Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[nowinscenario]

The ASUS point is important: and, if I'm not mistaken, there's some that require you to have SATA enabled in the BIOS even if there are no SATA drives (I'm almost sure this was the case on recent board I worked on--which, after pulling my hair out, turned out to be a simple, but non-intuitive, BIOS setting)... User beware!

[calderstrake]

The ASUS point is important: and, if I'm not mistaken, there's some that require you to have SATA enabled in the BIOS even if there are no SATA drives (I'm almost sure this was the case on recent board I worked on--which, after pulling my hair out, turned out to be a simple, but non-intuitive, BIOS setting)... User beware!

This is not accurate information in regards to A8N-SLI Deluxe on BIOS 1016. nvraid does NOT need to be enabled if you are merely running SATA drives in a normal fashion. If you want to run a RAID array, then you need to a) enable the nvraid and B) enable the channels you want the RAID configured on.

[whimsical]

Sincere thanks for the advice folks!

[Fernando 1]

Good news for users, who always want the newest drivers:

NVIDIA has published a new nForce chipset driver package v. 9.34. Although this package is mainly designed for the future nForce5 chipsets, it is also usable for nForce4 chipsets.

For the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers I do not recommend to take the "normal" 9.34 package, but the one laying here: ftp://download.nvidia.com/Windows/vista/beta2/

The SataRaid drivers off the 32-bit package are designed for Vista Beta2, but very good usable for XP too. Important is the presence of a full compatible LEGACY subfolder with all necessary files.

I have added these drivers into my guide (first post of this thread).

CU

Fernando

Edited May 25, 2006 by Fernando 1

[marioja]

Fernando, I have a problem with stop code 7B but I have no problem installing windows server 2003 using the 6.69 drivers as is during F6. Are those instructions outdated? (doubt due to amount of repies). I have an ASUS A8N5X with nForce 4 and RAID.

I'll tell you my issue with 7B. I have a W2K3 server running on another hardware that I moved using Symantec Livestate Recovery advanced server 6.0 suite using a recover anyware option that allows to recover to dissimilar hardware. Actually, it does not work for me. Here is what I have seen:

If I use the Symantec tool I get a BSOD with 7B stop code upon reboot

If I run a repair using W2K3 SP1 slipstreamed bootable CD(lets call it CD1) without using the method described in this thread I still get the STOP code 7B upon reboot (this could be due to the cause explained in this thread)

If I run a repair using W2K3 SP1 slipstreamed bootable CD(lets call it CD2) using the method described in this thread I STILLget the STOP code 7B upon reboot.

Now, if I use CD1 and do a fresh install of W2K3 on the raid disk, all is OK and I don't get the STOP code.

Why is this happeing?

Why don't I get 7B stop code using CD1

What could I do to make W2K3 work (if you know)?

Thanks a million

Edited May 26, 2006 by marioja

[nowinscenario]

Correction: My hardware builder said this was not ASUS, but a peculiarity in a MSI board because of a faulty BIOS--flashing fixed it.

[Fernando 1]

Fernando, I have a problem with stop code 7B but I have no problem installing windows server 2003 using the 6.69 drivers as is during F6. Are those instructions outdated? (doubt due to amount of repies). I have an ASUS A8N5X with nForce 4 and RAID.

If you have integrated the nForce SataRaid drivers into your W2k3 CD, you should not hit the F6 button! If you do it nevertheless, you may get a BSOD with a 7B stop message.

[marioja]

I did not hit F6 when using the integrated CD1 or CD2. Fernando, do you have any idean on the 3 questions in my last post?

Fernando, I have a problem with stop code 7B but I have no problem installing windows server 2003 using the 6.69 drivers as is during F6. Are those instructions outdated? (doubt due to amount of repies). I have an ASUS A8N5X with nForce 4 and RAID.

If you have integrated the nForce SataRaid drivers into your W2k3 CD, you should not hit the F6 button! If you do it nevertheless, you may get a BSOD with a 7B stop message.

Actually what I was trying to say is: when doing a fresh install using a regular windows 2003 CD and the 6.69 drivers through F6, I do not get the stop code 7B

[Fernando 1]

Actually what I was trying to say is: when doing a fresh install using a regular windows 2003 CD and the 6.69 drivers through F6, I do not get the stop code 7B

1. Do you have a P-ATA or a S-ATA Raid?

2. The content of which driver subfolder or which sort of mixture did you put onto the floppy for F6?

Edited May 26, 2006 by Fernando 1

[marioja]

Do you have a P-ATA or a S-ATA Raid?

S-ATA Raid is what I have

[Fernando 1]

S-ATA Raid is what I have

Have you seen my second question?

[marioja]

2. The content of which driver subfolder or which sort of mixture did you put onto the floppy for F6?

Sorry, I missed the second question. I created the SATARAID folder using the method mentioned in step 1 and 2 under Windows Server 2003 at the beginning of your post. Then I used that folder for NLite single driver integration. Then I integrated other pnp drivers. Is that what you mean?

Edited May 26, 2006 by marioja

[Fernando 1]

I created the SATARAID folder using the method mentioned in step 1 and 2 under Windows Server 2003 at the beginning of your post. Then I used that folder for NLite single driver integration. Then I integrated other pnp drivers.

Thanks for the details.

I really have no idea, why you got a BSOD by using my method according post 1 of this thread and no BSOD by using the F6/floppy method.

Is it possible, that you used different drivers from different packages? There are two nForce packages v. 6.69, one 32-bit for W2k3 and one 64-bit for XP and W2k3. Are you sure, that you took the 32-bit ones?

[Evofighter]

Do I need to integrate the sata_ide folder too for 32bit WinXP? I follow your guide in 1st post and encountered the same problem as before. But the 6.7 package doesn't come with a PATARAID folder.

Anyway, I have make another slipstream with sata_ide integrated but haven't tried it out yet.

[Fernando 1]

Do I need to integrate the sata_ide folder too for 32bit WinXP? I follow your guide in 1st post and encountered the same problem as before. But the 6.7 package doesn't come with a PATARAID folder.

NVIDIA has renamed the "PATARAID" folder to "LEGACY". So if you can find a LEGACY folder, just take this one. It is neither necessary nor useful to integrate the SATA_IDE folder, unless you rename some files and some INF entries.

For details look into the first post of this thread. It is always up-to-date.

CU

Fernando