Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[Fernando 1]

I slipstreamed SP2 (worked well), but the driver integration didn't work (happens the same)

How do you mean that?

What exactly happened and at what step of the installation?

EDIT:

If you are not able to install a clean Windows XP, you possibly have a hardware problem.

Did you enable the SATA ports within the BIOS?

Are the SATA HDD's recognized within BIOS?

Edited December 7, 2005 by Fernando 1

[darks0ul]

I'm integrating drivers in the same machine I intend to install windows to. The problem is nLite: at the step "Preparing selected tasks". It slipstreams SP2 fine, but it does not integrates sata drivers. By the way, my sata hdd is working ok, under this windows partition.

[Fernando 1]

I'm integrating drivers in the same machine I intend to install windows to. The problem is nLite: at the step "Preparing selected tasks". It slipstreams SP2 fine, but it does not integrates sata drivers.

Does that mean, that you can install Windows XP with the nLited CD, but without the nForce Sata drivers? Or do you have a break within the installation?

Which nForce driver subfolder did you integrate?

EDIT:

Which nLite version did you use?

By the way, my sata hdd is working ok, under this windows partition.

How did you manage the installation on this working partition? Edited December 7, 2005 by Fernando 1

[darks0ul]

Does that mean, that you can install Windows XP with the nLited CD, but without the nForce Sata drivers? Or do you have a break within the installation?

Which nForce driver subfolder did you integrate?

I would be able to install windows. If I want to add sata, I cant.

EDIT:

Which nLite version did you use?

How did you manage the installation on this working partition?

Im using windows installed on another hdd, later I installed sata drivers and the sata drive, sorry I didnt explain this very good...

[Fernando 1]

By the way, my sata hdd is working ok, under this windows partition.

Im using windows installed on another hdd, later I installed sata drivers and the sata drive, sorry I didnt explain this very good...

You are right, it is not easy to help you because you give very little and rather unclear informations.

Why didn't you answer to my questions?

Which nForce driver subfolder did you integrate?

Which nLite version did you use?

As far as I understand your posts, you did not even reach the step to install Windows XP by using an nLited CD with integrated nForce Sata drivers, because you have difficulties to create an nLited ISO image with integrated nForce Sata drivers.

If this summary is correct, then your problem is nLite and not the execution of my guide. In this case you should open a new thread within the nLite forum and explain your problem, because otherwise Nuhi would not get knowledge about this nLite problem.

By the way: Have you ever tried just to integrate the SATA_IDE subfolder of the nForce driver package 6.70 as "normal" (not as textmode) driver? Because you have no Raid system, there is no need for the raid drivers as mass controller drivers.

I would like to help you, but you should give me a chance to do it.........

CU

Fernando

[Shuttle]

I am using an MSI MS-7185 K8N SLI X16 motherboard, which according to the nVidia driver page needs the 6.82 driver.

When I expand it, it only has a sataraid direction.

Patariad is no longer there.

Only raidtool, sata_ide, and sataraid directories exist.

I have never tried the 6.82 driver package (because I don't have a SLI 2x16 mainboard), but I suppose, that you should do the following:

Copy the files NVATA.INF, NVATA.SYS, NVCOI.DLL and NVATA.CAT from the SATA_IDE into the SATARAID subfolder.

Then you can integrate the content of the SATARAID subfolder as Textmode driver by using nLite.

If you are a little bit anxious, put the content of the SATARAID subfolder (with the added files) onto a floppy disk and try to install Windows XP by using the F6 method. If your Raid array is correctly detected, you can stop the installation and create your bootable XP CD with integrated nForce SataRaid drivers by using nLite.

Good luck!

Fernando

Dave or Fernando, can anyone confirm the suggestion above works please? I am very interested to use this 6.82 SATARAID driver package for my regular nForce4 AMD. Some people claim in the Nvidia forums that this driver package does not generate the data corruption issues on SATA/IDE transfers that are reportedly created with older packages.

I have a feeling that since there is no Legacy folder in there, this newer package might have cleaner SATA and/or IDE drivers. I'd like to try slipstreaming with this driver version, ie without using anything in the Legacy folder. Fernando, you said 'I suppose you should do the following: Copy... and then integrate content of SATARAID' Are you positive this works with the 6.70 maybe? If so, I'll try it on 6.82 tonight.

[Fernando 1]

Fernando, you said 'I suppose you should do the following: Copy... and then integrate content of SATARAID' Are you positive this works with the 6.70 maybe? If so, I'll try it on 6.82 tonight.

I am pretty sure, that it will work with the 6.70 package, if you put all extra needed files (NVATABUS.INF, NVATA.CAT and NVCOI.DLL) into the SATARAID subfolder prior to the integration. This would even be better than the easy method with the LEGACY subfolder, because you have the CAT files present, which enforce the correct installation of the drivers (SYS files).

If you want to do the same with the package 6.82, there is only one problem: Within the newest nForce chipset driver packages you won't find a file named NVATABUS.INF (but a very similar file named NVATA.INF within the SATA_IDE subfolder). If you copy this file into the SATARAID subfolder, the necessary driver NVATABUS.SYS - although it is present in the SATARAID folder - will not be found by the installation routine, because the NVATA.INF points to a driver named NVATA.SYS, which is not present within the SATARAID folder. In this case you have 3 options to get a correct installation of all needed SataRaid drivers:

1) You copy both NVATA files (NVATA.INF and NVATA.SYS) from the SATA_IDE into the SATARAID subfolder (I am not sure, if it works, because the "normal" name for the nForce Sata Controller driver layed down in the SIF files is "NVATABUS.SYS").

2) you open the NVATA.INF with the editor, search for "NVATA.SYS" and rename it to "NVATABUS.SYS" or

3) you take a NVATABUS.INF from chipset package 6.67 (32bit), it contains the same SataRaid driver version 5.52.

Hope, that this is help enough.

CU

Fernando

Edited December 8, 2005 by Fernando 1

[Shuttle]

Fernando, you said 'I suppose you should do the following: Copy... and then integrate content of SATARAID' Are you positive this works with the 6.70 maybe? If so, I'll try it on 6.82 tonight.

I am pretty sure, that it will work with the 6.70 package, if you put all extra needed files (NVATABUS.INF, NVATA.CAT and NVCOI.DLL) into the SATARAID subfolder prior to the integration. This would even be better than the easy method with the LEGACY subfolder, because you have the CAT files present, which enforce the correct installation of the drivers (SYS files).

If you want to do the same with the package 6.82, there is only one problem: Within the newest nForce chipset driver packages you won't find a file named NVATABUS.INF (but a very similar file named NVATA.INF within the SATA_IDE subfolder). If you copy this file into the SATARAID subfolder, the necessary driver NVATABUS.SYS - although it is present in the SATARAID folder - will not be found by the installation routine, because the NVATA.INF points to a driver named NVATA.SYS, which is not present within the SATARAID folder. In this case you have 3 options to get a correct installation of all needed SataRaid drivers:

1) You copy both NVATA files (NVATA.INF and NVATA.SYS) from the SATA_IDE into the SATARAID subfolder (I am not sure, if it works, because the "normal" name for the nForce Sata Controller driver layed down in the SIF files is "NVATABUS.SYS").

2) you open the NVATA.INF with the editor, search for "NVATA.SYS" and rename it to "NVATABUS.SYS" or

3) you take a NVATABUS.INF from another chipset package (if you want you can edit the correct driver version and date).

Hope, that this is help enough.

CU

Fernando

Thanks Fernando. Will see what I can do.

[Fernando 1]

Thanks Fernando. Will see what I can do.

OK

Now, I am not going to use the SATARAID folder, I am going to trust Fernando 1 and use the LEGACY folder of 6.70 ...

What was the result? Did you succeed with the LEGACY folder?

[banshee28]

I am pretty sure, that it will work with the 6.70 package, if you put all extra needed files (NVATABUS.INF, NVATA.CAT and NVCOI.DLL) into the SATARAID subfolder prior to the integration. This would even be better than the easy method with the LEGACY subfolder, because you have the CAT files present, which enforce the correct installation of the drivers (SYS files).

If you want to do the same with the package 6.82, there is only one problem: Within the newest nForce chipset driver packages you won't find a file named NVATABUS.INF (but a very similar file named NVATA.INF within the SATA_IDE subfolder). If you copy this file into the SATARAID subfolder, the necessary driver NVATABUS.SYS - although it is present in the SATARAID folder - will not be found by the installation routine, because the NVATA.INF points to a driver named NVATA.SYS, which is not present within the SATARAID folder. In this case you have 3 options to get a correct installation of all needed SataRaid drivers:

1) You copy both NVATA files (NVATA.INF and NVATA.SYS) from the SATA_IDE into the SATARAID subfolder (I am not sure, if it works, because the "normal" name for the nForce Sata Controller driver layed down in the SIF files is "NVATABUS.SYS").

2) you open the NVATA.INF with the editor, search for "NVATA.SYS" and rename it to "NVATABUS.SYS" or

3) you take a NVATABUS.INF from chipset package 6.67 (32bit), it contains the same SataRaid driver version 5.52.

Hope, that this is help enough.

CU

Fernando

Update: I tried OPTION#1 using Win2k3 (same as WinXP) and it allowed windows to see ONE drive, and started the install....Then once it was done, and rebooted, it goes to the BIOS screen, then reboots right before starting windows

Edited December 9, 2005 by banshee28

[Fernando 1]

Update: I tried OPTION#1 using Win2k3 (same as WinXP) and it allowed windows to see ONE drive, and started the install....Then once it was done, and rebooted, it goes to the BIOS screen, then reboots right before starting windows

Thanks, Banshee!

Your test verifies, that option No 1 does not work the easy way (without editing the SIF files).

Did you try one of the other options? If yes, did you succeed?

[Shuttle]

What was the result? Did you succeed with the LEGACY folder?

YEAH! Worked brilliantly (did I forget to mention ? Sorry).

Best guide and tool I found. This thread rocks

Now I want to get rid of the IDE driver if I can and just keep the SATA. That's all.

[Fernando 1]

YEAH! Worked brilliantly (did I forget to mention ? Sorry).

Best guide and tool I found. This thread rocks

That are really good news - Congratulations!

Now I want to get rid of the IDE driver if I can and just keep the SATA. That's all.

This will be not a problem. Go into the device manager, open the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller, right click on NVIDIA nForce4 Parallel ATA Controller > "driver update" > not automaticly > not search, have ... > show compatible hardware. There you will find the "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller". Choose it and install it.

My personal impression about this MS driver: the nForce P-ATA (SW IDE) driver is better. I would only change this driver, if I would have a problem with it (any issue with my CDROM or DVD device), but until now everything was perfect with my IDE devices.

CU

Fernando

[jinjoo]

Okay ....

Question:

The 'legacy' method makes me uneasy, I want the best drivers possible

Will doing the legacy method with nLite then once windows is installed running the 6.70 driver installation on top of this have the same effect as if I had just used the drivers out of the sataraid folder (assuming Windows XP didn't overwrite them on install like we know it does) ??

And will this have the same effect as copying the files you specified into the sataraid folder of 6.70 BEFORE integrating with nLite?

Also if I try the copy files into sataraid folder method, since you say it is better (which I want) just not the 'easiest' .. is that all I have to do? No editing of any files or anything?

Also I see some mention in other threads of just using the 6.53 versions IDE folder to integrate or put on a floppy then just run the 6.70 installer to get the real latest drivers ... what is your opinion on this method?

[Fernando 1]

Question:

Will doing the legacy method with nLite then once windows is installed running the 6.70 driver installation on top of this have the same effect as if I had just used the drivers out of the sataraid folder (assuming Windows XP didn't overwrite them on install like we know it does) ??

When you integrate the LEGACY folder of the 6.70 package, you will get all needed drivers of this package (no need for an update later).

And will this have the same effect as copying the files you specified into the sataraid folder of 6.70 BEFORE integrating with nLite?

Also if I try the copy files into sataraid folder method, since you say it is better (which I want) just not the 'easiest' .. is that all I have to do? No editing of any files or anything?

Just to take the LEGACY folder is the easiest method. A little bit better for the install of a Microsoft OS is it to have the CAT files within the same folder. So if you copy the NVATABUS.INF, NVCOI.DLL and NVATA.CAT into the SATARAID folder and then do the integration of this completed SATARAID folder, it might be easier for MS to take the correct drivers. No editing is necessary!

Also I see some mention in other threads of just using the 6.53 versions IDE folder to integrate or put on a floppy then just run the 6.70 installer to get the real latest drivers ... what is your opinion on this method?

I would not propose this method, if you have an nForce Raid array, because the update of the Raid driver is not as easy as the update of a normal hardware driver.

CU

Fernando