Vista & nVRaid - Installation Guide

[Fernando 1]

@ jak0:

If you are satisfied with the performance of the nForce SATA and RAID drivers v6.99 while running Win7, you should think about an nForce IDE driver update for your XP installation, because you are using the very old nForce IDE drivers v5.34. The nForce IDE drivers v6.99 are the latest, which are compatible with nForce4 PataRAID systems.
The driver update procedure for Windows XP is nearly the same as the one I have layed down for Windows 7. The only difference is, that you should update the driver software of the "NVIDIA nForce4 Parallel ATA Controller" instead of the "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller".

Regards
Fernando

[jak0]

Ok thanks Fernando. I'll try it.

[Fernando 1]

Ok thanks Fernando. I'll try it.

Just to avoid a misunderstanding and big problems:
Since Windows XP is a 32bit OS, you will need the 32bit nForce SATA and RAID drivers v6.99. You can get them >here<.

Good luck!
Fernando

[shades_aus]

Hello Fernando1,

I am an old M2N32 Deluxe Asus Nforce 3 board user. http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM2/M2NSLI_Deluxe/

I was able to make my RAID5 stripe from Bios from 3 SATA disks and then install Win7 x64 Native on to it.

Once I logged in to win7, I was not able to control the RAID. Unfortunately it is not stable and keeps dropping a dive after a while.
I am sure this is driver related, I am not able to re-build anything from inside windows, those options under Storage do not exist for me.
I must re-boot, jump in to the BIOS and use the BIOS RAID tool to rebuild the array which takes hours and there is never an error found.

What I have not seen in your tutorial is any driver related to a RAID5 setup in windows 7 x64 using SATA. I could see a lot of information for the Legacy PATA/IDE drivers but not for SATA and NForce3 under 7x64.

I was hoping you may have a driver pack to recommend for use with NForce3 chipset on 7x64 for NForce3 that could be optimized for my AMD AM2 x4 series CPU. It's still a great board and the CPU is fine even by today's standards. Would be a shame to let it all go. Oh, can it support NCQ at all?



NForce Serial ATA Driver Version 11.1.0.43
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_037F&SUBSYS_82391043&REV_A2
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_037F&SUBSYS_82391043
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_037F&CC_010485
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_037F&CC_0104

Can you help me at all?

[Fernando 1]

@ shades_aus:
Welcome at nForcersHQ Forum!

I am an old M2N32 Deluxe Asus Nforce 3 board user. http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM2/M2NSLI_Deluxe/

That is no nForce3, but an nForce 570 SLI (MCP55) chipset mainboard.

What I have not seen in your tutorial is any driver related to a RAID5 setup in windows 7 x64 using SATA.

This is a thread about how to get Vista or Win7 installed onto a LEGACY mode nForce2-4 RAID array, which is not supported by the Vista/Win7 in-box nForce SATAand RAID drivers.
Since you have an nForce 570 SLI (MCP55) chipset mainboard, you do not need to load any drivers at the beginning of the Vista/Win7 installation.
The only thing you may have to do is to install an appropriate nForce chipset driverpack from within your running Win7 x64.

I was hoping you may have a driver pack to recommend for use with NForce3 chipset on 7x64 for NForce3 that could be optimized for my AMD AM2 x4 series CPU.

Since your mainboard has an nForce 570 SLI chipset (and not an nForce3 one), I recommend to take my "Non-AHCI nForce Performance Pack for Win7Vista x64", which you will find within the start post of >this< thread.
Remember:
1. Make a backup of your OS partition and additionally of the system reserved boot partition, before you run the installer of the package.
2. You have to force the installation of the NVIDIA storage (SATA and RAID) drivers.
3. Don't reboot unless you have checked, that all NVIDIA related storage devices (even the usually hidden RAIDed hdd's) have gotten the nForce SATA or RAID driver v9.99.09.

It's still a great board and the CPU is fine even by today's standards. Would be a shame to let it all go. Oh, can it support NCQ at all?

AFAIK none of the NVIDIA nForce SATA drivers do support NCQ, if they are used with a non-AHCI system like yours.

Regards
Fernando

[shades_aus]

@ shades_aus:
Welcome at nForcersHQ Forum!

I am an old M2N32 Deluxe Asus Nforce 3 board user. http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM2/M2NSLI_Deluxe/

That is no nForce3, but an nForce 570 SLI (MCP55) chipset mainboard.

What I have not seen in your tutorial is any driver related to a RAID5 setup in windows 7 x64 using SATA.

This is a thread about how to get Vista or Win7 installed onto a LEGACY mode nForce2-4 RAID array, which is not supported by the Vista/Win7 in-box nForce SATAand RAID drivers.
Since you have an nForce 570 SLI (MCP55) chipset mainboard, you do not need to load any drivers at the beginning of the Vista/Win7 installation.
The only thing you may have to do is to install an appropriate nForce chipset driverpack from within your running Win7 x64.

I was hoping you may have a driver pack to recommend for use with NForce3 chipset on 7x64 for NForce3 that could be optimized for my AMD AM2 x4 series CPU.

Since your mainboard has an nForce 570 SLI chipset (and not an nForce3 one), I recommend to take my "Non-AHCI nForce Performance Pack for Win7Vista x64", which you will find within the start post of >this< thread.
Remember:
1. Make a backup of your OS partition and additionally of the system reserved boot partition, before you run the installer of the package.
2. You have to force the installation of the NVIDIA storage (SATA and RAID) drivers.
3. Don't reboot unless you have checked, that all NVIDIA related storage devices (even the usually hidden RAIDed hdd's) have gotten the nForce SATA or RAID driver v9.99.09.

It's still a great board and the CPU is fine even by today's standards. Would be a shame to let it all go. Oh, can it support NCQ at all?

AFAIK none of the NVIDIA nForce SATA drivers do support NCQ, if they are used with a non-AHCI system like yours.

Regards
Fernando

Oh hell.. It is too.
Thank you so much for your reply. I feel completely stupid. I don't know why I had it stuck in my head that it was nforce3, all I had to do was read the link I gave you.
Feel free to shoot me.
Thanks so much for the link though. I'll go install your performance drivers as I hang my head in shame.

Not that I won't trust your judgement and certainly after my 1st and horrid post here, the BIOS I have has IDE Legacy / ACHI /RAID options on the chip-set. Do you still recommend I use the non-ACHI drivers on my install with the 3 disk RAID 5? if it's going to give better performance, I'm happy to, it's just that I also have a hot swap HDD bay on the front for backups that I use. From memory, you need the ACHI drivers to be able to utilize the Hot-Swap functionality of SATA.

BTW, the EFFORT you have put in to helping people with legacy installs is just amazing. Needs to be more people like yourself. Thanks for your time and effort!!!

[Fernando 1]

Not that I won't trust your judgement and certainly after my 1st and horrid post here, the BIOS I have has IDE Legacy / ACHI /RAID options on the chip-set.

Are you really sure about that? I doubt, that any NVIDIA nForce 570 SATA Controller can be set to "AHCI" mode within the BIOS. Please check your mainboard mnual regarding this point.

Do you still recommend I use the non-ACHI drivers on my install with the 3 disk RAID 5?

Not really. Please report here, if your MCP55 chipset mainboard offers full AHCI support of the on-board NVIDIA nForce SATA Controllers.

[shades_aus]

Not that I won't trust your judgement and certainly after my 1st and horrid post here, the BIOS I have has IDE Legacy / ACHI /RAID options on the chip-set.

Are you really sure about that? I doubt, that any NVIDIA nForce 570 SATA Controller can be set to "AHCI" mode within the BIOS. Please check your mainboard mnual regarding this point.

Do you still recommend I use the non-ACHI drivers on my install with the 3 disk RAID 5?

Not really. Please report here, if your MCP55 chipset mainboard offers full AHCI support of the on-board NVIDIA nForce SATA Controllers.

Heck no, i'm not sure. I went and checked again, it looks as though that option in the BIOS is only for the on-board J Micron controller
and not off the nVidia southbridge at all.

Ok, so in answering my own question, and please DO correct me if i am wrong, do as you instructed and attach my external HDD to the J Micron SATA slot and set the J Micron controller to AHCI ??? That will fix the hot plug issue and performance of my RAID will be better with your NON AHCI Performance pack drivers!!

Where does one go to find out about all this Tech or does the whole world have to keep on asking you these nooobie questions like I do?
BTW, you should have a donate button. i'd happily donate for the effort you have given me.

[Fernando 1]

I went and checked again, it looks as though that option in the BIOS is only for the on-board J Micron controller
and not off the nVidia southbridge at all.

Ok, thanks for your confirmation, that your NVIDIA nForce 570 SATA Controllers cannot be set to AHCI mode.

Ok, so in answering my own question, and please DO correct me if i am wrong, do as you instructed and attach my external HDD to the J Micron SATA slot and set the J Micron controller to AHCI ???

Yes, if the external JMicron SATA port does support AHCI.

BTW, you should have a donate button.

It makes me quite happy, that I am able to help you, but nevertheless you may ask the administrator of this Forum named nForcer for a donate button.

[shades_aus]

I went and checked again, it looks as though that option in the BIOS is only for the on-board J Micron controller
and not off the nVidia southbridge at all.

Ok, thanks for your confirmation, that your NVIDIA nForce 570 SATA Controllers cannot be set to AHCI mode.

Ok, so in answering my own question, and please DO correct me if i am wrong, do as you instructed and attach my external HDD to the J Micron SATA slot and set the J Micron controller to AHCI ???

Yes, if the external JMicron SATA port does support AHCI.

BTW, you should have a donate button.

It makes me quite happy, that I am able to help you, but nevertheless you may ask the administrator of this Forum named nForcer for a donate button.

thanks again.
Done!