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nVidia IDE SW driver update!


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There seems to still be some confusion regarding the nVidia IDE SW drivers for the nF4 boards.

 

Many revisions ago, there were known issues with the IDE SW drivers included in the Platform / nForce drivers for nF4 boards. Forum members found issues with performance that were resolved by rolling back to the standard Microsoft drivers or simply not installing the nVidie IDE drivers at all.

 

It was always recommended to install the drivers and only remove them using the rollback function if you had an issue.

 

Beginning with the last 5.XX version and continuing through the current 6.XX versions of the Platform / nForce drivers for the nF4 boards, there haven't been any reported issues directly connected to the drivers.

 

It is always in your best interest to install the Platform / nForce drivers with a new build and any driver updates. The nVidia drivers offer better performance and function than the standard Microsoft drivers.

 

There is no longer a valid reason to warn new forum members to avoid the nVidia IDE SW drivers during the setup.

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I have been using 6.86 with no issues. I haven't seen any updated drivers past this version for nforce 4 platforms. (I mean official, not beta)

 

The Nvidia drivers are a must if you want to use external SATA drives.

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Thanks for the update, exRoadie. Since I built my system last year I haven't

gone near the NVidia drivers (except for the graphics card), and now I'm

looking for a set of steps to take to do the following:

 

1) Check what NVidia drivers I have installed (and the version of each).

- example, going into Device manager and selecting "devices by connection"

shows me the following:

nForce4 HyperTransport Bridge - driver version 5.1.2600.445 (7/27/2004)

nForce4 PCI-Express root - same as HT bridge

NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator - 4.6.6.0 (11/24/2004)

NVIDIA nForce networking controller - same as Netbus enumerator

NVIDIA nForce PCI System Management - 4.4.5.0 (7/27/2004)

nForce4 ADMA controller - 5.10.2600.479 (12/7/2004)

nForce4 Parallel ATA - same

(ADMA is for my SATA drives, and the PATA is used for my DVD burner)

 

2) Upgrade to the correct drivers from the 6.86 NVIDIA kit

(Looking at the readme.txt for the 6.86 package, would I install the

SMBus driver (4.57) and the XP drivers for IDE Legacy and IDE SataIDE? Or

are there others I need (should) update?)

 

3) What are the correct steps to take to perform the upgrade (once I've

decided which drivers I will install)?

 

Thanks,

 

...walt...

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You can just reinstall 6.86, and select the drivers you wish. You have to reboot anyway, so might as well update them all.

 

I would also make a RESTORE POINT manually. Just in case all don't go smooth for some reason. You should be fine though.

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Good post Roadie. I have been using the nVidia IDE drivers since my NF3 board and had no problems. One optical drive needed a firm ware update, but that was bout it. I'm happily running the 6.86's and they are running quite fine.

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Guest Radiohead

Its just been the past few months I've been useing them in all my NF4 rigs but didn't start until I inadvertantly installed them during a quick install. I think I ended up useing them for months until I realised I was and have since taken to updateing them all.

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