If you don't have any nForce RAID array, there will be no need to integrate the SATARAID driver folder, because Windows XP Setup will detect your S-ATA hdd(s) automaticly.
What you can do is to integrate the SATA_IDE folder of your used nForce chipset package, but this is a PnP and not a textmode driver.

Actually i found in my bios an option to enable RAID (its disabled atm) - am i meanta mess around with that?

No, this would make no sense for you (unless you have more than 1 hdd).
The important task for you is to get a working OS installed. If you would create a RAID, things would get even more complicated than now without RAID.

Hey - just did a slipstream adding only the SATA IDE folder (using single driver insert in nlite) - and went through xp install - now at point where it should load gui, it comes up with error message saying

"This is not a bootable disk. Please inset a bootable floppy and press any key to try again"

Argh...it refuses to cooperate! What could i try next?

So sorry for taking up your time fernando...

Also - i may be an id*** for omitting this info - but my pc actually has 2 seperate HDD - one is 250mb, the other 500mb - both SATA - and since i tried messing around all these installs it seems like there are loadsa partitions which show up in the XP install "which HD to install on" window

If this happens after the first reboot while installation, you obviously have forgotten an inserted floppy disk and have set the floppy drive as first bootable device.
Suggestion:
Remove the inserted floppy disk from the floppy drive and set the CDROM drive as first bootable device within the mainboard BIOS.
After a reboot from your nLited CD the interrupted XP installation should continue.

I have no floppy disk drive, and its nowhere to be seen on the boot order...:/

So the error message was misleading...
Maybe you have inserted a (wrong) not bootable CD.

Please explain what happened. You wrote, that the error message came at the point where it should load GUI. That means, that you could boot off the nLited CD and copy the files during the TEXTMODE part of the installation.
Questions:
1. Did Windows Setup detect your hdd's?
2. Where you able to decide where (which partition) you want to get XP installed?
3. Did you get the error message exactly during the first reboot or earlier/later?
4. Did you hit F6 while rebooting?

Yes, i did boot off the nlited CD and files were copied during textmode part of installation.
1. yes
2. yes
3. This is JUST after the first restart. You know after its copied over the files, then it says "Windows install will now restart pc in 15 secs or press enter" something like that - it restarts, i see my bios screen, then it goes black and the error message comes up. I usually take out the cd while the bios screen is showing, cos for some reason it boots automatically (ie. doesnt give option to press any key to boot from cd). If i leave cd in there, itll justy goto setup part 1 again.
4. No, didnt hit F6, at any point really. It never gives me option during reboot?

Thanksfor your reply.

Is it possible, that you reinserted the wrong CD while rebooting?
Please insert the correct nLited CD again, restart the computer and look what happens.

Oh no, i dont think so....basically all i did was take out the cd ater the pc restarted once..im assuming you dont need the cd from that point onwards right? So theres no exchange of cd's or anything...i just take out what i installed with.

That was the mistake - the CD is still needed by Windows XP Setup during the GUI part of the installation.

Oh right - should i make another boot cd then? you see the problem with this cd is that it doesnt give me option of "press any key to boot from cd" - it boots itself automatically, without me pressing anything, and it goes straight to the initial windows setup menu

Before you do anything else, try to boot off the already used CD again and let it inserted until the XP installation has been finished.

The problem is, it boots off the cd automatically and beyond my control takes me to the beginning winxp setup screen, it asks me which partition id like to install on, again.

May be you have to start the installation from scratch, because it was unexpectedly interrupted by removing the OS CD.
Nevertheless you shoould have a look into the BOOT ORDER settings within your BIOS.
First bootable device should be CDROM and second bootable device should be the hdd with the MBR.

Done that...when i leave the disc in, it just takes me to the setup part 1 straight away after the first restart boot order is already like that.

That's really weird!
Your CD is bootable, otherwise you would never get the Windows Setup screen.
Is it possible, that any key of your keyboard is blocked or something laying on it? That might be an explanation why you don't see the message "Hit any key to boot off CD" and it's just booting off CD.
If you have a second keyboard, replace your current one and start again booting off CD.

Unfortunately, i know my keyboards alrite as i have another copy of winxp pro (without any slipstream drivers, tried it and it dont work) where it does ask me to press any key to boot from it. it seems as if the way i made the boot here, it just goes straight away...this is such a saga lol

You should be able to get Windows XP SP2 installed without slipstreaming any drivers. Windows Setup is not able to use the slipstreamed nForce SATA_IDE drivers during the TEXTMODE part of the installation.

You may nevertheless create a new bootable CD by burning the nLited ISO file again (with reduced speed).
Another option: Try to boot off your original XP SP2 CD and look what happens.

@ TheSarge:

Did you succeed or not?
You only can help other users, if you are posting what you have done and the results of your efforts.

@kunstlerleben:

What are you going to do?
Maybe you should try to get help somewhere else, because your problem has nothing to do with the integration of the nForce drivers.

Sorry, been busy with work. Haven't had a chance to try another go at making an nLite. Will report back when I do, don't worry.

Hey fernando, turns out wasnt a slipstream issue at all - hadta do a proper format of hardrives then used un slipstreamed disc to install and voila. Thankyou for your time though, many regards.

Thanks for your report clearing up, that your issue had nothing to do with the integration of the nForce IDE drivers into a bootable XP CD.

Fernando1 - you're my guru now

THANKS A LOT for your effort with this GREAT JOB. I've just set up the new Win XP on Gigabyte N650SLI-DS4 with stripping RAID. I've just followed the instruction and everything looks fine. I've been trying many times before but w/o success. I asked the supplier service - no idea how to solve it/back to supplier return option only.
Im installing the soft now. THANKS AGAIN!

Greg

Fernando

Just wanted to Say THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your solution worked flawlessly for me.
I joined today just so I could thank you.

Why doesn't my icon appear to the left of my post?

You are welcome.
It makes me happy, that my guide works and that I could help you!

CU
Fernando

Just retry it.

In case anyone tries using a ASUS M2NBP-VM CSM The drivers that you need are the ones under "any nforce chipset"

That was the toughest part for me. Figuring out which drivers to get.

Still no icon? I resized it.....

Thanks for this additional remark. This may help other users with the same mainboard.

You certainly mean the avatar, don't you?

Yes, I mean Avatar. I resized and re-uploaded....

I've been searching for a long time to solve my Nforce4 problems.
I was really excited finding a possible solution, but after burning 5 setup CD'S I started wondering does this solution actually works?

Well perhaps I am doing something wrong....?

My system:
Motherboard: Asus A8N SLI Deluxe Nforce 4 (newest BIOS)
Processor: AMD Opteron 165
Memory: 4x 512MB
RAID: 4x 160 PATA RAID 0+1 Array (Healthy)


Hopefully somebody can tell me what I do wrong if I explain all steps I took creating a setup CD.

01. Downloaded Nlite (newest version)
02. Downloaded Vistabeta2 drivers (also tried other drivers mentioned in the tutorial)
03. Copied all content of my Windows 2003 installation CD by using Nlite
04. Selected "insert drivers" and "create bookable Setup CD"

Inserted "nforce_vista32beta2_english\IDE\driver\legacÿ" "Textmode driver" (in my last attempt)

05. verified changes and burned the CD directly by using Nlite.
06. insert CD, run setup

The result, the 4 hard disk drives installed are still shown separately. (it should be one partition of 300GB)
One thing I have to mention, is it really necessary to slipstream SP2 into the Windows 2003 setup CD? So far I haven't done.

Can somebody give me tell me what I am doing wrong?

"double post"

I don't see any obvious mistake.

I would recommend to take the nForce IDE drivers v.6.99. They are supporting nForce4 PataRaid and are designed to be used with Windows Server 2003.
Try to integrate the WHQL signed nForce IDE drivers v.6.99 by loading the SATARAID folder as textmode and the SATA_IDE folder as PnP driver.
If you don't succeed this way, take the modded LEGACY folder of the 6.99 drivers.

You should do it, although I don't think, that this will have any influence on the detection of your RAID devices.

Side note: You may have realised, that you have done a double post. Please save the space of this thread by editing one of the posts, deleting the whole text and just writing "double post".

The FSC_NVIDIA_SATA_RAID folder contains:
ATABUSDRV (textmode) type SCSI
RAIDCLASS (textmode) type SCSI

I can only select them to be both either TEXT MODE or PNP MODE.

The FSC_NVIDIA_SATA_IDE folder contains:
PNP type HDC

By selecting these drivers the problems still exists.
The Windows setup shows my hard drives separately.

Please have a look at this screen shot:



Tomorrow I will try the Legacy modded drivers.

You have to select both and to integrate them as TEXTMODE driver.

That is correct.

The screenshot looks perfect and I nearly cannot believe, that Windows Setup doesn't detect your RAID device and your RAID partitions correctly with these slipstreamed drivers.

Further questions:
Are the 4 hard disk drives of your RAID completely detected within the BIOS?
Have you set your RAID array as bootable within the RAID utility and the RAID as first bootable hard disk within the BIOS?
Do you have partitioned and NTFS formatted the RAID array?
Do you have slipstreamed SP2 into the OS CD?

Further questions:

Are the 4 hard disk drives of your RAID completely detected within the BIOS?
If I remember right, after I enabled NV-RAID in the BIOS
the actual BIOS didn't show my 4 drivers anymore. I can only check my drives by entering the NV-RAID SETUP (F10 on startup)

Have you set your RAID array as bootable within the RAID utility and the RAID as first bootable hard disk within the BIOS?
The RAID array I made is set boot able within the RAID utility.

Do you have partitioned and NTFS formatted the RAID array?
I used Partition Magic to create a 300GB NTFS partition

Do you have slipstreamed SP2 into the OS CD?
I haven't slipstreamed SP2 into the OS yet!

What do you mean by "completely detected"?
The fact that the drives aren't shown within the BIOS can be the cause of my problem.
Only my SATA DVD-Writer is shown. and I have unplugged the cables of my other SATA devices.

I can't figure out which setting makes the drivers visible.

What is the reason for taking Partition Magic and what is the reason for such a big partition size?
My recommendation: Take a tool like Acronis Disk DirectorSuite for partitioning and formatting the RAID and choose a partition size of 2x150 GB or 3x100 GB.

Before you began with the creation of the RAID, your BIOS should have detected each of the 4 P-ATA hdd's.

A P-ATA-RAID array and a S-ATA connected optical drive is not a good combination at all. f you don't have any natively IDE connected CD/DVD-ROM drive, you probably will not succeed with the installation of any Windows OS onto your RAID array. Look into the pre-condition list of my guide. You have to start the OS installation off an IDE connected optical drive.

Which other S-ATA devices than the DVD burner do you have?

The other SATA devices are 2x 500GB hard drives.

It is not easy to give you any advice.
If I were you, I would break the P-ATA RAID and create a S-ATA RAID0 and use the P-ATA hdd's for backups etc.
Nevertheless you may get some troubles with any OS installation onto a RAID array as long as you are booting off the S-ATA connected optical drive. You will need an IDE connected CD/DVD-ROM during the OS installation (maybe borrowed from a friend).

Before I decided to use 4x 160GB PATA drives I transfered all data to the (new) 2x 500GB SATA drives.
Since I have a lot of spare parts I installed a PATA DVD-writer but also in this setup the drives are separately shown.

Anyway I have decided not to use any RAID setup.
I will install windows 2003 on a 50GB partition.

Within a few months I am thinking about buying a new computer and use the 2x 500GB SATA drives. (after I transfered all data)
Hopefully my future motherboard will be able to run 4x 500GB RAID 0+1 (or a RAID 5 setup)

Thanks for your help!

That's a good decision.

You are welcome!

I was having this same problem... It would go through the whole installation process.... then stop, dead at the missing idecoi.dll..
I was ready to pull the board back out and send it back.
A friend of mine, who has forgotten more about these beasts, than I will ever know, asked if he could take a look at it...
This is what he did, and it fixed my issue.
On my F6 floppy (Nvidia SATA RAID DRIVER Disc) he changed the attributes of the idecoi.dll to "read and write", then changed it to: Idecoi.dll
All he did was change the lower case "i" to an upper case "I"
It worked like a charm...
I hope this helps somebody/anybody..

I have never heard about this procedural method and do not believe, that Windows Setup makes any difference between a lower and upper case of a character of any integrated driver package file.
It seems more probable for me, that the used F6/floppy driver package was corrupt or poorly modded (the entries of the TXTSETUP.OEM did not correspond with the associated driver files).

I am a neophyte to this but I thought I understood what was needed to build a slipstream disc. I have an HP a6230n computer with AMD Athlon 64 x2, NVIDIA Ge Force 6150 Se Graphics card, NForce serial ATA controller and network controller, ATAPI DVD A DH16A3L SCSI CD ROM, I have tried to download drivers from HP they won't support XP, the drivers I downloaded from NVIDIA are executable programs that Nlite won't accept it seems that only drivers in .inf file format are acceptable. If anyone could steer me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate. I read the articles here but there are technically over my head. Thanksto all who try to help. JIM

Hi Jim,
although you obviously have posted into the wrong thread, I try to help you.
Since you don't have a RAID array (connection between more than 1 hdd) within your nForce 430 chipset computer, you will be able to get Windows XP installed without slipstreaming any driver.
If you want to integrate the nForce chipset drivers nevertheless, download this package, unzip it by using a tool like WinRar or 7-zip and choose the "multiple driver integration" option of nLite. Additionally you can slipstream the other needed device drivers (graphics card, printer etc.).

Can you suggest me what it the most _stable_ driver for an old Nforce3 based PC with SATA Raid-0 setup? I've read the 1st post (honestly, I think it's the best general post about nforce sata drivers on any forum), but on this PC, I randomly get instant restarts on my current setup, which uses 6.95 legacy drivers and nForce Unified Remix 11.16. I've tried 6.99 legacy, and it was the same. For years I had a stable system, but now I had to reinstall XP, and I don't know which driver was installed on (maybe official 5.11). Performance really doesn't matter, since I would like to use this computer for work, not gaming. Maybe I have problems with nForce chipset drivers, but since computer doesn't produce any error output just restarts I don't know (I don't use Ethernet and Audio drivers at all).

Due to the big variety of different nForce3 chipsets and mainboard BIOS versions there are no "best" and "most stable" drivers for all of them.
According to my knowledge the nForce IDE drivers v.6.99 generally are the best choice for nForce3 chipsets, but you probably need a nVRaid BIOS v.4.81 and you have to integrate them into the XP CD by using a tool like nLite. The F6/floppy method doesn't work with these unsigned textmode drivers. If you want to know the reason, look into my guide (first post of this thread).
If you are not able to get the nVRaid BIOS v.4.81, you should take the nForce IDE drivers of the 5.11 chipset driver package.

Thanks for all the help
just a small update i am using Tyan S2915-E with NVRaid BIOS 9.83 version.
In order for Win XP SP2 x64 to work i needed to work with 9.24 release , older driers are not working

Thanks for posting the working nForce chipset driver package version, which might help other users with the same mainboard.
Which is the exact nForce chipset name of your mainboard? Is it the nForce Professional 3000 series?

I would say that for MSI Neo2 Platinum and XP 32-bit, using dual-core Athlon64: 6.99 is _not_ stable, neither 6.95. What I know is 5.10 _is_ stable (maybe 5.11 too), but I have no information from other versions. With 6.99 or 6.95 I got 1-2 instant restart or BSOD every day, when working with 3D Studio Max, although it was stable for light gaming or easy applications.