Important information for all users, who are here the first time:
This thread has got a big volume with a lot of sites and hundreds of replies. There is no reason to waste time and to read them. All you need to know is layed down in this first post. If I get any new information, which might be important or useful, I will edit it into this post!
So this first post will always be up-to-date!


Introduction:
Many users with a NVIDIA Raid system on their computer know about the problems, when they try to install any pre-Vista OS onto their nVRAID array:
Even if they have a floppy drive and load the newest nForce SataRaid or PataRaid drivers by the F6-method, they get bluescreens or endless reboots at the end of the installation. The reason for this strange behaviour is the fact, that many available and suitable NVIDIA nForce S-ATA driver versions are not correctly digitally signed with the consequence, that the MS Windows installation routine does not trust them. During the second (GUIMODE) part of the installation the needed (but uncertified) NVIDIA nForce S-ATA drivers are replaced by wrong (not working) Microsoft PCI-IDE standard drivers.
The only chance to prevent these problems is to create a bootable OS CD with integrated nVRaid drivers using a method to enforce the installation of the correct NVIDIA drivers.
After a lot of tests with nLite I have found 2 different methods to enforce the installation of the correct nForce Raid and nForce S-ATA drivers und to prevent endless reboots at the end of the OS installation:
1. Method by directly enhancement of the NVIDIA drivers (OemInfFiles method)
and
2. Method by suppression or removal of other interfering drivers (Driver-Suppression/Removal method)

All actual versions of nLite (since v. 1.0 Final) are using the "Driver-Suppression" method and offer a very safe and easy way to integrate the nVRaid drivers into a bootable OS CD.
Advantages:
- fully automaticly method (without creating new directories or editing SIF or OEM files)
- without restriction of any kind during the use of nLite

Here is the way how to do it:




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).

Tips:

1. You can see the nVRaid BIOS (=MediaShield) version of your system on the second boot screen. If you can't get a Raid BIOS version v. 4.81 or higher unless having flashed the latest mainboard BIOS, you might get problems with the integration of the latest nForce SataRaid drivers.
2. The successful integration of the nForce SataRaid drivers into a bootable OS CD postulates the presence of the latest available Service Pack (SP) of the used OS. If your OS CD does not contain any SP, you should integrate the latest SP as first step, when you are going to create your nLited CD with integrated nForce SataRaid drivers. Don't try to slipstream SP2 into an XP SP1 CD. In this case it's better to take an original OS CD without any SP as source for slipstreaming SP2 and the nForce SataRaid drivers. Otherwise you may get problems during the installation of the nLited CD.
3. It is a good idea to unplug all unnecessary extern hardware devices during the install of the OS with integrated nVRaid drivers.
4. If you have any hard disk drive outside your RAID array or a plugged-in USB stick, you may get the problem, that the MS Setup routine tries to install the master boot record (MBR) onto that non-RAID device, although you have set the RAID array as first bootable hard disk drive within BIOS. The only possibility to prevent this is to unplug these non-RAID devices during the installation of the OS. After the successful installation they can be reconnected without any problems.

Now possible for nearly everyone:

Get actual WHQL certified nForce SataRaid drivers from scratch

The above mentioned and approved methods to integrate the nForce SataRaid drivers into a bootable XP CD were primarily documented by me in July 2005. Meanwhile NVIDIA has released a lot of new nForce chipset driver packages with WHQL certified nForce Sata and Raid drivers. You can find them within the SATARAID and SATA_IDE subfolders. The problem was, that users with some (mostly LEGACY mode) nForce SataRaid systems obviously could not use them during the installation (to avoid BSOD's or endless reboot loops at the end of the OS installation). They had to take the not digitally signed LEGACY drivers.

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 even onto LEGACY mode nForce SataRaid systems, when you do a special combination of the nForce SataRaid driver 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 XP (32/64bit) or W2k3 (32/64bit), all nForce IDE drivers (the SATA and RAID ones) were WHQL certified.

Advantages of the WHQL driver integration method:

• A running Windows XP is optimally prepared for a later upgrade with Vista, when it has WHQL certified SataRaid drivers from scratch (Vista Setup looks for the drivers which were installed first of all during the XP installation).
• By using this new method you will get at the end the MS IDE instead of the NVIDIA P-ATA (=IDE s/w) driver (a lot of nForce users have troubles with the NVIDIA ones). Remark: If you don't want the MS IDE drivers, you can easily replace them by the NVIDIA IDE driver after the end of the OS installation.

These findings are a big step forward for nearly all users with an nForce SataRaid system. This new method works with nearly every nForce chipset (except nForce2 and nForce3).

1. nVRaid Driver Choice and Preparation:

Although nLite allows the correct integration of the actual nForce SataRaid drivers and prevents the installation of the wrong MS IDE standard drivers, the biggest problem is the creation of the optimal nVRaid driver prepackaging. The choice of the best driver version and combination depends on the system (Chipset details and Raid BIOS version) and the OS. NVIDIA has complicated all this, because they often change the composition of their driver packages and even the names of the files for not understandable reasons. Nevertheless I found a solution, which should be suitable for nearly everyone.

A. Preparation for the WHQL driver integration method:

• Normal option for mainboards with any nForce chipset (except nForce2 and nForce3):
  The preparation is very easy, because all you need is the suitable actual nForce chipset driver package.
  You can find the newest and probably best nForce chipset driver combination pack for all nForce 4-6 series chipset mainboards within this post.
  Alternatively you can search for a suitable driver pack at NVIDIA's drivers homepage. In this case you should know the exact name of your nForce chipset (look into your mainboard manual or google for it). If you want to use the official nForce chipset driver pack, which NVIDIA is offering for your chipset, you should go here and choose the correct "Product Type" (take "nForce"), "Product Series" (chipset generation), "Product" (special chipset) and "Operating System" (OS you are going to install).
  Download the nForce chipset driver package of your choice and unpack it by using a tool like WinRar or 7-zip.
• Alternative option for socket 754/939 mainboards with an nForce4, nForce4xx or nForce5xx chipset:
  Some of the nForce chipset packages offered by NVIDIA are already old. If you want new and suitable nForce IDE drivers from scratch, you should choose this WHQL driver choice option.
  Fujitsu-Siemens has published very good and stable nForce IDE drivers v.6.99 dated 05/15/2007. They are WHQL signed and usable for all mentioned nForce chipsets. Users, who want to integrate these drivers, should download the suitable (32bit or 64bit) SATARAID and SATA_IDE packages from the FSC support sites.
  
  Here are the links to the 32bit packages, usable for XP, W2k and W2k3:
  32bit nForce SATARAID drivers v.6.99 WHQL and 32bit nForce SATA_IDE drivers v.6.99 WHQL.
  
  And here are the links to the 64bit packages, usable for XP x64 and W2k3 x64:
  64bit nForce SATARAID drivers v.6.99 WHQL and 64bit nForce SATA_IDE drivers v.6.99 WHQL.
  
  Unpack both SATARAID and SATA_IDE packages and store them somewhere. You will need them for the later driver integration. The extracted "SATA_RAID F6 driver disk 32/64Bit" folder contains the SATARAID textmode drivers (has a TXTSETUP.OEM file), whereas the "SATA DRIVER 32/64Bit" folder is similar to the "SATA_IDE" folder (contains just the nForce S-ATA driver as PnP driver).

B. Preparation for the traditional LEGACY driver integration method:

Get the newest nForce IDE drivers onto nForce2 or nForce3 chipset mainboards (suitable for nForce4 PataRaid systems too)
If your mainboard BIOS contains an appropriate nVRaid BIOS version (4.81 for nForce2/3, 4.84 for nForce4), it is possible to get the newest 32bit nForce SataRaid drivers v.6.99 dated 05/15/2007 installed onto an "old" nForce2 or nForce3 SataRaid system. Owners of an nForce3 chipset mainboard or an nForce4 PataRaid system even have the chance to run XP x64 or W2k3 x64 by using the modified 64bit nForce IDE drivers v.6.99.
To make it easier for you I have customised the nForce IDE drivers 6.99, put the needed files into a LEGACY folder (to make clear, that they are modified and not WHQL anymore) and uploaded them to Rapidshare.
You can download the small LEGACY driver package, which is suitable for the OS you are going to install (32bit or 64bit), here:
modded 32bit nForce LEGACY drivers v.6.99 (usable for XP, W2k and W2k3)
modded 64bit nForce LEGACY drivers v.6.99 (usable for XP x64 and W2k3 x64).
Unzip the package by using a tool like WinRar or 7-zip and store the LEGACY folder somewhere.

Other suitable nForce LEGACY IDE drivers ("last chance" drivers for problematic chipsets)

A. LEGACY drivers for XP, W2k and W2k3 (32bit):

• Users with an nForce2, nForce3 or nForce4 chipset, who don't succeed with the previously mentioned drivers, should download this nForce chipset driver package containing nForce IDE drivers v.6.67. Although this package was mainly designed for Vista Beta2, it works flawlessly with XP, W2k and W2k3 too.
  Unzip the package by using a tool like WinRar or 7-zip and store the IDE\driver\LEGACY subfolder somewhere. You will need no other preparation.
• Users with an nForce2 chipset can take this official nForce chipset driver package v.5.10 (usable for Windows XP and Windows 2000).
• Users with an nForce3 chipset will find here the latest official 32bit nForce chipset driver package 5.11 (usable for Windows XP and Windows 2000)
  Warning: Don't use the Ethernet drivers of this package, they are broken!).

B. LEGACY drivers for XP x64 and W2k3 x64 (64bit):

• Users with an nForce3 or nForce4 chipset can take one of the available x64 NVIDIA nForce chipset driver packages v.6.67. For the integration into an XP x64 CD you should take the one you get here, whereas users, who want to create a W2k3 x64 CD, should take the one you get here.
  Just unzip the suitable package and store the LEGACY subfolder somewhere.
• The only 64bit nForce chipset driver package published by NVIDIA for nForce3 chipsets is the very old Beta package v.6.25. You can get it here.
  Unzip the package and store the IDE\WinXP folder somewhere.
• Users with an nForce3 or nForce4 chipset mainboard, whose nVRaid BIOS cannot be updated, may try the old and not natively 64-bit nForce package 6.56 (downloadable here).
  Just unzip the package and store the IDE\WinXP folder somewhere.

2. Processing with nLite:

• Ensure yourself, that you have installed the newest nLite version and that you have administrator rights.
• Create a new folder somewhere on any available hard disk drive and name it as you like (for example "XPCD" or "XPx64CD") .
• Copy the whole content of the original OS CD into the just created folder. Don't use any already nLited or modded source.
• Open nLite and do what you want, but you must choose the button "Integrate Drivers".
• Within the "Integrate Drivers" part of nLite you have to hit the "Insert" button, choose the "single driver" option and point to your just prepared nVRaid driver subfolder (LEGACY or SATARAID (depending on the driver integration method you are going to use) as textmode drivers. You will get the following popup window:
   Textmode_Driver_Popup_nLite.jpg ( 34.99K ) Number of downloads: 311
  
  If you have an nForce SataRaid system, you have to take both of the nForce Sata/Raid Drivers/Controllers (NVIDIA RAID CLASS DRIVER and NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller) nLite shows within a popup window as "required". To make it easier for you, nLite has already enabled both needed drivers. (Notice: Users with a non-Raid nForce S-ATA system, who want/have to integrate the nForce S-ATA driver as TEXTMODE, should only load the required "NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller".)
• For users with an nForce 5xx or 6xx chipset mainboard I recommend to integrate just the content of the SATARAID subfolder as textmode driver. The additional integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder is not needed and may not work with all of these new nForce chipsets.
• If you are using the new mixed SATARAID/SATA_IDE integration method, you have to integrate the SATARAID subfolder as textmode driver and additionally the SATA_IDE subfolder of the same package as PnP driver.
  Important notice: The additional integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder is not the best choice for all nForce SataRaid users. Users, who don't want to additionally integrate the SATA_IDE subfolder should pay attention, if they are using any nLite version released before v.1.4 Final: Some former nLite versions (v.1.2 until v.1.3 Beta) have done the additional integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder automaticly, when users offered the SATARAID subfolder of a complete nForce chipset driver package. Since nLite v.1.3 RC this automatism has been replaced by a popup window question during the driver integration processing. With nLite v.1.4 Final even the popup window regarding the additional integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder has been removed. This may avoid irritations with users, who don't want or don't need to additionally integrate the SATA_IDE subfolder.
• Users, who want or have to use the LEGACY driver integration method, should just integrate the LEGACY subfolder of their prepared driver package (see above). They may not integrate any other IDE subfolder (neither SATARAID nor SATA_IDE).
• Since nLite v. 1.0 RC7 you have the choice between a single driver or a multiple driver folder integration. You should integrate the nForce SataRaid drivers with the single driver option. Only this way you can be sure, that nLite integrates the correct driver subfolder which you have prepared earlier.
• Then you can integrate the other nForce drivers (SMBus, Ethernet etc.) as "normal drivers". Only users with an nForce4 system may take them out of the same NVIDIA chipset package they used for the integration of the SataRaid drivers. Users with an nForce2 or nForce3 system have to integrate these drivers (and the GART ones) from special packages suitable for their chipset.
• Tip: If you want to integrate any graphic adapter driver, take a WHQL-certified version (Warning: don't take Forceware v. 91.33 - you may get endless reboots at the end of the install!).

• Let nLite create the ISO file und burn it as bootable CD. If you are using the burning software Nero, just choose "Recorder" > "Burn Image" and point to your just created ISO file.

At the end you will have a bootable 32bit or 64bit Windows OS CD with integrated NVIDIA Sata/Raid drivers - no F6 and no floppy will be necessary.


Tips for the Installation of the OS:

• Make sure, that your BIOS settings are ok. You only will be able to install the OS by booting off your nLited CD, when the CD-ROM device with your nLited CD is set as first bootable device.
• Before you begin with the installation of the OS by using your nLited CD, make sure, that there is no floppy within your floppy drive, no USB stick within any USB port and no Memory Card within your Card Reader.
• Don't hit F6 and don't insert a driver floppy, if you install an OS by using a CD with integrated nForce SataRaid drivers!

Good luck!


CU
Fernando

Annex I

MediaShield/Raidtool installation guide:

The easiest way to get the Raidtool installed is by running the SETUP.EXE of the associated nForce chipset driver package, but by doing this all nForce IDE drivers of the package will be installed too (and maybe replace the better and currently working ones).
In these cases you have to use an other way to get full access to the MediaShield/RAID software (NVIDIA Control Panel) after having completed the OS installation.
Here is the guide for the manually installation of the nForce Raidtool (on the basis of a post from nForcersHQ forums member TheMaxx32000):

• Run your just installed OS.
• Create a new folder named "RAIDTOOL" somewhere within your currently running OS partition (for example within the directory "PROGRAMS")
• Search for the RAIDTOOL folder of the actual 32bit/64bit XP/W2k/W2k3 nForce chipset driver package
• Extract the RAIDTOOL.cab into the just created RAIDTOOL folder of your OS partition
• Open the RAIDTOOL folder with the extracted files
• Doubleclick the REGRAID.BAT (you will find it in older Raidtools) or REGRAIDSEDONA.BAT (actual file name of the Sedona type Raidtool) to register the Raidtool Services
• Run the NVRAIDMAN.EXE (normal MediaShield) or NVCPLUI.EXE (Sedona type NVIDIA Control Panel)

Now you will see the MediaShield Control Panel. It should also appear as NVIDIA Control Panel within the Vista Control Panel, but if it doesn't, try to install nTune on top.
For further informations about the abilities of the NVIDIA MediaShield software you should open the MediaShield help file (as .chm or .pdf), which you will find within the extracted raidtool files.
Suggestion: You should create shortcuts to the EXE files of the RAIDTOOL folder and put them into your Startmenu folder. This way you will get an easy access to all services of the MediaShield/Raidtool.

Annex II

Tips for users with a non-Raid nForce S-ATA system

• The actual versions of Windows XP (32/64bit) and Server 2003 (32/64bit) should be able to detect nForce S-ATA Controller connected hdd's without any 3rd party drivers, provided that you have done the needed BIOS settings (you have to choose the IDE mode of the S-ATA Controllers). So normally there is no reason to hit F6 or to integrate the nForce SATA drivers as TEXTMODE drivers.
• Nevertheless it is possible and useful to integrate the nForce SATA drivers as normal device (=PnP) drivers into an nLited CD. The way is simple: Just integrate the content of the SATA_IDE subfolder of the actual nForce chipset driver package, which is designed for the special nForce SATA chipset of your mainboard (look at NVIDIA's driver page). This PnP driver integration is very easy with nLite. Just click at one of the INF files you find within the SATA_IDE folder, it doesn't matter which one.
  
• New and important: Some actual nForce chipsets (for example nForce 520, nForce 630a/610a) have advanced S-ATA features named "AHCI". If the "AHCI"-Mode is enabled within the mainboard BIOS, the SATA drive(s) is/are not detected at the beginning of the OS installation, unless the required special nForce S-ATA drivers have been loaded or integrated as textmode drivers.
  If you are going to integrate the needed nForce S-ATA drivers onto a non-Raid system, you have 2 options:
  1. Look into the SATA_IDE folder of the unzipped nForce chipset driver package, which is suitable for your mainboard chipset. If you find there a file named TXTSETUP.OEM, you should integrate just the content of the SATA_IDE folder as textmode driver.
  2. In all other cases you have to integrate the SATARAID folder (which always has a TXTSETUP.OEM) as textmode driver (similar to the instructions for real SataRaid systems), but in this case only the offered "NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller (required)" should be loaded during the textmode driver integration part of the nLite processing. Don't load the "NVIDIA RAID Class Driver (required)", if you don't have an nForce RAID.
• Some mainboards (for example ASUS ones) have no SATA, but only SATARAID ports. Have a look into your mainboard manual, if you have to enable SATA and RAID within your BIOS, even when you have not built a RAID array. In this case you should integrate the SATARAID folder of the suitable nForce IDE drivers and load both "NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller" and "NVIDIA RAID Class Driver" (as written above for real nForce RAID arrays).

This post has been edited by Fernando 1: Apr 28 2008, 03:54 AM

are you using the newest driver to test it?

nForce4 AMD Edition (6.66) - Windows XP Professional x64

Version: 6.66
Release Date: July 15, 2005
WHQL Certified

International
File Size: 38 MB
WHQL Certified

THANK YOU!

Very good of you Fernando 1. I will surely give this a try. I am sure this info will be helpful to Nuhi in future releases. Whatever happened in beta 5 im sure will be fixed in the next release as you proved beta 4 works fine. Perhaps the info you just stated can be automatically done by nlite in the future with the created of directories, placing of files etc. I will give this a try shortly and let you know!

Yes, I tested it with these drivers from the chipset package 6.66 (32-bit on Windows XP and 64-bit on Windows XP x64 Edition).

The package is published as WHQL-certified, but the drivers, which make the biggest problems integrating them into a CD, the NVATABUS.SYS (32-bit) and NVATAX64.SYS (64-bit) are not!

this method doesnt work with the NF3 nvraid drivers either (Shuttle SN95G5) and using the 6.56 driver set on xp64. Also doesnt work with the lastest official set, 6.25

Same reboot on startup as was occuring with the other method.

This post has been edited by noen: Jul 19 2005, 05:57 PM

Hi, Thanks Fernando for your work, but can you clarify something...

nvatabus.inf is only found in this nForce4 folder... IDE\WinXP\PATARAID

I want to install SATA RAID which I assume should come from... IDE\WinXP\SATARAID where the only INF file is called nvraid.inf (not nvatabus.inf)

Can you clarify what INF and directory I should be using to slipstream drivers for a SATA RAID drive array?

Thanks.

I have tried this with the SATA drivers from Nvidia Release 6.53, it worked , Motherboard is an A8N-Sli Deluxe. just needed to change nvatabus.inf to nvraid.inf and it worked without a hitch

Thats right! You have to take the nvatabus.inf file from the folder PATARAID.
I will clarify this in my first post.
CU
Fernando

This is confusing (sorry if I'm an id*** but this really is not clear)...

You've clarified that nvatabus.inf must come from PATARAID folder (even for a SATA RAID array which makes no sense but I will trust you on this)... What about the other two files (idecoi.dll and nvatabus.sys)? Does it matter where they come from?

Also, When you say "integrate the latest NVIDIA Sata/Raid drivers as textmode drivers" ... What freakin directory are you integrating in nLite?
- \PATARAID or \SATARAID?

Why are you using PATARAID drivers to setup a SATA RAID Array?

This post has been edited by virtualrain: Jul 20 2005, 01:23 AM

You are right - it seems to be confusing, but this exactly is the trick of the method I described here in this thread. The [OemInfFiles] method enforces the installation of the needed, but still not WHQL-certified driver NVATABUS.SYS and prevents, that Windows XP installs the wrong MS Standard-IDE-Controller driver.

When you have a SATA RAID system, you have to integrate the files of the subfolder SATARAID as TEXTMODE driver by nLite. (When you have a PATA RAID system, you have to take the files from the subfolder PATARAID.)

Nevertheless you have to copy the file nvatabus.inf from the subfolder PATARAID into the fresh created subfolder OEMDIR. This file is not a driver, but it is needed to give MS informations how to install the driver NVATABUS.SYS. When you look into the subfolder SATARAID, you can find the needed driver NVATABUS.SYS, but no information file for this driver (NVATABUS.INF). That is the reason, why you have to take the one from the PATARAID subfolder.

Hoping, that I did not confuse you more than before
Fernando

This post has been edited by Fernando 1: Jul 20 2005, 02:39 AM