Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[manarbre]

Hello everybody

You seem to have some ressource about Nvidia Disk controller.

I've got a big problem with RAID and AHCI, and perhaps you could help me. Sorry for the "french" english...

Windows XP (legal SP3) is installed for 1 year and work perfectly.

I've got a Gigabyte GA-E7AUM-DS2H motherboard, with Nvidia MCP79 SATA Controller.

There are 2 HD in RAID1 mirror, but I don't remember if the 2 HD was in AHCI or IDE. There are 3 partitions on this RAID. All worked good,until now...

1 - I've inserted a new HD disk in SATA (to repair another computer),

2 - after booting, a message disappear after 5 seconds, it was about AHCI but too short, no way to read,

3 - my Windows boot, so I can format my new disk and copy web files that I nedded. So I take it out and reboot,

4 - the logo of windows appears but the PC reboot after a blue screen.

So I put SATA Bios on IDE, and Windows start. He succes to read my RAID0, and I come to the desktop without problem.

But now my partitions are doubled.

C:(system) is G:(system) too.

D:(work) is H:(work)

I see 6 partitions instead 3. The RAID is dead and the 2 HD are separate now ?

I'm very anxious about the security of my RAID1, with this duplication of the HD in windows...

What do you think ?

Thanx a lot

[Fernando 1]

@ manarbre:

Welcome at MSFN Forums!

Although your problem has nothing to do with nLite and the topic of this thread, I will try to help you.

So I put SATA Bios on IDE, and Windows start. He succes to read my RAID0, and I come to the desktop without problem.

But now my partitions are doubled.

C:(system) is G:(system) too.

D:(work) is H:(work)

I see 6 partitions instead 3. The RAID is dead and the 2 HD are separate now ?

The RAID is not dead, but you don't see it, because you have disabled the "RAID" mode of your nForce SATA Controllers.

Your problem has been induced by the inserted non-RAID SATA hdd, which obviously caused a change of the HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY within the BIOS.

I'm very anxious about the security of my RAID1, with this duplication of the HD in windows...

There is nothing to worry about.

Do the following:

1. Enter the BIOS, set the SATA Controllers to "RAID" and save the new settings.

2. Reboot and enter the BIOS again. The RAID should be shown as "healthy" while rebooting.

3. Search for the BIOS option "HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY".

4. Check the settings. The RAID1 has to been set on top of the list. If it isn't, change the settings.

5. Save the new settings and reboot.

Now you should boot into your OS without any problem and without seeing all your partitions 2 times.

Good luck!

Fernando

[manarbre]

thanx a lot Fernando, I will try this !

Perhaps I will have to rebuild the Raid1 (key F10 at boot) ?

Because I think that the 2 disks have no more the same information, since they are separated in Windows.

I've done the test after my problem, one file copied on the first disk is not present on the second.

What do you think ?

Thanx

[Fernando 1]

@ manarbre:

Is the RAID shown as being "healthy" and "bootable" while booting?

If yes, I would not try to create a new RAID1 array.

Regards

Fernando

[manarbre]

Hello Fernando, and thanx a looooootttt !

Yes, in the RAID utility (F10), the RAID1 is healthy.

If I put SATA as Raid in the bios, I can select RAID for boot in the priority. It seems good.

But Windows does'nt start. In the second black sreen after booting, the computer verify DMA Pool..., and just appears "Y∞Y∞" and nothing happens.

Perhaps it is because my first disk is now different from the second. I've launched Windows in IDE yesterday, and I think the second drive is no more the exact copy of the first.

I've got an option in Raid Utility (F10) : Rebuild RAID

Perhaps this option could copy the good info on the second disk.

But I'm anxious about that "Rebuild" function ; it could work, or he could erase all

and it should be very long for a 750Go disk to rebuild...

Thanx for all advice.

[Fernando 1]

Yes, in the RAID utility (F10), the RAID1 is healthy.

If I put SATA as Raid in the bios, I can select RAID for boot in the priority. It seems good.

But Windows does'nt start. In the second black sreen after booting, the computer verify DMA Pool..., and just appears "Y∞Y∞" and nothing happens.

If the RAID is shown as "healthy" and bootable, you should be able to boot into Windows XP without the necessity to rebuild the RAID array.

Obviously just the MBR, which is on your RAID, has been corrupted.

This is what I suggest to do:

1. Set the SATA Controllers to "RAID" mode and the RAID array into the first position of the "HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY" settings.

2. Unplug all other hdd's and USB devices except both RAIDed hdd's.

3. Boot off the original XP SP3 CD.

4. When prompted, hit F6 and let Setup load the appropriate nForce SATARAID driver folder from a previously prepared floppy disk.

5. When you are asked, if you want to install Windows XP or to use the "Repair" function, choose the latter option.

6. After having finished the repair action, stop the XP "installation" process (nothing except the MBR files will be really installed) and reboot.

Good luck!

Fernando

[diginode]

I hope this the right thread for my problem.

My problem describe as below.

I have two Winxp disk. One is untouched ver sp2 and another is nlited xp2 to sp3 disk.

I follow the step to integrate AHCI and Raid txt driver for my mother board xfx 630i/ 7100 and toshiba (intel chipset) laptop.

I integrate intel and nvidia MCP AHCI and Raid driver in singlle drive mode by nlite.

If I integrate original xp cd and boot off by that the both my destop and laptop detecte the HDD in AHCI mode but not detected by MS virtual pc HDD(ide mode) and gived BSOD.

If i use integrated XP3 cd and boot of by that then my desktop gives BSOD but laptop and MS virtual PC are ok.

pls help to short my problem. Hope BSOD comes when XP tries to detected previous os is present or not?

[Sp0iLedBrAt]

The problem is that nLite wasn't meant for integrating more than one SATA/RAID driver. It will always use the one you integrated last.

VirtualPC won't read SATA/RAID mode with XP.

The solution is one CD per PC, with only one SATA/RAID driver, in accordance with the "Personal Use Only" policy.

Cheers

[manarbre]

Thanx for the advice, I will try this today.

And I'll be back to say how it happens.

++

[manarbre]

So I tried your method, but the Repair function is strange.

First, I've got no more floppy disk. So I inserted the RAID drivers with n-lite in a windows XP SP3.

-The bios is SATA as RAID,

- I boot on the CD of n-lite Windows first.

- I do not press F6 because drivers are in the CD, I'm right ?

- I choose "Repair" in the menu,

- and after a short time, I come to black screen like DOS : "Recuperation console from Windows".

A sentence say : "The recuperation console gives system reparation and recuperation functions..."

And the cursor waits for me. But I don't know how it works...

I type "dir", but I see no folder, nothing, and typing "help" give me Help for DOS.

What can I do ?

Have you got an idea ?

Thanx a lot

[Fernando 1]

@ manarbre:

Before you continue to use the Repair function of the Windows XP Setup, you may try to swap the data cables of your RAIDed hdd's. Maybe you have interchanged them while using your non-RAID SATA hdd.

After having done that, start the computer and wait, if you are able to boot into the Windows XP partition of your RAID array automaticly.

If this doesn't help, reinsert the data cables of the RAIDed hdd's into their original SATA ports.

Everything should be done with the following BIOS settings:

1. RAID should be enabled.
   
2. The RAID0 array has to be on the top position of the "HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY" settings.

Furthermore all other hdd's (except the 2 RAID members) and USB devices should be unplugged.

The RAID0 should be shown as "healthy" and bootable during the booting procedure..

- I do not press F6 because drivers are in the CD, I'm right ?

Yes, you are right.

- I choose "Repair" in the menu,

- and after a short time, I come to black screen like DOS : "Recuperation console from Windows".

A sentence say : "The recuperation console gives system reparation and recuperation functions..."

And the cursor waits for me. But I don't know how it works...

I type "dir", but I see no folder, nothing, and typing "help" give me Help for DOS.

What can I do ?

Just edit "FIXMBR" (without the quotation marks) and hit the "Enter" key.

For further informations you may look >here<.

Good luck!

Fernando

[manarbre]

BIG PROBLEM !!!

I don't have interchanged the data cables while using my non-RAID SATA hdd.

And I tried this :

RAID is enabled.

The RAID1 (it's a mirror, not a RAID0) is in second position of the "HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY" , and CD first place (CD of n-lite Windows)

All USB are unplugged.

The RAID1 is "healthy" and bootable

Windows installation : I choose "Repair" in the menu,

In the console, I just edit FIXMBR.

Noting happens. A new C:\appear. I reboot.

Good, the Windows boot appears :"windows doesn't start correctly..."

I choose "start normal", the logo comes, loading comes, and... blue screen, and reboot.

Before, I was able to start with SATA as IDE in Bios. Now I can no more.

I can no more use this computer, even in IDE, awfull !

What can I do ? Have you got an idea ? What's wrong with this RAID ???

A chkdsk /f in the console ?

Thanx

[Fernando 1]

The RAID1 (it's a mirror, not a RAID0) is in second position of the "HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY" , and CD first place (CD of n-lite Windows)

You have mixed 2 totally different BIOS settings:

1. Order of the bootable devices:
   • First bootable device: CD-ROM
     
   • Second bootable device: HDD
     
   • Third bootable device: Floppy etc.

[*]HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY (= boot order of the hard disk drives, only important, if you have more than 1 hdd):

• On top: your RAID1 array

Another tip: Try the command "FIXBOOT" from the "Repair" Console.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Fernando 1

[manarbre]

Thanx.

Yes, it was the settings you describe.

HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY = array RAID1

# First bootable device: CD-ROM

# Second bootable device: HDD

I'll try FIXBOOT

[manarbre]

Sadly, no more evolution after Fixboot c:

It found some problems and fix them.

At reboot, blue screen after windows logo.

Re-install is my only hope ?