How to make a Windows XP CD with NVRAID Drivers built in.

[Fire-N-Ice]

I have used PM (which is Partiton Magic, and in my case version 8), with success in the past with a different raid controller. I have used it on this controller, and it successfully creates partitions. When I boot up, it asks me which windows xp pro I want to boot. I named one "control" and one "trial". When I pick one, PM auto hides the other partition, not sure why. Once you're in windows, you can go into PM and choose to not hide it, but it gives you some kind of warning about having 2 OS at the same time. On my previous board, in a raid set up I have used PM to create several partitons, which I installed windows 98se, windows me, windows 2000, windows NT, and XP Pro. On one partiton, just for crap and giggles, I installed windows 3.1 !!!(Although it wasn't quite right because I don't think it agreed with my board much, but it would load up) Then at boot it asks which one you want to load. I could load up any one of them fine.

 

Also- I never had to make any bootable cd's with runtime..

[Fire-N-Ice]

Is there a way I could install the raid drivers to this OS, from my good working OS? Just by copying files to certain directories? Since the sysatabus.sys isn't showing up in the log?

[Metalljens]

@ Cythrawl:

This is new for me. As long as I had single IDE hard disk drives, I always used Acronis Partition Expert (new name is Disk Director Suite) as bootable CD for formatting and making partitions, but since I have my nForce Raid array, this program does not detect my partitions.

What do you mean with "Runtimes on"?

 

Hello Fernando!

Its me again!

Acronis should work at least in safe mode, does for me anyway, but i have nforce 3 raid setup

[Fernando]

Is there a way I could install the raid drivers to this OS, from my good working OS? Just by copying files to certain directories? Since the sysatabus.sys isn't showing up in the log?

No, you cannot install the new nForce drivers this way. In worst case you cannot boot any more, even not from your "good working" OS.

 

Unless it seems to be possible to use Partition Magic with an nForce Raid array, I would do the following:

1. Enlarge the partition where you want to install XP with the new nForce drivers (6 GB is not enough for Windows XP).

2. Uninstall PM and clean your boot sector (only files should be ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini).

3. Make 2 different bootable CDs with integrated nForce Raid drivers from the package 6.66 according to my instructions within the nLite forum. Into the first CD you integrate the drivers from the PATARAID subfolder, the second CD you just take te SATARAID subfolder (unless you don't have SATA). In both cases you should integrate the drivers as textmode drivers.

4. Before you are booting from the first of your just created CD's, plug off all devices unless mouse, keyboard and monitor.

5. Try to install Windows XP with the first CD (with the drivers from PATARAID). If the installation fails, try the other CD.

Good luck!

Fernando

 

@ Metalljens:

Hallo "altes Haus",

nice to see you again within the DFI-Street Forum.

Thank you for your reply. I will test Acronis Disk Director Suite in safe mode.

Hoping that your system is still running fine

Fernando

[Cythrawl]

@ Cythrawl:

This is new for me. As long as I had single IDE hard disk drives, I always used Acronis Partition Expert (new name is Disk Director Suite) as bootable CD for formatting and making partitions, but since I have my nForce Raid array, this program does not detect my partitions.

What do you mean with "Runtimes on"?

 

partition magic allows you to install the DOS version of PM8. you need to make a bootable CD with the DOS runtimes on there (use NERO or something similar) and the DOS exe's of PM 8 (it put them in a DOS folder) and it works perfectly as you dont need a driver for the RAID in DOS. Linux and Windows DO need drivers to see the array (weird I know but true).

 

You can then partition the array with PM and really do whatever you want with it.

[Fernando]

partition magic allows you to install the DOS version of PM8. you need to make a bootable CD with the DOS runtimes on there (use NERO or something similar) and the DOS exe's of PM 8 (it put them in a DOS folder) and it works perfectly as you dont need a driver for the RAID in DOS. Linux and Windows DO need drivers to see the array (weird I know but true).

You can then partition the array with PM and really do whatever you want with it.

Thanks for the information, Cythrawl! I did not know that.

[Rhystic]

sorry about this. I believe I followed the tutorial (on 1st page of this thread) close if not completely to what it had said, still the first disc I burned had some sort of error with a file I didnt even mess around with so I figured maybe bad burn or corrupted file when I initially did it? Second time around, (used the rw idea so I burned to dvd rw [Yes dvd mainly because for some reason by burner hangs if I burn on cd [not sure why but thats for a later time to figure out ]] ) and finalized the cd and it went through and said nvraid.sys could not be found or something like that (I apologize I didnt write down the driver straight down but it was a .sys and started with nv? though I am sure it was between nvraid.sys and nvatabus.sys so I copied them into the I386 folder and recreated the iso with nlite, I just finished burning it and am going to test it not sure really if it will work but im praying also I know you are supposed to do this from a diff pc but I do not have one and I had a IDE raid set up on my IDE drives which I just hooked up when I wanted to log in to windows (whilest these problems with this nvraid sata raid is still here) and even though I pop the pci card out when I try to install windows to the sata raids I wanted to know if this could effect it in anyway possible.

 

ps: sorry for long post

 

Edit: Ok XP installed with sp 2 with ease no errors or anything only other thing I could remotely say was that it was a bit slow but I burned at slowest speed write and I really dont care becuase it works thanks a million cythrawl and fern.. Now my next problem is getting the pci raid files onto the nvraid so I can reformat the pci raid to be nonbootable and then transfer the files back heh.

[BlackDragon24]

OK stupid question time,

 

I want to install a new RAID 0 array on my two raptors using the newest nvRAId drivers from the 6.66 driver package. Can I just copy the SATAIDE and SATA RAID folders onto a floppy and use them? DO I need the pataraid as well, because then the files are too big for floppy?

 

Thanks

[Fernando]

I want to install a new RAID 0 array on my two raptors using the newest nvRAId drivers from the 6.66 driver package. Can I just copy the SATAIDE and SATA RAID folders onto a floppy and use them? DO I need the pataraid as well, because then the files are too big for floppy?

Why do you want to put all these folders onto your floppy?

As you have a Sata-Raid system, you will only need the files from the subfolder SATARAID, when you use the F6 method.

If you want to create an XP CD with integrated NVIDIA Sata-Raid drivers from the package 6.66, you may do it with this easy method:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=356029

CU

Fernando

[Cythrawl]

Why do you want to put all these folders onto your floppy?

As you have a Sata-Raid system, you will only need the files from the subfolder SATARAID, when you use the F6 method.

If you want to create an XP CD with integrated NVIDIA Sata-Raid drivers from the package 6.66, you may do it with this easy method:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=356029

CU

Fernando

 

I used your method on Saturday and it worked a treat. Im now back on to XP 32 bit (Gave up on x64 due to some driver's not working properly yet.. will revisit later in the year) and I made a new disk using that method.. Quick .. Easy.. and all in all good...

 

I think its time for this thread to die!!!

[VinnyC]

Well I used Nlite to slipstream SP2 into my windows xp corporate, and then had Nlite add the necessary nvraid drivers (using fernando's instructions). However, during an attempted XP install with the new nlite disc, i get a BSOD talking about how my motherboard isn't ACPI compliant. I have an A8n32-SLI DX with bios version 1303. And ACPI is enabled in the bios too!

 

So the BSOD says to hit F7 during the "mass storage controller" portion of the install process to bypass this check. When I do do it, windows does actually get past it. However, when it asks me which hard drive to install Windows to, it sees my Raid 0 set as 4 separate drives. So the nvraid drivers are somewhat working, but it still can't see that I have it setup in Raid. I guess it's better then not seeing the drives at all like before right? Any ideas?

 

And the BSOD only seems to happen when I slipstream a disc to have SP2 and try to use it on an NVRAID setup. I have used the same disc on other computers without a hitch. Ideas??