Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[Fernando 1]

how did you do it (as textmode or PnP)?

Sorry, old question...I selected TextMode for Silicon Image and only half of the two options....there was 1 for "Itanium" processor and 1 for x64 multi-processor. I choosed only x64 multi-processor.

For the nVidia SATA/RAID Drivers I selected both TEXTMODE rows with "required" at the end.

Everything regarding the textmode driver integration seems to be ok.

Do I need PNP somehow?

No.

Here you can get the newest textmode SATA drivers for your Sil3132 S-ATA chips.

I got the latest BIOS version, maybe I need the latest Silicon Driver too in addition.

I'll try that......too!

That's a good idea.

Good luck!

Fernando

Edited February 20, 2008 by Fernando 1

[Olograph]

No, nothing that I remember. I'll still shoot you a screenshot of that BSOD.

There are some pictures of the most evil BSOD:

Seem the RAID drivers disapeared.....!? It is the same error I get when installing windows without drivers!

I got the latest BIOS version, maybe I need the latest Silicon Driver too in addition.

I'll try that......too!

Man, that is worse with the Silicon Image driver you sent me look at the cd error I got in Windows installation:

I can do retry forever, nothing happens, even if I change the DVD.

You should either choose the correct setting (depending on your processor type, but with ACPI support) or leave it at "automatic" or "default".

About ACPI.....default was already selected, the available options are the following:

-ACPI Multiprocessor x64

-ACPI Uniprocessor x64

I'm just about desactivating the Silicon Image controller and use only the nVidia one.

Thanks,

Edited February 21, 2008 by Olograph

[Fernando 1]

Man, that is worse with the Silicon Image driver you sent me look at the cd error I got in Windows installation:

I doubt, that the new Silicon Image S-ATA driver is the reason for that error message.

Are you sure, that your DVD Burner and the previously burned CD is ok?

You should either choose the correct setting (depending on your processor type, but with ACPI support) or leave it at "automatic" or "default".

About ACPI.....default was already selected, the available options are the following:

-ACPI Multiprocessor x64

-ACPI Uniprocessor x64

OK. ACPI Multiprocessor x64 would have been the correct one, but if you have chosen "default", Windows Setup will detect it by its own.

I'm just about desactivating the Silicon Image controller and use only the nVidia one.

You may try it.

If this doesn't help either, you should take any IDE CDROM drive from somewhere or borrow it from a friend, connect it to the IDE port and install the OS from there. Once the OS is up, you will be able to use your SATA DVD Burner again.

[Olograph]

I doubt, that the new Silicon Image S-ATA driver is the reason for that error message.

Are you sure, that your DVD Burner and the previously burned CD is ok?

The DVD is ok, burnt twice to be sure and another with previously tried drivers and got no error.

I'm just about desactivating the Silicon Image controller and use only the nVidia one.

The only thing that changes is that I no more need Silicon Image Drivers.

It still crash, so we can conclude that the problem isn't from Silicon Image.

---

I tried to use a floppy (f6) with latest drivers since I only got one driver to load in and before copying every files to HDD, it says that it couldn't find drivers files on CD!??! It prompted for every files...I know cause I press the key to skip. First file was ndrvx64.sys and all others are the one of my CD.

I just got another theory...is it possible the x64 DVD I'm using has already been nLited and that a previously added driver make the reboot loop?

how can I verify that......should I look into AMD64/NDRV/001 and see if there's additionnal drivers?

nce the OS is up, you will be able to use your SATA DVD Burner again

I'll try to consider the fact that using my DVD burner in SATA can be the problem in itself.

ACPI Multiprocessor x64 would have been the correct one

I'll force the option for ACPI Multiprocessor x64 and give another shot, just not to presume it is ok.

***

Whatever...... what I feel the most is that ....the error I get on before windows statup after install is caused by wrongly installed drivers...Is there a way I can validate my drivers installation through DOS?

I'm not sure if I should say this here but, I'll try Windows Iso Builder, I doubt on nLite txtsetup.sif building for driver copying.

***

I'll also try memtest86 for DOS as Memory Diagnostic tool...

Thanks

Edited February 21, 2008 by Olograph

[Olograph]

Ok, I just read in another forum and someone is having the same pain.....

http://www.planetamd64.com/lofiversion/index.php?t32025.html

That is

-when using a floppy is cannot copy drivers and does bsod

-when using a nLited disk is works but do the reboot loop thing

Seems that it is due to an already nLited disk.

And guess what? Mine has already been! I didn't know it matters ....

Does it mean I get conflicting drivers on the nLite disk?

or

Does it means that every already nLited disk shouldn't ever be used?

Thanks

[Fernando 1]

Ok, I just read in another forum and someone is having the same pain.....

http://www.planetamd64.com/lofiversion/index.php?t32025.html

That is

-when using a floppy is cannot copy drivers and does bsod

-when using a nLited disk is works but do the reboot loop thing

Seems that it is due to an already nLited disk.

And guess what? Mine has already been! I didn't know it matters ....

Does it mean I get conflicting drivers on the nLite disk?

or

Does it means that every already nLited disk shouldn't ever be used?

That is true. You should never use a modified (for example an already nLited) CD as source, if you are going to create an nLited CD.

This is what I have written within my guide (first post of this thread):

Important Requirements:

You only will succeed with the integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers, if you have

- a correctly created nForce RAID array (shown as "healthy" and set as bootable, for further informations look here)

- an up-to-date mainboard and nVRaid BIOS (= MediaShield IDE ROM), which is part of the mainboard BIOS. Actual nVRaid drivers may need a Raid Bios v. 4.81 or higher.

- a stable system (proper RAM modules and stable BIOS settings)

- an original or perfectly created clean (not nLited or modded) OS CD as source

- a proper working IDE-connected CD or DVD drive

- an enabled ACPI power management (within BIOS, don't disabe it by nLite settings).

Users, who are asking for help here, should have read and followed my guide.

[Olograph]

At least now you know the consequences....

I am extremely sorry dude! I should have read it more carefully.

There is so much of thing to do in life and so few of time that we try to make some shortcuts....It never pays anyway ....this is ironic.

At least even If I had read before, I realized later that it was nLited.

What does make the nLited versions so non-reusable?

I'll get a non-nLited version .... Legal? and keep you informed.

Thanks!!!!!

Edited February 21, 2008 by Olograph

[twfry]

Hi Fernando,

This is my first time posting and I wanted to thank you for all of your advise, posts and work over the past few years. I've read a lot of what you have put up on different boards and it has been so helpful. NVIDIA should definitely pay you something..

I wanted to give you some feedback on how the drivers are working on my chipset since you have asked for this before and also for some advise. I've been struggling for 4 weeks with getting an nForce 570 RAID setup stable and have run out of things to try. The system is:

ASUS M2N-E motherboard

nForce 570 Ultra AMD chipset

Athlon x2 4000+ CPU (Brisbane stepping)

G-Skill memory 2 sticks 2GB each

Western Digital 500GB hard drives

RAID 1 setup on SATA ports 1 and 2 (1.0 & 1.1)

Windows XP x64 SP2 clean install (only VMWare workstation 6.0.2 installed)

nForce 6.99 drivers

latest BIOS/all windows updates

The install process you outlined with nLite went fine and the RAID setup is working. However, when the hard drives are put under a little bit of work, performance drops to a crawl (< 1MB/sec, when normally ~20MB/sec when copying a file). If I really stress the system I can guarantee a BSOD with either IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. For example, if I try to copy a 10GB file on the host and suspend/resume two vmware guests at the same time, HD performance becomes horrible and then a BSOD happens.

Microsoft says that the combination of these two faults can be due to faulty drivers.

For hardware tests, I have tried 3 different pairs of memory, all of which pass memtest+ 1.70 for days. I have also stress tested two different Athlon CPUs for days. All tests pass fine, I am convinced this is not a hardware issue. Also tried different SATA cables.

Reinstalling the system without nForce RAID drivers makes the BSOD goes away with the same tests. So it is definitely not a motherboard/software issue, other than maybe the RAID controller.

Any ideas on what else I can try? Turning NCQ off allowed me to push the system harder, but did not fix it.

You may ask why do this and the reason is that I run a few guest OSes and sometimes I might have to startup and shut down more than one at a time. If the system crashes and invalidates one of the vmware guests, this is a problem, sort of defeats the whole purpose of using raid.

I might just have to give up and go back to a non-RAID setup, but as a last resort I wanted to see if you had any ideas or hopefully if you had heard of this problem before.

Thanks so much,

Tom

[Fernando 1]

Hi Fernando,

This is my first time posting and I wanted to thank you for all of your advise, posts and work over the past few years. I've read a lot of what you have put up on different boards and it has been so helpful. NVIDIA should definitely pay you something..

Thank you for the flowers. What I have done was not for NVIDIA, but for the customers of their nForce chipsets and the users of their drivers.

I wanted to give you some feedback on how the drivers are working on my chipset since you have asked for this before and also for some advise. I've been struggling for 4 weeks with getting an nForce 570 RAID setup stable and have run out of things to try. The system is:

ASUS M2N-E motherboard

nForce 570 Ultra AMD chipset

Athlon x2 4000+ CPU (Brisbane stepping)

G-Skill memory 2 sticks 2GB each

Western Digital 500GB hard drives

RAID 1 setup on SATA ports 1 and 2 (1.0 & 1.1)

Windows XP x64 SP2 clean install (only VMWare workstation 6.0.2 installed)

nForce 6.99 drivers

latest BIOS/all windows updates

The install process you outlined with nLite went fine and the RAID setup is working. However, when the hard drives are put under a little bit of work, performance drops to a crawl (< 1MB/sec, when normally ~20MB/sec when copying a file). If I really stress the system I can guarantee a BSOD with either IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. For example, if I try to copy a 10GB file on the host and suspend/resume two vmware guests at the same time, HD performance becomes horrible and then a BSOD happens.

Microsoft says that the combination of these two faults can be due to faulty drivers.

For hardware tests, I have tried 3 different pairs of memory, all of which pass memtest+ 1.70 for days. I have also stress tested two different Athlon CPUs for days. All tests pass fine, I am convinced this is not a hardware issue. Also tried different SATA cables.

Reinstalling the system without nForce RAID drivers makes the BSOD goes away with the same tests. So it is definitely not a motherboard/software issue, other than maybe the RAID controller.

Any ideas on what else I can try? Turning NCQ off allowed me to push the system harder, but did not fix it.

You may ask why do this and the reason is that I run a few guest OSes and sometimes I might have to startup and shut down more than one at a time. If the system crashes and invalidates one of the vmware guests, this is a problem, sort of defeats the whole purpose of using raid.

I might just have to give up and go back to a non-RAID setup, but as a last resort I wanted to see if you had any ideas or hopefully if you had heard of this problem before.

Hello Tom,

thanks for your interesting and detailed report.

I cannot give you any concrete advice how to solve your problem. There are so many possible reasons for it, that it is not easy to find out the real one.

There are nForce SataRaid users who have a rock stable system from scratch and others who only have problems.

Nevertheless I will try to give you some advices:

1. Have a look onto your PSU. Many pc problems can easily be solved by a new PSU. The most important thing is not the power itself, but the ability to provide exactly the voltage (not more, not less), which is needed by the different devices.

2. Maybe you should have a look into this thread and try the new nForce IDE drivers v9.98.

Good luck!

Fernando

[Olograph]

FYI Everything is working flawlessly! I used another copy of Windows XP x64 Pro and the floppy.

Thanks 1000 times!

Edited February 22, 2008 by Olograph

[Fernando 1]

FYI Everything is working flawlessly! I used another copy of Windows XP x64 Pro and the floppy.

Thanks 1000 times!

Thanks for your final success report, but it is not the primary intention of this forum and this thread, that users at least boot off the original OS CD and load the textmode drivers by F6/floppy.

My impression: "Much Ado About Nothing" (William Shakespeare).

CU

Fernando

[twfry]

Hey Fernando,

Thanks for the quick reply, yes I had seen those packages but didn't try them since my board is non-AHCI. So I tried the 9.98 versions and the results.....

They work , not only did the BSODs go away, but I could push the system as hard as I want to with no issues. Also, hard drive activity behaves as you would expect in the windows xp perfomance window. Before there was always 10-20MB/sec of write activity, even if the drive was just reading or being idle. And now it shows idle states that are idle, just read activity when reading, etc. Basically 9.98 drivers are better on a nforce 570 ultra amd rig no question.

The update process was a little funky though and I thought you would be interested in the results/process. I probably should post this to the other thread, but since we are already talking here

I used device manager->update driver to do the update. Here were the steps.

1) Went to SCSI and RAID controllers -> NVIDIA nForce RAID controller -> update driver -> and selected the sataraid folder. The system updated the raid controller driver to 9.98. Strange thing though, before there were 3 separate NVIDIA nForce Serial 550/570/590 ATA controllers (one for each pair of SATA ports, 6 total). Updating the RAID controller also updated just the first SATA controller (the one with both raided HDs attached). The other 2 SATA controllers were left at 6.99 version.

2) Rebooted, rebooted again, now in device manager -> SCSI and RAID controllers there was 1 updated raid controller, 1 updated SATA controller and 2 older 6.99 SATA controller.

3) Used update driver to update the other 2 SATA controllers. Doing so moved them out of the SCSI and RAID controllers area and into the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers area.

4) Rebooted, now the SATA controllers all had the 9.98 drivers, but one was listed in the SCSI and RAID controllers area and the other 2 in the IDE section. Strange.

5) I then used the installer to update the Ethernet, SMBus and Mediatool. The installer first asked to uninstall old and reboot, on restart it installed the drivers.

6) On next reboot, there was now listed an "Other PCI controller" (or something close). There was also no local network connection. There was no option to rollback driver on the PCI controller. Selected install driver and selected the ethernet directory from your package. Install reboot.

7) Network functionallity was now back and the system looked good except for the misplacement of the SATA controllers.

8) Opened the MediaShield tool which is now version 5.10.2600.663 (is this right). Disturbing results. The 465GB raid drive was now listed as 0.37GB and healthy even though the drive was fully functional. Started a rebuild to see if that would help, it is now at 40029% and counting.

I'm assuming this is the old media shield and it is not fully compatible with the new drivers and the installer did not update it.

Any idea what to try to fix this, is there something else I missed? Might just do a clean install and see how that goes.

Thanks again, your packages rock!!

Tom

[Fernando 1]

Hey Fernando,

Thanks for the quick reply, yes I had seen those packages but didn't try them since my board is non-AHCI. So I tried the 9.98 versions and the results.....

They work , not only did the BSODs go away, but I could push the system as hard as I want to with no issues. Also, hard drive activity behaves as you would expect in the windows xp perfomance window. Before there was always 10-20MB/sec of write activity, even if the drive was just reading or being idle. And now it shows idle states that are idle, just read activity when reading, etc. Basically 9.98 drivers are better on a nforce 570 ultra amd rig no question.

The update process was a little funky though and I thought you would be interested in the results/process. I probably should post this to the other thread, but since we are already talking here

I used device manager->update driver to do the update. Here were the steps.

Hello Tom,

thanks for your interesting and useful report. This certainly will help other users with similar problems.

I have put a link to your how-to description into my nForcersHQ forum thread.

8) Opened the MediaShield tool which is now version 5.10.2600.663 (is this right). Disturbing results. The 465GB raid drive was now listed as 0.37GB and healthy even though the drive was fully functional. Started a rebuild to see if that would help, it is now at 40029% and counting.

I'm assuming this is the old media shield and it is not fully compatible with the new drivers and the installer did not update it.

You obviously didn't install the RAIDTOOL v9.99, which is part of my NF4-7 AHCI pack.

Any idea what to try to fix this, is there something else I missed? Might just do a clean install and see how that goes.

You should manually replace the RAIDTOOL v663 (should have been v6.95) by v9.99 using my new AHCI driver package.

Thanks again, your packages rock!!

Fine, that I could help you with this package.

CU

Fernando

Edited February 23, 2008 by Fernando 1

[devaaki]

Hi, I have a rather poor understanding of how this whole setup works and have thus run into a bit of a problem while following your process.

The system I'm trying to install Windows XP onto is an HP a6347c: AMD 64x2 5600+, 4gb RAM, 640gb HD (2x320gb) SATA, NVIDIA nForce 430 chipset and NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE.

Using nLite, I've loaded three separate XP SP2 CDs with nForce drivers v.11.09, putting in sata_ide as PNP and sataraid as textmode. After formatting drives, installing, etc... I still go into infinite rebots.

Are there anymore files that I need to edit in order for this system to get working?

Thank you so much for your help so far - I really appreciate the detailed guide, but for some reason I cannot get this computer to get working.

Jeff

Edit - here is some more information. If I remove the boot disk and force it to boot from C: (I've formatted and tried to install on both hard drives), I a few screen flickers and an instant reboot. If I force boot from D:, I get a blinking '_' in the top corner of my screen.

Edited March 30, 2008 by devaaki

[Fernando 1]

The system I'm trying to install Windows XP onto is an HP a6347c: AMD 64x2 5600+, 4gb RAM, 640gb HD (2x320gb) SATA, NVIDIA nForce 430 chipset and NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE.

Using nLite, I've loaded three separate XP SP2 CDs with nForce drivers v.11.09, putting in sata_ide as PNP and sataraid as textmode. After formatting drives, installing, etc... I still go into infinite rebots.

If this happened at the end of the installation (at last reboot), have you tried to boot in safe mode (by hitting F8) and look into the Device Manager for any yellow marks?

Did you see any error message? You can get it, when you hit F8 while booting and choose the option "don't reboot at system failure".

Did you take the correct nForce IDE drivers? The 11.09 chipset driver pack is suitable for MCP51 (with CPU socket 939) and MCP61 (with AM2 CPU socket) chipsets. Since you obviously have an nForce 430 chipset mainboard with an AM2 CPU socket, you have to integrate the drivers of the MCP61 directory.

Are there anymore files that I need to edit in order for this system to get working?

No, but rather less.

If you had chosen the nForce IDE driver folders from the correct directory (MCP51 or MCP61), you can try to integrate just the SATARAID driver folder as textmode (without the additional integration of the SATA_IDE driver folder).

Some nForce chipsets need the SATA_IDE drivers separately, some don't like them.

Edited March 30, 2008 by Fernando 1