nForce 123/WinXP Chipset Drivers and Remixes

[AdvModDev]

I noticed that the NF23LWRnoNAM1.0.zip remix NF3 driver packages use the 4.82 ethernet driver. This appears to be the same one as was used in the official Nvidia 5.11 driver package. I recall having nasty experiences with several NF3 motherboards that I installed the 5.11 driver package on. The driver would appear to install and work, but any attempt to change ethernet settings or uninstall the driver would result in a BSOD. This problem was reported elsewhere (e.g., http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?show ... entry57187 ).

I have updated the WHQL remix for NF2-3 to v1.2 and downgraded the Ethernet driver to WHQL v4.75. Based on all the negative feedback from that thread you linked, your feedback, and the fact that xero84 was using the same problematic driver and apparently also had install problems, I have pulled 4.82 from my Google page and eSnips directory.

WHQL Ethernet v4.75 is dated 02/24/2005 (only a few months before 4.82 timestamp) and came from official package v6.53. It's still newer than the NRM Ethernet driver v4.42 in the official NF1/2 package v5.10 that those people in that thread went back to.

[AdvModDev]

One more update: I have modified the latest AHCI NVRAID IDE drivers for possible compatiblity for NF2-3 boards.

These IDE drivers are highly experimental, so image your SATA drives/arrays before installing and/or backup your important data. There are a few things to know about these drivers:

1) They no longer support PATA, only SATA. So if your WinXP install is on a PATA disk, then uninstall your current preAHCI IDE driver (inorder for WinXP to roll back to the generic MSFT IDE driver). Failure to do this will most likely result in a BSOD upon reboot because the PATA controller cannot use the SATA-only nvgts.sys (unlike the PATA/SATA nvatabus.sys in the preAHCI IDE drivers).

2) The NV Installer v4.46 used in the NF1-3 packages will not detect these drivers even if the directory structure is correct. So I have uploaded Installer v5.66 (the version these drivers came with). The later version Installers require a different dir structure compared to the preAHCI IDE drivers. The drivers themselves are now located in a dir called "legacy". However, the Installer may still not detect the driver for NF2-3. A manual install via Device Manager may be needed. If so, make sure to "Show hidden devices" and update all SATA devices in "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" and all NVRAID devices in "SCSI and RAID controllers" in Device Manager. DO NOT reboot until all devices have been updated.

3) According to Fernando, these new drivers may require an updated motherboard BIOS w/ integrated NVRAID (Media Shield) ROM (flash the latest BIOS for your board from your mobo manufacturer). Also, if the driver installs successfully, you may get a "safely remove hardware" icon in the systray and your SATA drives will be seen as SCSI devices in Device Manager. This is normal.

Again, these are highly experimental and if anyone is crazy enough to try it, let me know how it works out. Here is the link to the test dir: http://www.esnips.com/web/nf23xptest

[compstuff]

All right, I see that you're slipstreaming the entire package, I usually just integrate only the Ethernet driver so I can get to MSFT Update to download whatever updates came after SP2 before installing anything else.

Slipstreaming is so easy now and the tools and support are incredible.... plus I simply don't find it practical to deal with MS update when I'm doing installs... so yes I slipstream all the updates, the drivers and many other programs as well into my CD's... in fact I also slipstream Office into a single DVD install, have it copy the source I386, defrag the registry and the hard drive and do about 100 tweaks so I can walk away and come back to a completely finished install exactly the way I wan't it.

Whatever commands you used to get the official 5.10 package to install correctly will work for my remixes because the directory structures are identical as well as the Installer version used. I'm not sure how to get around the WHQL thing either. In WinXP, even w/ driver signing disabled, notice there are certain drivers (such as audio and IDE) that bypass it and force a popup "unsigned driver" window. I bet this default behavior has something to do w/ it (during slipstream installation).

For the most part slipstreaming or OEM installs don't really use installers just inf's but your correct regarding the structure being the same... I can perform the exact same install with your WHQL drivers as I do with the Unified 5.1's but thats not the case for the "Beta" drivers... they fail.

It's not a case of a popup window since that is also turned off but during the install MS decides to use it's default driver instead of yours and this can be seen in reading the setupapi.log

The solution was to not install the "Beta" drivers from \$OEM$\$1\Drivers\ but from \$OEM$\$$\OEMDIR and add OemInf section to the winnt.sif... the links I previously refered to explain this perfectly.

The Ethernet driver did install under the original method and I think the Audio did as well but the IDE, AGP and Mem definitely did not

Anyways, they said SP3 will arrive shortly after Vista SP1 (already released to the OEMs) so expect to go through this again soon.

Just like you have found so many items to be corrected with nVidia drivers the same goes for MS hotfixes and SP's.... theirs actually lots of "fixes" to make some of them function properly so I won't be using SP3 for at least 3 months after it's release and bugs and fixes will be recognized

[Fernando 1]

One more update: I have modified the latest AHCI NVRAID IDE drivers v9.98 and 10.1.0.26 for possible compatiblity for NF2-3 boards. They can be downloaded from my eSnips test directory: http://www.esnips.com/web/nf23xptest

These two IDE drivers are highly experimental, so image your SATA drives/arrays before installing and/or backup your important data. There are a few things to know about these drivers:

1) They don't support PATA at all. So if your WinXP install is on a PATA disk, then uninstall your current IDE driver (inorder for WinXP to roll back to the generic MSFT IDE driver). Failure to do this will most likely result in a BSOD upon reboot because the PATA controller cannot use the new nvgts.sys (like in the non-AHCI IDE drivers).

2) The NV Installer v4.46 used in the NF1-3 packages will not detect these drivers even if the directory structure is correct. So I have uploaded Installer v5.66 (the version these drivers came with). The later version Installers require a different dir structure than the other IDE drivers I've uploaded. The drivers themselves are located in a dir called "legacy". The Installer may or may not detect the driver for NF2-3. A manual install via Device Manager may be needed.

3) According to Fernando, these new drivers may require an updated board/NVRAID BIOS. Also, If the driver installs successfully, you may get a "safely remove hardware" icon in the systray. This is normal.

Again, these are highly experimental and if anyone is crazy enough to try it, let me know how it works out.

Hi AdvModDev,
it is really a very good idea to test this new generation of nForce S-ATA drivers named NVGTS.SYS with NF2 and NF3 chipset mainboards too, because I doubt, that NVIDIA will develop any new non-AHCI capable nForce S-ATA drivers named NVATABUS.SYS.
Especially the new IDE drivers v9.98 are running fine with nForce4 chipset boards although their chipset does not really support AHCI. The 10 series IDE drivers obviously have the best performance, but they are tricky and don't run stable at all with NF4 chipsets.
The NF2/NF3 users with an nForce RAID system may be disappointed, because it is possible, that the NF2 and NF3 RAID Controller will not support the 9 and 10 series nForce IDE drivers.
Nevertheless it is worth to test these modded drivers even with NF2 and NF3 RAID systems.
CU
Fernando

[AdvModDev]

I slipstream all the updates, the drivers and many other programs as well into my CD's... in fact I also slipstream Office into a single DVD install, have it copy the source I386, defrag the registry and the hard drive and do about 100 tweaks so I can walk away and come back to a completely finished install exactly the way I wan't it.

Good lord, that seems like a lot of work. I guess I just prefer doing all the updates and program/driver installs manually. Then I do an image after everything is installed, tweaked, etc. and I'm satisfied w/ the config.

The solution was to not install the "Beta" drivers from \$OEM$\$1\Drivers\ but from \$OEM$\$$\OEMDIR and add OemInf section to the winnt.sif... the links I previously refered to explain this perfectly.

The Ethernet driver did install under the original method and I think the Audio did as well but the IDE, AGP and Mem definitely did not

Thanks for posting this, no doubt it will be helpful to the slipstreamers of my remixes.

The NF2/NF3 users with an nForce RAID system may be disappointed, because it is possible, that the NF2 and NF3 RAID Controller will not support the 9 and 10 series nForce IDE drivers.

Greets Fernando. There seems to be several positive posts from NF4 users about IDE 9.98 in your WinXP NF4-7 remix threads. I figure if it works for NF4, then it should work for NF3. And if it works for NF3, then it should work for NF2. Hopefully someone brave will try it and post back.

[inkol]

I've installed the NF23LRnoNAM1.0 driver package on an MSI K8N Neo Socket 754 NF3 motherboard.

In initial testing I have not noticed any obvious problems.

One minor question concerns whether it is possible to install the Nvidia SATA driver without the Nvidia IDE driver. Up to now, I've never installed the Nvidia IDE/SATA drivers on an NF3 setup.

Thanks
Robert

[AdvModDev]

It's not possible to install only the SATA driver w/ preAHCI IDE drivers because SATA and PATA controllers use the same system file (nvatabus.sys). But you'd be a good candidate to try the new AHCI IDE drivers because they no longer support PATA, only SATA.

[ccl0]

AdvModDev i just wanted to thank you for all your hard work. i know a lot of us really appreciate it

[authenticamd]

3) According to Fernando, these new drivers may require an updated board/NVRAID BIOS.....

Where can I obtain the latest NVRAID BIOS for my nForce4 board? And then how can I upgrade my BIOS?

TIA.

[AdvModDev]

AdvModDev i just wanted to thank you for all your hard work. i know a lot of us really appreciate it

Where can I obtain the latest NVRAID BIOS for my nForce4 board? And then how can I upgrade my BIOS?

I have edited my post for clarity (the Media Shield ROM is integrated into the board BIOS). You just need to flash the latest BIOS for your board from your board manufacturer. If your board uses an AWARD BIOS, then go to my Google page and download the file called "AwdFlash883" and follow the link to a guide on how to flash your BIOS (it's for Abit boards specifically, but the procedure will work for all boards).