Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers

[Fernando 1]

btw what do i need to do my floppy disk?

legacy folder + ?

some1 knows what s the difference between scsi class and hdc in .inf?

1. If you want to test nForce SataRaid drivers by using Floppy/F6 method (just to see, if they will work, if you would integrate them), you should take the LEGACY subfolder. Just copy the whole content, that means all files onto an empty floppy disk.

2. HDC can be "Hard Disk Controller". I think, that this is nothing to warry about. If you want to know more, you should post the line with these entries (by editing with "CODE" and "/CODE"). In which INF file did you find these entries?

[max06]

ok just copyed LEGACY folder from 6.86 whql

i hitted f6, selected both drivers

and then there were my 2 hdd 40go without any raid0..

i tryed with msi's driver and deleted all (5?) IDE driver with nlite but still endless reboot..

[Fernando 1]

ok just copyed LEGACY folder from 6.86 whql

i hitted f6, selected both drivers

and then there were my 2 hdd 40go without any raid0..

i tryed with msi's driver and deleted all (5?) IDE driver with nlite but still endless reboot..

Is your RAID "healthy" and set as first bootable Hard Disk Drive within BIOS?

Is this the first try to get any OS installed onto your nForce RAID array?

When you used the MSI drivers, did you try to boot in safe mode at the end of the installation by hitting F8? If yes, what happened?

[max06]

Is your RAID "healthy" and set as first bootable Hard Disk Drive within BIOS?

Is this the first try to get any OS installed onto your nForce RAID array?

When you used the MSI drivers, did you try to boot in safe mode at the end of the installation by hitting F8? If yes, what happened?

-yes

-yep first time using the raid part

-dont think so

thx for help

Edited October 25, 2006 by max06

[Fernando 1]

Is your RAID "healthy" and set as first bootable Hard Disk Drive within BIOS?

Is this the first try to get any OS installed onto your nForce RAID array?

When you used the MSI drivers, did you try to boot in safe mode at the end of the installation by hitting F8? If yes, what happened?

-yes

-yep first time using the raid part

-dont think so

Try the following:

1. Download the nForce chipset driver package v. 6.53 (download link is within my guide).

2. Prepare a new driver floppy with the content of the IDE\WinXP folder (except the RAIDTOOL subfolder).

3. Then try again to boot from the XP CD by using F6/floppy.

If XP does not detect your RAID this way, I can't help you from here. In this case you should ask ASUS for technical support.

[max06]

ok i ll try

thx

[max06]

doesnt work with 6.85, 6.70 and 6.66

works with 6.53

trying to include driver on cd now, ill tell u tomorrow if it worked

thx

edit: including .inf in nlite. adding 2drivers busdrv and raidclass in textmode (both HDC class) and no ide pnp, is that right?

Edited October 25, 2006 by max06

[Fernando 1]

edit: including .inf in nlite. adding 2drivers busdrv and raidclass in textmode (both HDC class) and no ide pnp, is that right?

Yes, and don't remove any driver or hardware support by nLite. Just integrate the both "requested" drivers as TEXTMODE, nothing else. You may disable the "Oem Preinstall" option.

After a succussful install you may update the PataRaid drivers with the 6.86 chipset driver package by running the Setup of this package or directly by driver update of the nForce4 Parallel ATA Controller and NVIDIA nForce RAID driver within the device manager.

Good luck!

Fernando

[yeomansinc]

Hi Fernando! You seem to be an extremely helpful person in all of this and no doubt I'll be posting soon (*Edit, which happens to be now!) for your assistance if you would be so kind? Been trying to setup a RAID 0 erray for the past 2 days now, and I'm starting to lose patience!

Firstly, rough spec...

======

CPU - AMD X2 3800+ AM2

MOBO - MSI K9N SLi Platinum (nForce 570 MCP) Bios 1.3

RAM - 2x1Gb DDR2

GFX - 2xGainward 6800's PCi-e

Hard Drives - 2xWestern Digital Caviar SE16 250GB 2500KS Raid 0

======

My bios settings are correct, I definately know that. 1 thing that does concern me is the fact that the "boot" option is greyed out within the NVraid F10 setup. Under boot, it just displays "N/A"...which worries me.

Anyhow, beforehand, F6 prompt didn't work and I'd get continuous BSOD's, despite what I put on the floppy.

Successfully slipstreamed nVidias 9.16 drivers (just the SATARAID, which automatically added the SATA_IDE too, Raid as Textmode and IDE as PnP) to a WinXP CD and it finally completed the whole installation (both GUIs)...only to restart just at the last second before loading "welcome to windows)...and then continue to restart. Won't boot in safe mode either.

I have tried the SATA drivers that are supplied on MSIs support website, which didn't work. The newest drivers from nVidia's website are the ones Im using, and I can't see any older drivers to use at all.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here at all, but it must be something surely?

Any help gladly appreciated. The answer is probably in this thread somewhere, but it is 60 pages and I've had enough as it is!!

Thanks in advance,

Cheers

Rich.

Edited October 31, 2006 by yeomansinc

[Fernando 1]

My bios settings are correct, I definately know that. 1 thing that does concern me is the fact that the "boot" option is greyed out within the NVraid F10 setup. Under boot, it just displays "N/A"...which worries me.

Anyhow, beforehand, F6 prompt didn't work and I'd get continuous BSOD's, despite what I put on the floppy.

Maybe you have forgotten to set your RAID as first bootable hdd within your BIOS (Advanced BIOS Features > "Hard Disk Boot Priority").

Successfully slipstreamed nVidias 9.16 drivers (just the SATARAID, which automatically added the SATA_IDE too, Raid as Textmode and IDE as PnP) to a WinXP CD and it finally completed the whole installation (both GUIs)...only to restart just at the last second before loading "welcome to windows)...and then continue to restart. Won't boot in safe mode either.

It seems, that the integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder done automaticly by nLite, isnot good for your chipset.

Do the following:

Copy the SATARAID subfolder of the 9.16 package somewhere outside the package. Then slipstream your XP CD again just integrating the lonely SATARAID subfolder. nLite should only pick up 2 TEXTMODE (S-ATA and RAID) and no PnP driver.

Good luck!

Fernando

[yeomansinc]

My bios settings are correct, I definately know that. 1 thing that does concern me is the fact that the "boot" option is greyed out within the NVraid F10 setup. Under boot, it just displays "N/A"...which worries me.

Anyhow, beforehand, F6 prompt didn't work and I'd get continuous BSOD's, despite what I put on the floppy.

Maybe you have forgotten to set your RAID as first bootable hdd within your BIOS (Advanced BIOS Features > "Hard Disk Boot Priority").

Successfully slipstreamed nVidias 9.16 drivers (just the SATARAID, which automatically added the SATA_IDE too, Raid as Textmode and IDE as PnP) to a WinXP CD and it finally completed the whole installation (both GUIs)...only to restart just at the last second before loading "welcome to windows)...and then continue to restart. Won't boot in safe mode either.

It seems, that the integration of the SATA_IDE subfolder done automaticly by nLite, isnot good for your chipset.

Do the following:

Copy the SATARAID subfolder of the 9.16 package somewhere outside the package. Then slipstream your XP CD again just integrating the lonely SATARAID subfolder. nLite should only pick up 2 TEXTMODE (S-ATA and RAID) and no PnP driver.

Good luck!

Fernando

Thanks for the swift reply Fernando, much appreciated!

With regards to boot order...bios does state that 1st is DVD, and 2nd is 'NVraid Stripe'. Thinking about it, maybe the reason why nVraid says "N/A" is because it's solely controlled by the bios?

I will give it a try when I get home from work later Just a quick one, when I slipstream the drivers should I use the single driver option, or multi driver folder one?

Also, is there any preference on what build of XP is used at all?

Thanks again

Edited October 31, 2006 by yeomansinc

[Fernando 1]

With regards to boot order...bios does state that 1st is DVD, and 2nd is 'NVraid Stripe'.

The "Hard Disk Boot Priority" (ranking of the hdd's) is something else than the rorder of "Bootable Devices" (CD-ROM/HDD/Floppy etc.). Look into your BIOS again. Your first bootable device has to be the CD-ROM/DVD device, because you want to boot from it, but your RAID should be set as first bootable Hard Disk Drive.

Just a quick one, when I slipstream the drivers should I use the single driver option, or multi driver folder one?

Take the single driver option, because you will prevent this way, that nLite integrates not needed or even wrong driver folders.

Also, is there any preference on what build of XP is used at all?

The best source is an original XP CD with integrated SP2. If you have an XP CD without any SP, you shoud integrate SP2 at first step, when you start creating your nLited XP CD.

[yeomansinc]

The "Hard Disk Boot Priority" (ranking of the hdd's) is something else than the rorder of "Bootable Devices" (CD-ROM/HDD/Floppy etc.). Look into your BIOS again. Your first bootable device has to be the CD-ROM/DVD device, because you want to boot from it, but your RAID should be set as first bootable Hard Disk Drive.

Ahhh I see. Right, I'm *sure* it's already set up correctly, but can't remember off hand! Surely if it wasn't setup properly, it wouldn't boot after the second GUI ? ..or even the 1st? I'll have a check anyway

Take the single driver option, because you will prevent this way, that nLite integrates not needed or even wrong driver folders.

Ah, then I've already done this for the SATARaid driver, so pretty much stuck.

The best source is an original XP CD with integrated SP2. If you have an XP CD without any SP, you shoud integrate SP2 at first step, when you start creating your nLited XP CD.

Ok, that's what I'm using already. Although I am tempted to use an older XP SP2 which has no, or very little RAID drivers and slipstream them...only out of desperation!

Something's definately working somewhere, because beforehand it wouldn't get to the 2nd GUI and now it completes the whole installation! I've also tried installing XP with all intergrated peripherals in bios switched off, USB, firewire etc. Still didn't work.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong at all but something's not quite right! I will check the bios though.

Edited October 31, 2006 by yeomansinc

[Fernando 1]

Not sure what I'm doing wrong at all but something's not quite right! I will check the bios though.

Have you checked, if the boot sector of your RAID array is on drive C:?

Many problems with freshly built RAID arrays are due to the fact, that there is somewhere (within one of the hdd's of the array) an old boot sector remaining from earlier OS installations.

It is a good idea to delete all former datas of the hdd's by doing a low formatting before creating the RAID array.

[yeomansinc]

Not sure what I'm doing wrong at all but something's not quite right! I will check the bios though.

Have you checked, if the boot sector of your RAID array is on drive C:?

Many problems with freshly built RAID arrays are due to the fact, that there is somewhere (within one of the hdd's of the array) an old boot sector remaining from earlier OS installations.

It is a good idea to delete all former datas of the hdd's by doing a low formatting before creating the RAID array.

Everytime I've been trying to install Windows, I have removed the RAID erray via NVRaid and re-created it, which asks if I want to clear the data in which I respond "Y". Also in the first GUI installation section, I create the partition and do a quick format. Previously, I have done a full format too just to make sure. I think doing both of them methods is surely removing everything?

Thanks for all your replies BTW Can't wait to get home and give it another go.