Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[Fernando 1]

So, are you saying I should build a new CD, or should I be able to use F6?

Hi siobhanellis,

as I don't have an nForce430 mainboard, I cannot test it myself.

NVIDIA had announced, that SataRaid systems wth an nForce430/410 or nForce590/570/550 chipset do not need the LEGACY subfolder and can be installed by using the SATARAID one. I cannot verify, if they are right. Users with an nForce5XX chipset reported, that they could install XP onto their RAID by just using the content of the SATARAID subfolder, but I don't have any feedback yet from a user with an nForce430/410 chipset mainboard. This is why your post is very appreciated.

My advice for you:

1. Before you begin to create a new nLited CD, have a look into the nForce chipset driver package of your mainboard CD and report here, if you find a IDE\LEGACY subfolder.

2. Copy the content of the IDE\SATARAID subfolder (as it is) of your mainboard driver CD onto a floppy and try to install XP or W2k3 by using the F6/floppy method.

3. If you succeed, you can create an nLited CD with integrated nForce SataRaid drivers by using the same drivers as with the F6/floppy method.

If the installation with F6/floppy using the SATARAID subfolder fails, then NVIDIA is wrong and you have to use the LEGACY subfolder of your mainboard driver CD (if there is a LEGACY folder) or from the driver package I suggested within my first post. In this case you should not use the F6/floppy method (you will get endless reboots at the end), but create a new nLited CD.

There is no need at all to mix the content of the subfolders.

Please report here about your results, because it may be very helpful for other users.

Thanks and good luck!

Fernando

[siobhanellis]

With the XP drivers from my MB CD I can install Windows XP, but not Windows 2003.

There is no Legacy folder on my MB CD

The Legacy folder from the NVIDIA Vista Beta 2 does not work either.

Guess I'll have to log a call with nVidia, see what they say.

Thanks for all your help and, if I get anywhere, I'll let you know.

Siobhan

[keats]

I use an Asus mainboard with a 430 chipset. For me the sataraid folder of the Vista package with the 6.67 drivers was not enough. The legacy folder works without any problems, though.

Thanks for your guide

keats

[Fernando 1]

With the XP drivers from my MB CD I can install Windows XP, but not Windows 2003.

There is no Legacy folder on my MB CD

The Legacy folder from the NVIDIA Vista Beta 2 does not work either.

Guess I'll have to log a call with nVidia, see what they say.

Thanks for all your help and, if I get anywhere, I'll let you know.

Thanks for your posting. Let's wait, what NVIDIA says.

I use an Asus mainboard with a 430 chipset. For me the sataraid folder of the Vista package with the 6.67 drivers was not enough. The legacy folder works without any problems, though.

Thank you for this information. I will modify my guide concerning the suitable SataRaid drivers for users with an nforce 430/410 chipset.

[cyberloner]

can u guys direct install the ide as nforce ide by using beta vista nforce driver? since it is not whql....

i dun use nlite to intergrate it by the way

[Fernando 1]

can u guys direct install the ide as nforce ide by using beta vista nforce driver? since it is not whql....

Yes, you can use the Vista Beta2 nForce IDE drivers with nearly all nForce chipsets.

By the way: None of the nForce SataRaid drivers usable for nForce2/nForce3/nForce4 are WHQL certified, even not the official ones. Only the drivers within the SATARAID and SATA_IDE subfolder of some nForce packages are digitally signed by MS, but owners of a mainboard with an nForce2, nForce3, nForce4 and even nForce430/410 chipset cannot use them, when they have built a SataRaid system. They get endless reboots at the end of the installation. That is the reason why I propose to take the not WHQL certified drivers off the LEGACY subfolder.

[cyberloner]

actually i am still using nforce 3 driver ide...

slipstreaming using editiing txtsetup method...

but the driver i use cannot support newest chipset for 570/590

i tested successful to intergrate the vista beta driver into my dvd, but at blue screen installation i can detect the harddisk under nvatabus system....

after entering windows...

windows will use normal microsoft ide....

in the case of nforce3 ide driver.... it is whql and auto use by windows.... it works for my board nforce4 ultra too

need to use the winnt.sif editing but too many oemXX.inf in windows =)

still testing...

always updated to ryan pack, editing drivers, updating drivers... that's why i use manual intergration....

[Fernando 1]

actually i am still using nforce 3 driver ide...

slipstreaming using editiing txtsetup method...

but the driver i use cannot support newest chipset for 570/590

i tested successful to intergrate the vista beta driver into my dvd, but at blue screen installation i can detect the harddisk under nvatabus system....

after entering windows...

windows will use normal microsoft ide....

in the case of nforce3 ide driver.... it is whql and auto use by windows.... it works for my board nforce4 ultra too

When you don't want to slipstream the newest nForce IDE drivers by using a tool like nLite, you will have to take the IDE drivers off the old nForce chipset driver package v. 6.53. After the successful install you can update the nForce IDE drivers NVATABUS.SYS (as nForce S-ATA Controller driver) and NVRAID.SYS.

[cyberloner]

Thanks for keep replying fernando...

Using PhreeZ method but the driver need to copy to $oem$\$$ folder

they really works and the vista beta raid driver is installed perfectly =)

windows just ignore the whql and install for me =.=

[bobindeed]

I hope this hasn't been asked already. This thread is 57 pages, so it's hard to check!

1) I'm slipstreaming an XP cd for my upcoming install. I just got one of those new Seagate's. SATA2, Perp. So I'll need to integrate SATA drivers into it, since I'm going to install on the new drive. I have a VNF4 mobo, nForce4. Is the guide in the first post of this thread for me? Should I follow that to get the right SATA drivers integrated?

2) How would I go about testing the CD? Last time I did a CD I used VMWare to test. This time I'm not sure that will work. I can make VMWare use SATA, I think, but will the nVidia drivers work properly on VMWare?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Fernando 1]

I hope this hasn't been asked already. This thread is 57 pages, so it's hard to check!

Hi Bobindeed,

welcome to the nLite forum!

There is no need for any excuse. Nobody can or should read all contributions. The only important one is the first post of this thread.

1) I'm slipstreaming an XP cd for my upcoming install. I just got one of those new Seagate's. SATA2, Perp. So I'll need to integrate SATA drivers into it, since I'm going to install on the new drive. I have a VNF4 mobo, nForce4. Is the guide in the first post of this thread for me? Should I follow that to get the right SATA drivers integrated?

The guide was written for users with an nForce RAID array. Whithin the first post of this thread you find this:

Attention: The following guide is only useful for users with an nForce Raid array!

So if you don't have built an nForce RAID array, my guide will not really help you.

My advice for you:

If you want to integrate the nForce SATA drivers into an nLited CD, just integrate the SATA_IDE subfolder of the 6.86 chipset driver package as PnP driver. XP with integrated SP2 should detect your SATA drives during TEXTMODE (=first) part of the installation without any third party SATA driver. You can simply test it by booting off the original XP SP2 CD without hitting F6.

2) How would I go about testing the CD? Last time I did a CD I used VMWare to test. This time I'm not sure that will work. I can make VMWare use SATA, I think, but will the nVidia drivers work properly on VMWare?

You can't simulate nonexistent hardware with VMWare. So you cannot be really sure, if the drivers tested with VMWare will work in reality.

CU

Fernando

Edited August 23, 2006 by Fernando 1

[Fernando 1]

@ all users with an nForce SataRaid system:

After a lot of new tests with the current version of nLite I figured out, that it is possible to get the newest WHQL certified nForce SataRaid drivers installed onto an nForce SataRaid system, when you do a special combination of the nForce SataRaid integration:

• Integration of the SATARAID subfolder (from the suitable nForce chipset driver package) as TEXTMODE driver and additionally
  
• Integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder (from the same nForce chipset driver package) as PnP driver!
  

At the end of the successul OS installation I had a flawlessly running Windows XP, all nForce IDE drivers (the SATA and RAID ones) were WHQL certified. Another advantage: Windows did install the MS IDE instead of the NVIDIA PATA (=IDE s/w) drivers (a lot of nForce users have troubles with the NVIDIA ones).

These findings might be a big step forward for all users with an nForce SataRaid system, but - as I could only test it with my nForce4 system - the new method has to be confirmed by users with other nForce chipsets. Nevertheless I am very optimistic, that the method works with every actual nForce chipset (except the nForce2 and nForce3 ones).

For further details look into the first post of this thread.

CU

Fernando

[bobindeed]

If you want to integrate the nForce SATA drivers into an nLited CD, just integrate the SATA_IDE subfolder of the 6.86 chipset driver package as PnP driver. XP with integrated SP2 should detect your SATA drives during TEXTMODE (=first) part of the installation without any third party SATA driver. You can simply test it by booting off the original XP SP2 CD without hitting F6.

Thanks Fernando. I didn't know SP2 integrated into the CD would do that. I guess I'll pop the drive in and give the CD a try without the drivers.

Thanks again.

[BelowSky]

@ all users with an nForce SataRaid system:

After a lot of new tests with the current version of nLite I figured out, that it is possible to get the newest WHQL certified nForce SataRaid drivers installed onto an nForce SataRaid system, when you do a special combination of the nForce SataRaid integration:

• Integration of the SATARAID subfolder (from the suitable nForce chipset driver package) as TEXTMODE driver and additionally
  
• Integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder (from the same nForce chipset driver package) as PnP driver!
  

At the end of the successul OS installation I had a flawlessly running Windows XP, all nForce IDE drivers (the SATA and RAID ones) were WHQL certified. Another advantage: Windows did install the MS IDE instead of the NVIDIA PATA (=IDE s/w) drivers (a lot of nForce users have troubles with the NVIDIA ones).

These findings might be a big step forward for all users with an nForce SataRaid system, but - as I could only test it with my nForce4 system - the new method has to be confirmed by users with other nForce chipsets. Nevertheless I am very optimistic, that the method works with every actual nForce chipset (except the nForce2 and nForce3 ones).

For further details look into the first post of this thread.

CU

Fernando

So, is that a fix for the endless reboots with the latest nLite?

If yes, just let me say "I LOVE YOU" man

Edited August 27, 2006 by BelowSky

[Fernando 1]

@ all users with an nForce SataRaid system:

After a lot of new tests with the current version of nLite I figured out, that it is possible to get the newest WHQL certified nForce SataRaid drivers installed onto an nForce SataRaid system, when you do a special combination of the nForce SataRaid integration:

• Integration of the SATARAID subfolder (from the suitable nForce chipset driver package) as TEXTMODE driver and additionally
  
• Integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder (from the same nForce chipset driver package) as PnP driver!
  

At the end of the successul OS installation I had a flawlessly running Windows XP, all nForce IDE drivers (the SATA and RAID ones) were WHQL certified. Another advantage: Windows did install the MS IDE instead of the NVIDIA PATA (=IDE s/w) drivers (a lot of nForce users have troubles with the NVIDIA ones).

These findings might be a big step forward for all users with an nForce SataRaid system, but - as I could only test it with my nForce4 system - the new method has to be confirmed by users with other nForce chipsets. Nevertheless I am very optimistic, that the method works with every actual nForce chipset (except the nForce2 and nForce3 ones).

For further details look into the first post of this thread.

So, is that a fix for the endless reboots with the latest nLite?

If yes, just let me say "I LOVE YOU" man

This is not a fix for nLite, but a big chance to get WHQL certified SataRaid drivers installed.

An additional advantage of the WHQL method: You only will be able to do an Upgrade from Windows XP to Vista, if the controller drivers of your XP are correctly digitally signed by Microsoft. This has to be done right from the start (Vista looks into the drivers list, which were first of all installed during the XP installation). Users with LEGACY drivers will probably not be able to Upgrade to Vista.