Vista & nVRaid - installation guide and troubleshooting

[SBBUK]

HTWIs x64 drivers just aren't working, as I can install with x86 fine. now that i found out why i was getting the criterea problem... i had to make sure all other disks were unplugged, even those on unsupported controllers, and all usb devices such as card readers that it would detect as storage devices. So, I did not connect my usb disk to load the drivers until the stage in the install where you need it.

[Fernando 1]

Im trying to use the latest HTWI modified drivers.
I got past this, but now i'm getting the error "Windows is unable to locate a useable partition on this disk" or words to that effect.
When I click ok the installation fails

Have you partitioned your RAID array and set the first partition as active before you tried to install Vista?
Did you unplug your USB hard disk?
Did you format the first partition (normally drive C) with NTFS file system?

Update:

HTWIs x64 drivers just aren't working, as I can install with x86 fine. now that i found out why i was getting the criterea problem... i had to make sure all other disks were unplugged, even those on unsupported controllers, and all usb devices such as card readers that it would detect as storage devices. So, I did not connect my usb disk to load the drivers until the stage in the install where you need it.

Thanks for your new reply.
As a consequence I will modify my guide:
1. The necessity to unplug all non-RAID storage devices and unused controllers before beginning the Vista install has to be pointed out and
2. I will give a notice, that HWTI's current Vista x64 driver package (extracted from Vista RC2) doesn't work with newer Vista x64 builds (5840 and RTM).

[metalljens]

This post is for Princess_Frosty, if he still reads the posts here.

I also have the Asus A8NE motherboard, but i have two Maxtor sata II drives in raid 0.
I dont know if its 32 or 64 bits vista your trying to install, but i succeeded with vista 64 anyway, the final RTM version.
Vistas built in raid drivers detected my raid, so you shouldnt have to load any other drivers. If you get the "Windows was unable to find a system volume that meets the installation criteria" error then youll have to disconnect any other sata or ide drives including USB drives, except the optical drives on the pata channel.

[Fernando 1]

@ all owners of a LEGACY mode nForce SataRaid system, who are going to install Vista x64 RTM:

If you want to get Vista x64 RTM installed by booting off DVD, you may try to load a special Vista x64 RTM driver package I prepared and uploaded for testing purposes (it contains the original 64-bit Vista RTM drivers and an INF file, which is modified the same way as HWTI did with earlier versions.

You can download this special package here: http://rapidshare.com/files/3561798/Vis ... s.rar.html.

Please report within this thread, if you succeeded with these drivers or if the installation failed.

CU
Fernando

[BeboSaab]

I got it installed on my DFI Lan Party UT using some older drivers for RAID 0, but was having a lot of stability problems.

I just upgraded to to http://rapidshare.com/files/3561798/Vis ... s.rar.html.

drivers you just posted, and it got rid of my stability problems as far as I can see, good work.

[Princess_Frosty]

I'm trying to install the 32bit (x86) version so 64bit drivers aren't going to help.

I'll check back now and again to see if there's any progress with 32 bit drivers, hopefully nvidia will get of their asses and have soem driver packages together soon.

[hwti]

If there are non-RAID disks, Vista wants to install its bootloader on the first non-RAID disk.
If there are only RAID disks (which are seen as SCSI), Vista wants to install its bootloader on the boot RAID disk.
So if you have non-RAID disks, you need to disconnect them if you want the bootloader on the RAID disk.

Instead of loading modded drivers from a disk, I have another solution which may solve problems :
You need to make a boot floppy or CD-ROM.
With this boot disk, vista will use its built-in driver, so the driver will be WHQL.
The driver will be loaded like on a new (not legacy) sataraid system.

This would be useful with x64 to update driver after install if nvidia doesn't add LEGACY in INF file. (Since it keeps WHQL status, driver signature enforcement isn't a problem)

http://rapidshare.com/files/4111183/NF4_legacy_sataraid_boot_mod.7z

How to use it:
For the floppy:
Use make_floppy.bat to make the boot floppy
configure your computer to boot from floppy first, and DVD next.
Insert the floppy, boot
When prompted, remove the floppy and press a key.
The computer will boot vista setup from DVD with legacy SATA support.
!!!! When setup reboots the PC for the first time, you need to use the trick again, or you will get a BSOD :
Configure your computer to boot from floppy first, and hard disk next.
Insert the floppy, boot
When prompted, remove the floppy and press a key.
Vista will boot from hard drive and setup continues.

For the CD-ROM:
Burn the ISO to a CD.
configure your computer to boot from DVD drive.
Insert the CD in the DVD drive, boot.
When prompted, remove the CD, insert Vista DVD and press a key.
The computer will boot vista setup from DVD with legacy SATA support.
!!!! When setup reboots the PC for the first time, you need to use the trick again, or you will get a BSOD :
Remove Vista DVD and insert the CD.
Boot
When prompted, remove the CD and press a key.
Vista will boot from hard drive and setup continues.

[Princess_Frosty]

Is this confirmed as working?

Since Im currently running vista off 1 of the disks I would normally use for my RAID partition it means breaking my current Vista install to get it working which I've already done once.

In fact it's not really worth the risk to be honest, im just going to wait for proper Nforce drivers from Nvidia, I've been running from just one fo my Raptors for a good week or so now and its no big deal tbh.

Thanks anyway!

[Fernando 1]

If there are non-RAID disks, Vista wants to install its bootloader on the first non-RAID disk.
If there are only RAID disks (which are seen as SCSI), Vista wants to install its bootloader on the boot RAID disk.
So if you have non-RAID disks, you need to disconnect them if you want the bootloader on the RAID disk.

Instead of loading modded drivers from a disk, I have another solution which may solve problems :
You need to make a boot floppy or CD-ROM.
With this boot disk, vista will use its built-in driver, so the driver will be WHQL.
The driver will be loaded like on a new (not legacy) sataraid system.

This would be useful with x64 to update driver after install if nvidia doesn't add LEGACY in INF file. (Since it keeps WHQL status, driver signature enforcement isn't a problem)

http://rapidshare.com/files/4111183/NF4_legacy_sataraid_boot_mod.7z

How to use it:
For the floppy:
Use make_floppy.bat to make the boot floppy
configure your computer to boot from floppy first, and DVD next.
Insert the floppy, boot
When prompted, remove the floppy and press a key.
The computer will boot vista setup from DVD with legacy SATA support.
!!!! When setup reboots the PC for the first time, you need to use the trick again, or you will get a BSOD :
Configure your computer to boot from floppy first, and hard disk next.
Insert the floppy, boot
When prompted, remove the floppy and press a key.
Vista will boot from hard drive and setup continues.

For the CD-ROM:
Burn the ISO to a CD.
configure your computer to boot from DVD drive.
Insert the CD in the DVD drive, boot.
When prompted, remove the CD, insert Vista DVD and press a key.
The computer will boot vista setup from DVD with legacy SATA support.
!!!! When setup reboots the PC for the first time, you need to use the trick again, or you will get a BSOD :
Remove Vista DVD and insert the CD.
Boot
When prompted, remove the CD and press a key.
Vista will boot from hard drive and setup continues.

Thank you for your message, HWTI. I have done it into my guide as an "Add-On".

CU
Fernando

[arabesc]

All previous attempts to properly istall Vista on the RAID-1 system (DFI Lanparty Expert, nForce4 based board) with modified drivers are failed. Vista always detect two HDD instead of one.
This last method with boot floppy partially working for me, Vista detect one HDD. But after the first reboot Vista shows an error message, something about boot\bcd and error number 0xC000000E.