Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[ghot]

Well I followed the directions at the link you provided and along the way chose have disk and browsed to the AHCI driver on the motherboard disc...they installed...then it wanted to reboot...so I did....then went into the BIOS and chose AHCI mode....no go....0x000000F8 error...so I went back into the BIOS and chose IDE...same error....so i used the ghost boot CD to restore...and all is back the way it was now.

Can I still delete all the SI3132 entries? I don't see in any of the motherboards documentation....anything about a Silicon Image controller?

[Fernando 1]

Well I followed the directions at the link you provided and along the way chose have disk and browsed to the AHCI driver on the motherboard disc...they installed...then it wanted to reboot...so I did....then went into the BIOS and chose AHCI mode....no go....0x000000F8 error...so I went back into the BIOS and chose IDE...same error....so i used the ghost boot CD to restore...and all is back the way it was now.

Since your nForce 980a chipset mainboard is rather new, you may use the newest official nForce chipset drivers. You will get them >here<.

The SATA_IDE driver folder is the correct and newest AHCI driver, which does support your nForce 980a chipset.

Can I still delete all the SI3132 entries? I don't see in any of the motherboards documentation....anything about a Silicon Image controller?

If you are not using the Silicon Image Controllers (Silicon Image Controllers should be disabled within the BIOS) or if they even are not present at all within your current hardware configuration, you can delete all Silicon Image entries within the registry. This is not documented at all, but a trick to erase the annoying error messages.

Any manipulation within the registry is risky. You always have to take care not to do something wrong.

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I'm gonna crack up....1st i am already running the 15.45 drivers....2nd...the SI3132 error just went away all by itself.

Since it's MS Tuesday....I think I'm going to just put this idea aside for later....

I've been trying to get to 3.8++Ghz...and I think that's what may have caused the SI3132 error...to be honest..this is the flakiest ASUS motherboard I've ever owned, and it doesn't seem to be just me. This is my 3rd ASUS board and the other two were rock solid no matter what you threw at them, still are as a matter of fact.

I can't really call foul on this motherboard quite yet....after about 4-5 more BIOS updates, maybe they'll get it calmed down. It's rock solid at 3.7ghz (up from 3.2Ghz), I have an AMD 955 black edition in it.

Thanks for all the help and sorry to bail like this, but maybe next year I'll try again....or maybe I'll just break down this winter and do a clean install..I HAVE been running almost 6 years now on the same Ghost Image. I just got it tweaked so well, I don't want to go through it all again. I even managed to disable ALL the $shares, including the $IPC

Maybe I'll just break down and do Windows 7, even though I utterly HATE the GUI. If you get any say in the matter, have them make Windows 8 with an XP GUI

Thanks again, and keep up the good work

[Fernando 1]

Maybe I'll just break down and do Windows 7.

Exactly this would be my suggestion too. I am pretty sure, that you will enjoy the stability of this OS.

Greetings from Germany

Fernando

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I know its more stable...I was/am an Alpha, Beta and RC tester....I just hate the GUI....I guess I'm a minimalist

[Cor'e =)]

Hi Fernando, i have some new questions, hope you or others can help:

1) We have some new 8200 mobos, nVidia has new driver set v15.45, in which the SATIDE/SATARAID driver is v11.1.0.30, my question is do these new drivers fair better than what you are posting as a solution in post #1?

2) We have some old MCP55 (550 or 570Ultra AMD) mobos, nVidia has new driver set v15.46, in which the SATIDE/SATARAID driver is v11.1.0.30, my question is do these new drivers fair better than what you are posting as a solution in post #1?

3) Does anybody know where nVidia is hiding all the older drivers?? (I can't seem to find them on their website).

The OS will be WinXPPro x32, we will be booting to RAID sets. The textsetup.oem file for v15.46 appears similar to v15.25 minus some languages and some IDs (Our MCP55 PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_037F is still included). Your opinion is very welcome, if you think your own modded drivers are still better please let me know, tia! =)

Edited October 15, 2009 by Cor'e =)

[Fernando 1]

@ Cor'e =):

Your questions are not easy to be answered, because there is no "best" driver for everyone's preferences and for all thinkable hardware combinations.

Nevertheless I will try give you a reply:

1) We have some new 8200 mobos, nVidia has new driver set v15.45, in which the SATIDE/SATARAID driver is v11.1.0.30, my question is do these new drivers fair better than what you are posting as a solution in post #1?

These new nForce IDE drivers are optimized for the actual nForce 7-9 series chipsets and maybe the best choice for users, who are running their SATA hdd(s) in AHCI Mode. Nevertheless I didn't yet put them into my guide, because the original and WHQL certified nForce IDE drivers v11.1.0.30 do not support all AHCI capable nForce chipsets.

This was the reason why I have already created a brandnew "modded" driverpack on the basis of NVIDIA's 15.45/15.46 sets. You can get the 32bit version for Windows XP from >here<.

2) We have some old MCP55 (550 or 570Ultra AMD) mobos, nVidia has new driver set v15.46, in which the SATIDE/SATARAID driver is v11.1.0.30, my question is do these new drivers fair better than what you are posting as a solution in post #1?

For users with an MCP55 chipset I still recommend to take the nForce IDE drivers v9.99.09, because this way they will get the best possible performance.

3) Does anybody know where nVidia is hiding all the older drivers?? (I can't seem to find them on their website).

You can find all old nForce driversets, which were released for Windows XP before 2008, within >this< FTP site (or within the subdirectories named "64" and "standalone").

The newer, but already outdated nForce chipset driver sets are hidden for public, but you can get them nevertheless, if you know the set version number. Example: Open the website for the WinXP set 15.45 (it's >here<). If you then go on top of your browser and replace the digits "15.45" by any other set number (example: "9.64"), you usually will get the download page of that version.

Edited October 15, 2009 by Fernando 1

[Cor'e =)]

Okay, i just DL'd your v7 modded drivers for 1), but i have some additional Q's regarding your answer. Thank you for answers to 2) & 3). =)

These new nForce IDE drivers are optimized for the actual nForce 7-9 series chipsets and maybe the best choice for users, who are running their SATA hdd(s) in AHCI Mode. Nevertheless I didn't yet put them into my guide, because the original and WHQL certified nForce IDE drivers v11.1.0.30 do not support all AHCI capable nForce chipsets.

1.1) What were the last (known good) modded or original nForce drivers to support AHCI?

1.2) Since i'm doing RAID, does AHCI have any effect in my situation? I've always assumed AHCI was underlying all RAID drivers, i've never known that there existed popular IDE RAID drivers, i thought this was just a mis-labling on nVidia's part...

Please explain this to me, much appreciation. =)

Edited October 15, 2009 by Cor'e =)

[Fernando 1]

1) What were the last (known good) modded or original nForce drivers to support AHCI?

The last and good nForce SATA AHCI drivers for XP are the nForce SATA_IDE drivers v11.1.0.30. You will find a link to my latest modded nForce drivers within my previous post (I have edited the link while you were writing your new questions). My "NF4-7 Actual Driverpack v7.0" is optimized for AHCI users, but should work with all other NF4-7 chipsets too (except nForce4 RAID systems, which don't like the actual nForce IDE drivers v10.x.x.xx and v11.x.x.xx series at all).

2) Since i'm doing RAID, does AHCI have any effect in my situation? I've always assumed AHCI was underlying all RAID drivers, i've never known that there existed popular IDE RAID drivers, i thought this was just a mis-labling on nVidia's part...

RAID and AHCI are different things. Since you have an MCP55 chipset mainboard, which is not able to fully support the AHCI features, you will not get any benefit by installing an nForce SATA driver, which is optimized regarding AHCI. Edited October 15, 2009 by Fernando 1

[Cor'e =)]

1.1) What were the last (known good) modded or original nForce drivers to support AHCI?

The last and good nForce SATA AHCI drivers for XP are the nForce SATA_IDE drivers v11.1.0.30. You will find a link to my latest modded nForce drivers within my previous post (I have edited the link while you were writing your new questions). My "NF4-7 Actual Driverpack v7.0" is optimized for AHCI users, but should work with all other NF4-7 chipsets too (except nForce4 RAID systems, which don't like the actual nForce IDE drivers v10.x.x.xx and v11.x.x.xx series at all).

1.2) Since i'm doing RAID, does AHCI have any effect in my situation? I've always assumed AHCI was underlying all RAID drivers, i've never known that there existed popular IDE RAID drivers, i thought this was just a mis-labling on nVidia's part...

RAID and AHCI are different things. Since you have an MCP55 chipset mainboard, which is not able to fully support the AHCI features, you will not get any benefit by installing an nForce SATA driver, which is optimized regarding AHCI.

Yes, IDE & AHCI & RAID are different drivers, but for example Intel's RAID loads its RAID driver(s) on top of its AHCI driver(s) on top of M$'s IDE. What's nVidia doing when it loads its RAID drivers? I assume nVidia's SATAIDE == IDE, SATARAID == RAID, and you've created a "SATAAHCI" for AHCI functionality. (BTW, this Q is in regards to the 8200 mobos i spoke about in the original 1), we're out of sync a just a little, you may want to go back a few posts/edits and read again).

Edited October 15, 2009 by Cor'e =)

[Fernando 1]

Yes, IDE & AHCI & RAID are different drivers, but for example Intel's RAID loads its RAID driver(s) on top of its AHCI driver(s) on top of M$'s IDE. What's nVidia doing when it loads its RAID drivers?

You should not compare NVIDIA's AHCI and RAID drivers with Intel's ones. Things are different and more complicated with NVIDIA's textmode drivers. Contrary to Intel, where there is just 1 single driver named IASTOR.SYS managing both RAID and AHCI, NVIDIA has 2 different IDE drivers, the RAID driver named NVRD32.sys (formerly: NVRAID.SYS) and the SATA driver named NVGT.SYS, which has "normal" SATA driver functions, but additionally does support the AHCI features, if the AHCI Mode is enabled within the BIOS.

I assume nVidia's SATAIDE == IDE, SATARAID == RAID, and you've created a "SATAAHCI" for AHCI functionality.

All actual nForce IDE drivers have a SATA_IDE and a SATARAID folder, neither NVIDIA nor me ever have created a folder named SATA_AHCI. When I have written about the nForce "SATA AHCI" driver, I meant the regular nForce SATA driver named NVGTS.SYS running in AHCI Mode.

Nevertheless you are not totally wrong. The new generation of SATA_IDE driver folders, which have a file named TXTSETUP.OEM (important for the installation of the SATA driver as AHCI textmode driver), should have been renamed to "SATA_AHCI". This would make clear, that such folder might not be the best choice for nForce chipsets, which do not support AHCI.

Edited October 15, 2009 by Fernando 1

[Cor'e =)]

Good, that helps my understanding more, may i correctly assume that:

A) All nVidia based mobos allow IDE Mode in BIOS, and the OS will need M$'s IDE default driver, and not use nVidia's driver from the SATA_IDE folder?

B) Any nVidia based mobo that allows AHCI Mode in BIOS (and if configured as so) will need an AHCI driver from nVidia's SATA_IDE folder?

C) Any nVidia based mobo that allows RAID Mode in BIOS (and if configured as so) will need a RAID driver from nVidia's SATA_RAID folder, and it will not need an AHCI driver from nVidia's SATA_IDE folder?

Tia, i'm atm choosing the best nVidia RAID drivers to slip via nLite for the 8200 based mobos, so your help is being appreciated here. =)

Edited October 16, 2009 by Cor'e =)

[Fernando 1]

A) All nVidia based mobos allow IDE Mode in BIOS, and the OS will need M$'s IDE default driver, and not use nVidia's driver from the SATA_IDE folder?

The user can decide, if he wants to use the generic MS IDE drivers or the "IDE Mode" nForce SATA driver (the MS "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller" and the "NVIDIA nForce Serial ATA Controller" are fully compatible). Users, who want to get the nForce SATA driver installed from scratch, have to integrate the suitable SATA_IDE driver folder as PnP driver.

B ) Any nVidia based mobo that allows AHCI Mode in BIOS (and if configured as so) will need an AHCI driver from nVidia's SATA_IDE folder?

Correct.

C) Any nVidia based mobo that allows RAID Mode in BIOS (and if configured as so) will need a RAID driver from nVidia's SATA_RAID folder, and it will not need an AHCI driver from nVidia's SATA_IDE folder?

Mostly correct, because the SATARAID driver folder contains the needed RAID and SATA driver.

Only exception: Users with a LEGACY Mode nForce RAID systems (nForce2/3/4) will not get Windows XP installed onto their RAID by just integrating the SATARAID driver folder. They need to take either the LEGACY driver folder (if available) or the SATARAID driver folder (as textmode) and additionally the SATA_IDE driver folder as PnP driver, because otherwise the SATA driver will not be installed. It's not the SATA driver, which is missing, but the associated INF file, which only is present within the SATA_IDE (and LEGACY) driver folder.

[Cor'e =)]

Thank you, it's very clear from what you've said, i very much appreciate it, thanks Fernando. =)

[krzysiek033]

Hi. I have a ASUS M3n72-D mb. I cant get AHCI to work. When I change drivers in windows the system wont boot anymore. I tried to integrate drivers in the instaler but still it wont detect any drives. I tried to use orginal AHCI drivers from ASUS with no luck.