described in post No 1 of this thread?

There is no cause to warry about the missing Raid array. Windows XP x64 Setup will not install any Raid driver, if it does not detect an activated Raid Controller.

As I'd mentioned, I haven't tried since I wasn't certain if it would also apply to the non-RAID drivers, not to mention the fact that I was interested in knowing if anyone else had experienced something similar to what I'd described (the continually loading crawl-bar) and had it resolved by the guide. I'm going to try it, I thought it prudent to consider any advice that those that've already tried it might have.

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What about the other folders that are in the 6.67 package. The SMBus folder as well as the Ethernet folder contain each 2 different .inf files. Which of the files should I choose with nLite 1.0 RC1?

And one more thing, do I also need to integrate a GART driver for WinXP x64 and if so what is the latest version?

Isn't the nvata.cat not necessary, cuz I can't find it no where in the 6.67 pack.

Edited by dazkrlauwste
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What about the other folders that are in the 6.67 package. The SMBus folder as well as the Ethernet folder contain each 2 different .inf files. Which of the files should I choose with nLite 1.0 RC1?
There is no reason to warry about that. You can point nLite to any INF file you want - nLite copies all files whithin the driver folder and Windows XP x64 Setup will install the correct one.

But I am not sure, if the Ethernet and SMBus drivers from the nForce chipset package 6.66 or 6.67 are suitable for nForce3 systems. It may be safer to take the ones from the 64-bit nForce chipset driver package v. 6.25.

And one more thing, do I also need to integrate a GART driver for WinXP x64 and if so what is the latest version?
If you have an nForce3 board, you will need the GART driver. Take it from the 64-bit nForce chipset driver package v. 6.25.

EDIT: You will find the NVATA.CAT within the SATA_IDE folder, but this file is not necessary.

Edited by Fernando 1
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If I want to use the F6 option, do I need copy the 6.67 legacy contents and the nvata.cat & nvraid.cat to a floppy disk?

You can do it, but I am not sure, if you need to do it. CAT files are not really necessary in this case. You may even skip the files during the installation process and the drivers will be installed nevertheless.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I cannot thank you enough for this, Fernando. I spent over 12 hours yesterday trying to get my system up, and then I found this thread. It still took many more hours, but it finally works!

Although, I have a quandry. Under the Device Manager, my RAID Controller is still listed generically and still has a yellow question mark beside it. I downloaded and loaded the lastest drivers (6.69) and that didn't seem to do anything. Anyone know if this is something I should worry about?

And just for others, that may need to do this. This is my config:

OS: Windows XP Pro x64-Edition

CPU: AMD 64 FX-57 @ 2.8GHz

Mobo: DFI Lan Party nF4 SLi-DR (nForce 4)

HDD: WD Raptor 74GB 10krpm x2 (RAID 0)

Ram: 4GB DDR PC3200

GPU: GeForce 7800 GTX x2 (SLi)

It was a bit more difficult for me, because I could not get the GeForce card drivers to stick so even after fixing the infinite reboot problem, I was left at a screen that was indecipherable (garbage pixels). I was finally able to boot up in DOS and load generic driver and then reboot into Windows and load the newest nVidia drivers.

I did have to update my BIOS first, but I could not find 4.84, so I just went to 5.83 and it worked just fine (however, after flashing it, I had to go back into the BIOS Setup and re-enable RAID before I could continue).

Then, just as detailed so wonderfully by Fernando, I used nLite (although I used RC2, which worked just fine) and integrated 6.67 SATARAID drivers into my xp 64 files.

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Although, I have a quandry. Under the Device Manager, my RAID Controller is still listed generically and still has a yellow question mark beside it. I downloaded and loaded the lastest drivers (6.69) and that didn't seem to do anything. Anyone know if this is something I should worry about?

I did have to update my BIOS first, but I could not find 4.84, so I just went to 5.83 and it worked just fine (however, after flashing it, I had to go back into the BIOS Setup and re-enable RAID before I could continue).

Then, just as detailed so wonderfully by Fernando, I used nLite (although I used RC2, which worked just fine) and integrated 6.67 SATARAID drivers into my xp 64 files.

Thank you for the flowers! I appreciate each post, where the user succeeded with my guide.

Now to your questions:

1. The nForce driver package 6.69 has the same SataRaid drivers as the packages 6.66 and 6.67. So it makes no sense to update these drivers by using 6.69. I don't recommend to use the new package 6.69, because there is no LEGACY folder. If you want to integrate the SataRaid drivers, you have to copy some files (NVATAX64.INF, NVCOI.DLL and NVATA.CAB) into the SATARAID subfolder prior to the integration procedure. If you really want to update a Sata or a Raid driver, you should do it by using safe mode booting (F8).

2. The latest official BIOS for your mainboard (dated 23th June) includes the actual NVIDIA Raid Bios version 4.84. You can verify it, when you are booting. The second screen shows your Raid array and the Raid Bios version.

CU

Fernando

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Important message for all users with nForc4 SataRaid systems:

Don't use the new official x64 nForce4 driver package 6.69, when you want to integrate new SataRaid drivers into a bootable CD! :no: It's better to take the SataRaid drivers from the 6.67 package.

After a lot of frustrating tests (I always got endless reboots at the end of the install again) I found the reason: NVIDIA now gave the Satabus driver different names within the same package (NVATAX64.SYS and NVATA64.SYS) and they renamed the Satabus information file from NVATAX64.INF to NVATA64.INF. So if you copy the INF file from the SATA_IDE into the SATARAID subfolder, the Windows XPx64 Setup will not find the correct nForce Satabus driver. The installation even fails, when you just rename the NVATA64.INF file to NVATAX64.INF.

As a consequece of this I have re-adjusted the text of my Post No 1.

CU

Fernando

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I want to install Windows XP x64 on my DFI nForce 3 250Gb mobo using the floppy F6 method (cuz nLite 1.0 RC3 hangs during its processing) on a SATA hd. But which driver should I use; the old 6.25 beta driver or a newer one v6.67 from Guru3D?

Edited by dazkrlauwste
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I want to install Windows XP x64 on my DFI nForce 3 250Gb mobo using the floppy F6 method (cuz nLite 1.0 RC3 hangs during its processing) on a SATA hd. But which driver should I use; the old 6.25 beta driver or a newer one v6.67 from Guru3D?
I postulate, that you have no nForce Raid array and only 1 S-ATA hard disk drive.

If you really want to integrate the nForce SATA drivers by using the F6/Floppy method, you should take the x64 SATA_IDE drivers from the package 6.25 or 6.56.

My suggestion is nevertheless the integration of the SATA_IDE drivers from the x64 package 6.67 as textmode driver by using nLite 1.0 RC3. That should work.

In each case you have to keep in mind, that you have to take the other x64 nForce drivers (for Ethernet, SMBus, GART etc.) from the package 6.25.

CU

Fernando

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Hello Fernando.....been trying to follow this thread and the advice from planet amd64...However, still having problems with the latest nlite rc3 and these 6.67 2k3 64-bit sataraid drivers.

When inserting the legacy drivers in nlite, it keeps asking me for the nvatabus.inf file....I cant find it in any of the driver folders! I really dont want to use an older one as the whole purpose of this mission is to get the latest Sata Raid drivers due to the error logs I am getting on this sytem...

If I proceede to ignore the nlite message for nvatabus, it will go about half way through setup and hang...... Any help?

Thanks B)

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