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Integration of NVIDIA's nForce RAID and AHCI drivers


Fernando 1

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The slipstreaming worked like a charm, the array works well...
Fine, that you succeeded at least.
I did notice a couple of things:

1) Both of the HDD's are shown in the USB "safe to unplug" dialog on the notification tray (IE you could apparently "stop" either or both of the HDD's)

2) The striped array is showing in computer management as a basic disk (should I upgrade the array to a dynamic disk?)

1. You should never try to unplug any of the RAIDed hdd's unless the power of the system is completely off.

2. My recommendation: Let the RAID array be a "basic disk".

Have you had any success cloning a RAID 0 array (could you recommend software that will allow me to image the array)?
Since I am working with different RAID arrays I have always used Acronis TrueImage.

All the best to you!

Fernando

Hi Fernando:

Could you tell me why both of the physical disks in the RAID 0 array appear in the "safe to unplug" USB dialog box in the notification area?

Is this some kind of glitch in the NVIDIA program?

This is my first go at "software" RAID and this really seems odd and unsafe (if I accidentally unplugged one of the disks by accident while unplugging a USB stick for instance I would have to rebuild the array from scratch)...

I use a Highpoint controller for a RAID 5 array on a different computer (my preference is definitely a seperate controller card for RAID)...

Your thoughts on this would be appreciated...

Tree

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Could you tell me why both of the physical disks in the RAID 0 array appear in the "safe to unplug" USB dialog box in the notification area?

Is this some kind of glitch in the NVIDIA program?

It may either be a driver or a Windows 2000 SP4 issue.

By the way: Many users reported about the same problem with the generic MS AHCI driver under Windows 7. Their system hdd was shown in the systray as "Safely removable hardware".

if I accidentally unplugged one of the disks by accident while unplugging a USB stick for instance I would have to rebuild the array from scratch
As long as your RAIDed hdd's are within the PC case and not connected via USB, nothing will happen.
I use a Highpoint controller for a RAID 5 array on a different computer (my preference is definitely a seperate controller card for RAID)...
Yes, a separate RAID adapter card would be a better choice than the on-board NVIDIA nForce RAID Controllers, but I personally have never had any severe problem with my NVIDIA nForce4 RAID systems.
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Dear Fernando 1,

Can u please upload again nForce_720a_AHCI.zip file (reg file) that you once created for user gdm12345 (page 79 of this forum)

for MCP78S \ GEForce 8200 chipset

"@ gdm12345:

I have prepared and uploaded a REG file, which might work for you.

(nForce_720a_AHCI.zip)

Download it here and unzip it.

Before you run the REG file, you should do a backup of all your important datas.

After having run the REG file, you should do, what the other authors already have written:

1. Reboot and enter the BIOS.

2. Enable AHCI, save the new BIOS settings and reboot.

3. When you get the "Found new hardware" message, stop the installation procedure, run the installer of the 18.11 driverpack and choose just the "MediaShield"/"Storage Driver" option.

Good luck!

Fernando "

File is no longer available at rapidshare.

Sorry for offtop and thanks in advance!

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@ filantrop:

I am sorry, but I don't have this nForce_720a_AHCI.zip file anymore.

Nevertheless you may try to run this file:

reg file for nForce AHCI systems.rar

The procedure is very important:

1. Do a backup of all important data.

2. Copy the file named NVGTS.SYS of the appropriate nForce chipset driver set into the WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS folder of your OS partition.

3. Unzip the downloaded attachment and run the REG file.

4. Reboot and enter the BIOS.

5. Enable AHCI, save the new BIOS settings and reboot.

6. When you get the "Found new hardware" message, stop the installation procedure, run the installer of the appropriate nForce chipset driverpack and choose just the "MediaShield"/"Storage Driver" option.

Good luck!

Fernando

Edited by Fernando 1
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@ cdob:

Thanks for your heads up and for your quick work-around.

@ filantrop:

Cdob is right. The reg file entries were published by him within page 79 of this thread, but obviously the lines were cut by the CODE box.

Consequence for you: If you have already downloaded the previous version of the file named "reg file for nForce AHCI systems.rar", you have to combine the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE lines before you are going to execute the reg file.

To make it easier for you and possibly other future users, I have corrected this mistake and reuploaded the file.

So if you use the new file, you don't need to edit anything.

Please report here, if you did succeed with the IDE/AHCI switch or not.

Good luck!

Fernando

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Dear Fernando, cdob

I did as cdob suggested:

* Edit the "reg file for nForce AHCI systems.reg" file first, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE lines are split to two lines.

Combine these to one line first *

works great with WinXP SP3 pro / ASrock K10N78M Nvidia 8100 motherboard. Success! Thanks a lot for your help

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

I am having problems with trying to set up a RAID 1 with Windows XP.

I have two harddrives of 1TB each.

If I now go to my computer after the installation, C-drive is 39GB, that is what I wanted it to be. But the rest, approx. 900GB, is not aviable. Drive D is 0 Byte.

However, rightclick, properties, hardware gives me in the list NVIDIA MIRROR 931.51G, so windows somehow does get it.

What can I do to get the D-drive to the ~900GB that it should have?

If I rightclick on it and want to format, it sais 39GB, just as C-drive. (During the installation, I first put up two 40-GB-parts + the rest, then deleted the secound 40-GB-partition to have 40GB for Windows and the whole rest. However, in the list during Windows-Setup, I then had 40GB partitioned, 40GB unpartitioned, ~900GB unpartitioned)

Edited by MaxikingWolke22
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@ MaxikingWolke22:

Welcome at MSFN Forums!

Your problem has nothing to with the NVIDIA nForce SATA and RAID drivers.

Assuming that the BIOS and the Windows XP Setup did recognize the complete RAID array size, you should run the Disk Management of your OS and look for the different partitions resp. volumes.

It is very easy to create new partitions, to format them and to give them a letter (D:, E: etc.) and a name. After having done that, you will see all partitions within "My Computer" and the Windows Explorer.

Regards

Fernando

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  • 1 month later...

Thank you for this posting and it really help!

One thing: I have a 3ware 8006-2LP SATA from 2007. If anyone has this, be sure to use the 3ware SATA driver instead of the SATARAID and Legacy listed.

It's a frustrating process. I had to try it the second time with the same "burn-verified" CD as the first time, the system won't respond to "R" pressing. But keep trying! My 2nd time worked!

Good luck!

Thanks again!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey!

My brother's IDE HDD crashed some days ago, so I decided i would be a nice brother and help him get his old pc back on track.

I found a windows xp home sp1 original-cd, a new sata hdd, integrated the drivers on this guide, 3 times (one for each driver-pack). and all without luck..

The installation stops because it cant find the HDD.

i am quite sure the raid is enabled in the bios. tho there werent so many options in this old bios.

I cannot find out what the problem is, I have also tried with gigabyte's SATA drivers.

the motherboard is this one: http://gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2206&dl=1#ov

please help me :)

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I think I see your issue m8!

Grab these drivers:

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Driver/motherboard_driver_raid_nvidia_ck804_bootdisk_xp.exe

Run the .exe in a folder of its own. (call it SATA of whatever) It will extract the drivers in that folder... Then delete the .exe.

Get your XP disk and update it to SP3!!! (SP2+ adds support for SATA drives, SO I don't think SP1 can even be installed on a SATA drive...)

And then integrate drivers as TXTMODE! [sUPER IMPORTANT STEP!]

Edited by Kelsenellenelvian
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@ espensh:

Welcome at MSFN Forums!

This is what I suggest for you:

  1. Integrate the Service Pack 3 into your original XP SP1 CD - as Kelsenellenelvian already wrote. There is no need to integrate any driver.
  2. Downlad and unzip an nForce chipset driverpack, which is suitable for nForce4 AMD chipset mainboards, for example the one you get >here<.
  3. Enter the BIOS of your brother's PC and DISABLE the RAID option.
    Reasons:
    • It doesn't make sense to run 1 single hdd in RAID mode.
    • There is no need to integrate any TEXTMODE driver, if the SATA hdd is running in IDE Mode (RAID disabled).

[*]Boot off the XP CD with integrated SP3 and install Windows XP.

[*]Once Windows XP is up, run the installer (SETUP.EXE) of the nForce chipset driverpack.

Good luck!

Fernando

@ Kelsenellenelvian:

The nForce RAID driver you have linked will not work at all with nForce4 RAID systems, because the absolutely needed SATA driver INF file (NVATA.INF or NVATABUS.INF) is missing.

The Windows XP Setup will not be able to install the OS onto a "LEGACY Mode" nForce4 RAID system (with the ability to support SataRAID and PataRAID simultaneously), unless there are separate INF files for both SATA and RAID drivers present.

Edited by Fernando 1
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@ Fernando1 = I was just giving him the drivers for his mobo (As he posted the link to its page)

The Windows XP Setup will not be able to install the OS onto a "LEGACY Mode" nForce4 RAID system (with the ability to support SataRAID and PataRAID simultaneously), unless there are separate INF files for both SATA and RAID drivers present.

This I did not know as I have integrated my SATA drivers for a VERY long time and not run into a need for seperate inf files.

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:thumbup I thought I'd report a total success with Asus M2N68 Plus mobo and Fernando's 32bit nForce SATA_IDE driver v11.1.0.33 + Driverpack v7.3 (it was not so obvious which MCP is this and which driver to use). :thumbup

GL

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