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Integration of AMD / ATI SB7XX textmode RAID / AHCI drivers on an XP


MikeD

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Integration of AMD / ATI SB7XX textmode RAID / AHCI drivers on an XP install CD

I recently purchased an ASUS M4A78-EM motherboard with an integrated RAID controller. My goal was to build a low power home RAID server.

I used the following components,

1 x ASUS M4A78-EM AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

2 x Seagate Barracuda LP 1T HDDs ST31000520AS

1 x Samsung 500 G HDD

1 x IDE Optical Drive

1 x AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane 2.6GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core

1 x Kingston HyperX 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800

1 x APEVIA X-QPACK

The Mobo came with no written instructions for setting up RAID and installing Windows XP and the documentation on the included CD also made no mention of this :realmad: After much searching and research I learned I'd need to use a tool like nLite to create an XP install CD with textmode RAID drivers for my mobo "slipstreamed" onto the install CD. Too bad the ASUS support web site makes no mention of any of this. In fact when you search downloads for this mobo it doesn't even include the textmode drivers for this motherboard. After about a dozen attempts I managed to track down the correct drivers and create an XP install CD that worked.

In summary you'll need to do the following to create an XP install CD with drivers for this mobo.

1, Download and install nLite

2, Download the ATI Catalyst 9.6 Motherboard/Chipset RAID drivers for XP from the link below. This includes the textmode drivers and txtsetup.oem file you'll need to include on your XP install CD.

http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst...ed/xp32-chipset

3, Start up nLite and be sure (at the least) to select tasks "Integrate Drivers" and "Create a Bootable ISO"

4, Use the nLite "Integrate Drivers" screen to "Insert" the textmode RAID drivers you downloaded at step 2

5, Use the direct burn option to burn a bootable install CD

6, Go into the mobo's BIOS and under "SATA Configuration" set "OnChip SATA Type" to "RAID." Save your BIOS settings and exit. (Your HDD's will no longer appear in BIOS.)

7, When prompted hit CTRL-F to set up your RAID array in the Option ROM Utility. I set my PC up with the 2x1T HDDs in a RAID 1 array (for my data, music, pictures etc) and the 500G HDD as a standalone for the OS and Apps.

8, Boot up the PC with the install CD inserted. Do NOT hit F6 when prompted. If you added the correct drivers to your install CD XP Setup will recognize your HDDs :thumbup If they don't show up you've done something wrong, either included the wrong drivers (most likely) or made some other mistake. I took me about 10 attempts to get this right.

I think these drivers and this approach will work for other M4A78 (maybe even M3A78) mobo variations and other AMD motherboards that use the South Bridge 700 / SB700 / SB7XX / 780G chipset.

-Mike D

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@ MikeD:

Welcome at MSFN Forums and thank you for your short guide.

@ all:

To make the integration of the needed AMD/ATI textmode drivers into a bootable Windows XP (32/64bit) CD easier and safer for you, I have prepared 2 small sized driverpacks, which can be downloaded here:

for Windows XP:

32bit AMD/ATI SBxxx AHCI/RAID Textmode Driver v3.3.1540.29 mod by Fernando

for Windows XP x64:

64bit AMD/ATI SBxxx AHCI/RAID Textmode Driver v3.3.1540.29 mod by Fernando

Just unzip the appropriate package and integrate it as textmode driver by using nLite.

Remarks:

  • The INF and OEM files of the linked 32/64bit AMD textmode drivers have been customized by me to make them usable with nearly all AMD chipsets from SB6xx up.
  • I have reorganized the driver folder structure and the content of the TXTSETUP.OEM file to minimize the failure risk during the XP installation.

Have fun!

Fernando

EDIT: This post and the download links have been updated on 11/18/2012.

Edited by Fernando 1
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello i doing the samething that slipstream AMD AHCI deriver and SP3 into my xp installation CD.

however, the CD boot up but not recognize my HDD which connected to the SATA port with AHCI enabled.

in nLite, i just insert the ahcix86.inf. do i need to select more file in the driver pack?

please advice, thanks!!

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Hello i doing the samething that slipstream AMD AHCI deriver and SP3 into my xp installation CD.

however, the CD boot up but not recognize my HDD which connected to the SATA port with AHCI enabled.

in nLite, i just insert the ahcix86.inf. do i need to select more file in the driver pack?

No, nLite will copy all other files of the folder too.

You only have to make sure, that a TXTSETUP.OEM file is present.

If you have done everything the right way, but the XP Setup will not detect the SATA hdd running in AHCI mode, you obviously have integrated a textmode driver, which is not suitable for the Southbridge chip of the mainboard.

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Thank you all for sharing. I too have an Asus mobo with 790GX / SB750 chipset.

I have 2 questions:

(1) How do you enable AHCI mode AFTER you have installed XP?

(2) How do you do the same thing in Windows 2000? I slipstreamed AHCI SATA drivers into the installation CD but Win2K will still not install.

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How do you enable AHCI mode AFTER you have installed XP?

Copy file ahcix86.sys to system32\drivers. Import this reg settings

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1002&cc_0106]
"Service"="ahcix86"
"ClassGUID"="{4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ahcix86]
"Type"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000000
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Tag"=dword:00000021
"ImagePath"="system32\\drivers\\ahcix86.sys"
"Group"="SCSI Miniport"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ahcix86\Parameters\PnpInterface]
"5"=dword:00000001

Goto BIOS, set AHCI. Reboot.

How do you do the same thing in Windows 2000?

Basically do the same thing as in XP.

However: does ahcix86.sys support Windows 2000?

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Thank you! I hope this helps many people because mobo makers have poor software support.

XP

This looks easier and faster than creating a slipstream CD. In other words, it seems better to install XP in default IDE mode and install AHCI driver after? Right-click on the AHCIX86.INF and select "Install"?

But doesn't XP need a text mode driver as well? I noticed that the Recovery Console tales MINUTES instead of seconds to load, something wrong here.

How do you do the same thing in Windows 2000?

Basically do the same thing as in XP.

However: does ahcix86.sys support Windows 2000?

2000

That's a very good question. NVIDIA chipsets do support Win2k. XP and 2000 are the same kernel, so it should work, but so far i can't get Win2k to recognize SATA hard drives even though the install CD loads on a SATA optical drive.

Do you have a 790GX / SB750 chipset? I'm willing to experiment. Maybe the thing to do is install 2000 on an IDE/PATA hard disk and install AHCI drives after?

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I am really not sure what kind of problems you guys are having and what kind of solution you are looking for. In order to install XP on an AHCI SATA drive, you need to have AHCI SATA text mode drivers and have AHCI enabled in the BIOS. NLite can install the drivers for you or you can use F6 and a floppy at the start of Setup. If you use F6 then you must disable OEM Preinstall in the nLite Unattended Task. The text mode drivers must be for the OS you are installing and are distinguished by having a textsetup.oem file. I suspect some are for XP and 2000 but some may only be one or the other. Normal mode drivers can also be installed by nLite or after Windows install by executing the driver installer. These drivers are usually part of the chip set drivers and again are for the OS (XP or 2000) you are installing. SATA support for optical drives seems to be different than HDD and whether you can boot from a SATA attached Optical drive seems to be dependent on the make/model. Enjoy, John.

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In other words, it seems better to install XP in default IDE mode and install AHCI driver after?
It's another approach.

Actually there are different ahcix86.sys versions. A driver version may support your hardware or not.

Changing may fail. Windows dosn't boot anymore.

If you set IDE mode at BIOS, windows should boot again. Or may fail.

If you integrate driver to installation media, correct AHCI driver are active always.

That's the more secure approach.

Changing IDE to AHCI is a emergency approach.

A second boot environment is nice too, e.g. a PE.

Right-click on the AHCIX86.INF and select "Install"?
This won't work. Booted with IDE emulation mode, there is no AHCI hardware available.
But doesn't XP need a text mode driver as well?
I don't understand the question.

Ahcix86.sys is the text mode driver. This driver is loaded at first black windows, at text mode graphics.

Maybe the thing to do is install 2000 on an IDE/PATA hard disk and install AHCI drives after?
In doubt try the official approach: a F6 floppy.

I'm using a 780/SB700 chipset.

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I think if you will read my reply above your questions will be mostly answered. One of the main reasons for using nLite is to eliminate the F6/floppy method. Also, above in the Sticky section are two threads by Fernando 1 (local expert on text mode drivers) about AHCI drivers. Please read the appropriate one(s). Enjoy, John.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Copy file ahcix86.sys to system32\drivers. Import this reg settings

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1002&cc_0106]
"Service"="ahcix86"
"ClassGUID"="{4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ahcix86]
"Type"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000000
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Tag"=dword:00000021
"ImagePath"="system32\\drivers\\ahcix86.sys"
"Group"="SCSI Miniport"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ahcix86\Parameters\PnpInterface]
"5"=dword:00000001

Goto BIOS, set AHCI. Reboot.

A great thank you for this excellent advice. I was baffled on what to do, since I didn't have an XP CD with AHCI drivers when I bought a new laptop (AMD processor, AMD chipset and AHCI and ATI graphics), and I had to install it in IDE mode. AHCI drivers were included in the Driver support CD. Most people I know told me I would have to reinstall XP if I wanted to integrate AHCI, but your thing really worked. After rebooting, it recognized the device and simply asked me to point to the folder with the AHCI driver. Another reboot and here I am :-) Thanks again.

Edited by Sp0iLedBrAt
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(2) How do you do the same thing in Windows 2000? I slipstreamed AHCI SATA drivers into the installation CD but Win2K will still not install.
Windows 2000 does not fully support AHCI.
However: does ahcix86.sys support Windows 2000?
Not really (see above).
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