Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[Fernando 1]

@ niknik:

Welcome at MSFN Forums!

For you I recommend to integrate the SATARAID driver folder of the nForce IDE drivers v.10.3.0.46, which are part of NVIDIA's official 15.25/15.26 driver packages.

Once XP is up, you can install the whole nForce chipset driver package v15.26 (you can get it here).

Good luck!

Fernando

Edited April 15, 2009 by Fernando 1

[Cor'e =)]

Wow! long thread, i was here talking about this 2.5 years ago... now i'll ask my question because it seems it's all well understood now! =)

My question is, how do i get my nVidia nForce RAID & SATA drivers onto a bootable slip-stream SP3 CD/DVD? It has been some years, and all i got is my WinXP (WXPOEM_EN which is OEM i think) CD; and i've downloaded all three SP1/SP2/SP3 files from M$'s website.

These are the current drivers i've got installed (see pic), and they seem to work well.

I can't reboot for awhile to get the nVidia Media Driver level... but later i can add that to this post. nVidia MediaShield v5.10.2600.0663.

What i want to do is create a true bootable slip-stream WinXP x32 SP3 CD/DVD so i may re-install/repair/upgrade my current OS really soon. (I have not decided if i'm doing a clean/full install or just update/repair yet.)

I did read the 1st post, but i got a little lost in all the driver permutations, is there a way to narrow it down to my situation some?

Edit: I think these are the drivers i installed some time ago:

9.16

This Win2K/XP nForce (MCP55) driver package consists of the following components:

Ethernet Driver MCP55 (v55.21) "WHQL"

Network Management Tools MCP55 (v55.23)

SMBus Driver (v4.52) "WHQL"

Installer (v5.05)

WinXP IDE SataRAID Driver (v6.66) "WHQL"

WinXP IDE SataIDE Driver (v6.66) "WHQL"

WinXP RAIDTOOL Application (v6.63)

But to be sure, here's a pic (worth ~1000 words...):

Edited April 16, 2009 by Cor'e =)

[Fernando 1]

@ Cor'e =):

Since you don't have a LEGACY mode nForce RAID system, I recommend to do the following:

1. Download the actual version of nLite and NVIDIA's actual nForce chipset driverpack 15.25.
   
2. Create an actual and optimized XP CD by using nLite and just integrating
   1. 
      
   2. the Service Pack 3 (which contains all previous XP SP's) and
      
   3. the SATARAID driver folder of NVIDIA's actual nForce chipset driverpack 15.25.
      
      
   4. Backup your important datas.
      
   5. Install XP by booting off the prepared XP CD.
      
   6. Once XP is up, run the installer of the 15.25 driverpack.
      
   7. Run the latest post-SP3 Update Pack for Windows XP
      
      
      After having done that, you will have a clean, fast and up-to-date XP system.
      Good luck!
      Fernando

[Cor'e =)]

Hi Fernando! =)

I have rebooted, i have a nVidia MediaShield BIOS 6.37.

I went out to nVidia to find the 15.25 Driver Pack and i have have found them and have them loaded on system, i see they add some more functionality, i like.

Now i'll try the path of enLitenment, here's the drivers that i hope will load correctly (would someone let me know if there's a problem?):

[Fernando 1]

@ Cor'e =):

Why are you going to integrate both nForce IDE driver folders (SATARAID + SATA_IDE)? I don't think, that you have to additionally integrate the SATA_IDE driver folder.

EDIT: I just saw, that you are going to integrate both SATARAID and SATA_IDE folders as TEXTMODE drivers. That is wrong!

Edited April 16, 2009 by Fernando 1

[Cor'e =)]

Hi again! =)

Oh, it's wrong to have both BUSDRV and the one RAIDCLASS loading? I should just have one of the BUSDRV loading then, right? Is this a case like Intel, where the RAID driver actually supplies a SATA driver?

I guess my choices are:

IDE install [M$ drivers]

AHCI SATA install [can use M$ drivers]

RAID driver install (RAID & AHCI SATA) [needs only the nVidia RAID driver because it will load both AHCI & RAID drivers?]

I wanted to have a install disk that would work if i had a MediaShield RAID or if i had no RAID, but was needing the AHCI SATA drivers. I thought MediaShield had a JBOD or individual HDD setting, not to be confused with a non-MediaShield HDD...

Edited April 17, 2009 by Cor'e =)

[Fernando 1]

Oh, it's wrong to have both BUSDRV and the one RAIDCLASS loading? I should just have one of the BUSDRV loading then, right?

No, you have to load both, but just by integrating the SATARAID driver folder

Reason:

The SATA_IDE driver folder of the actual nForce IDE drivers v10.3.0.46 does support AHCI, but the MCP55 chipset of your mainboard doesn't. So it doesn't make any sense for your system to integrate the SATA_IDE driver folder as TEXTMODE driver.

Is this a case like Intel, where the RAID driver actually supplies a SATA driver?

Contrary to the NVIDIA ones there is just 1 Intel textmode driver, which supports AHCI and RAID.

I guess my choices are:

IDE install [M$ drivers]

AHCI SATA install [can use M$ drivers]

RAID driver install (RAID & AHCI SATA) [needs only the nVidia RAID driver because it will load both AHCI & RAID drivers?]

The 2nd and 3rd choice doesn't work:

2. The generic in-box MS IDE drivers do not support the SATA AHCI Mode. A SATA hdd, which is set to "AHCI Mode" (not possible with your board) will not be detected by XP Setup.

3. If you would have an AHCI capable mainboard and would integrate the SATARAID folder, you won't get any AHCI support.

I wanted to have a install disk that would work if i had a MediaShield RAID or if i had no RAID, but was needing the AHCI SATA drivers. I thought MediaShield had a JBOD or individual HDD setting, not to be confused with a non-MediaShield HDD...

You don't have the choice "AHCI Mode", because this feature is not supported by the NVIDIA chipset of your mainboard.

Good luck!

Fernando

Edited April 19, 2009 by Fernando 1

[RyvBoy]

how can i disable write cashing?

1. Open the "Disk Drives" section of the Device Manager.

2. Do a right-click onto the shown NVIDIA RAID device > "Properties" > "Policies".

Now you get the option to disable the "Write Cashing" of your RAIDed hdd's.

how can i do?

i can't solve this "degraded" problem even after format

Edited April 18, 2009 by RyvBoy

[Fernando 1]

how can i disable write cashing?

1. Open the "Disk Drives" section of the Device Manager.

2. Do a right-click onto the shown NVIDIA RAID device > "Properties" > "Policies".

Now you get the option to disable the "Write Cashing" of your RAIDed hdd's.

how can i do?

You obviously cannot, because the option is greyed out. Maybe you should use another nForce IDE driver version.

[RyvBoy]

what kind of driver?

here's the situation

Edited April 18, 2009 by RyvBoy

[Fernando 1]

what kind of driver?

What I meant are the nForce IDE drivers, which are managing the NVIDIA nForce RAID Controller, the NVIDIA nForce Serial ATA Controllers and the RAID Devices (usually hidden within the Device Manager), but before you do that, you should check your BIOS settings and all your possibly affected hardware devices (hdd's, memory sticks, cables, PSU etc.).

Please ask for help someone/somewhere else. You didn't even have the time to integrate the needed textmode drivers into the XP CD - which is absolutely recommended within this thread, but you ask me every week for help. I don't remember neither your hardware configuration (nForce chipset etc.) nor exactly your problem. I don't have the time to read each week all the posts of this thread to be informed about your specific system and issue.

This is a thread about how to successfully integrate the NVIDIA nForce SATA/RAID drivers and not a hardware issue support thread.

Regards

Fernando

[RyvBoy]

i'm so sorry, i didn't want to cause any problem..

you were so kind with me when you helped me to configure the raid..

i wanted only to understand what could cause this "degraded" problem after months ..

but if you don't want to help me anymore i can understand.. really..

[Fernando 1]

i'm so sorry, i didn't want to cause any problem..

you were so kind with me when you helped me to configure the raid..

i wanted only to understand what could cause this "degraded" problem after months ..

This can be caused by a big variety of hardware or software issues. If I would know the exact reason, I would have posted it here.

but if you don't want to help me anymore i can understand.. really..

I would rather want to help you further on, but I have not the time to solve individual problems, which are absolutely off topic.

CU

Fernando

[Cor'e =)]

Oh, it's wrong to have both BUSDRV and the one RAIDCLASS loading? I should just have one of the BUSDRV loading then, right?

Yes, it is wrong.

Reason:

The SATA_IDE driver folder of the actual nForce IDE drivers v10.3.0.46 does support AHCI, but the MCP55 chipset of your mainboard doesn't. So it doesn't make any sense for your system to integrate the SATA_IDE driver folder as TEXTMODE driver.

Is this a case like Intel, where the RAID driver actually supplies a SATA driver?

Contrary to the NVIDIA ones there is just 1 Intel textmode driver, which supports AHCI and RAID.

I guess my choices are:

IDE install [M$ drivers]

AHCI SATA install [can use M$ drivers]

RAID driver install (RAID & AHCI SATA) [needs only the nVidia RAID driver because it will load both AHCI & RAID drivers?]

The 2nd and 3rd choice doesn't work:

2. The generic in-box MS IDE drivers do not support the SATA AHCI Mode. A SATA hdd, which is set to "AHCI Mode" (not possible with your board) will not be detected by XP Setup.

3. If you would have an AHCI capable mainboard and would integrate the SATARAID folder, you won't get any AHCI support.

I wanted to have a install disk that would work if i had a MediaShield RAID or if i had no RAID, but was needing the AHCI SATA drivers. I thought MediaShield had a JBOD or individual HDD setting, not to be confused with a non-MediaShield HDD...

You don't have the choice "AHCI Mode", because this feature is not supported by the NVIDIA chipset of your mainboard.

Good luck!

Fernando

@Fernando: For what it's worth to know my result, i thought about what you said and figured that the idea i had about loading the SATA_IDE & the two SATARAID drivers as textmode drivers in nLite might not be a smart thing to do. However, i thought i should still load the two SATARAID drivers not just one, but you've had many years of experience doing this forum, so i tested all the suggestions, yours and mine.

The result was i took my WinXP Pro SP0 (OEM) and slipstreamed SP1 three times, each with SATARAID drivers: (No SATA_IDE Drivers included as you said).

SATARAID Driver (v10.3.0.46) WHQL v15.25 BUSDRV alone fails (BSOD or no disks seen).

SATARAID Driver (v10.3.0.46) WHQL v15.25 RAIDCLASS alone fails (BSOD or no disks seen).

SATARAID Drivers (v10.3.0.46) WHQL v15.25 BUSDRV + RAIDCLASS works.

Apparently WinXP needs both in nLite, i cannot say the same for Vista, i think Vista loads both at the same time so maybe nLite needs only to load the driver once to get both in the Vista textmode list.

Knowing this has helped me heaps, thank you so far for your support on this forum!! =)

Now i have to try with SP2&SP3 and fully load on the OS...

=)

Edited April 19, 2009 by Cor'e =)

[Fernando 1]

@ Cor'e =):

Obviously you misunderstood the first part of my last post, which I just have edited to make it clear:

1. If you have an nForce SataRAID system, you have to integrate the SATARAID driver folder as TEXTMODE and - when you get the textmode popuip window - have to enable both NVIDIA products, which are shown as "required":

RAIDCLASS = "NVIDIA RAID CLASS DRIVER (required)"
BUSDRV = "NVIDIA NForce Storage Controller (required)"

Otherwise your RAID will not be detected. I have never meant, that you should disable one of these "required" NVIDIA products.

2. According to your previous post you had integrated the SATARAID and the SATA_IDE driver folder - both as TEXTMODE - and this procedure was wrong. That was the message of my last post.

3. Why did you integrate the Service Pack 1 into the XP CD? You can and should integrate the Service Pack 3 directly into your XP SP0 OEM version. Maybe you thought, that this is not possible, but it is. The only restriction is, that you cannot update an XP RTM (=SP0) version with SP3, but it is no problem at all to slipstream the SP3 into a Windows XP SP0 version.

Edited April 19, 2009 by Fernando 1