Vista & nVRaid - Installation Guide

[jeff826]

No go on safe mode install.

Can someone post their registry entries for nvstor32 and (presumably) nvrd32 in hkey_local_machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\ ?

As I posted earlier, I have a key for nvstor32 and a key for nvraid (which I thought was legacy, but if I delete it, I get BSOD on next boot). This is why Fernando's optional driver cleanup won't work for me.

Thanks so much guys!

[Drago]

Here you have all the exported registry keys of my nivida driver from the path you mentioned...

Please recall though, that I have an nForce4 chipset (DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D) on Vista x64.

http://www.*.com/?d=QMNW2DVN

[Whopper]

Hey Fernando,
I have an issue regarding my RAID setup. My existing array wasn't reading & an error message flashed on the RAID array screen. I checked BIOS and saw nothing unordinary. Nvidia control panel showed my RAID status as "error".

My RAID0 consisted of 2 500GB Seagate Barracudas. I'm not positive but I believe my problem is related to a possible install cancellation w/a WU RAID driver. I didn't have any issues until the next time I started my PC which was the following day. I checked Device Manager & all RAID drivers listed version 10.3.0.42, which tells me they were never changed to begin with. Regardless, I tried updating the IDE & Raid drivers in DM and no go. I also uninstalled the drivers & tried installing the Nforce 15.23 driver package but w/no success. I went to recreate the array but after I deleted the existing one, only 1 HDD shows up in BIOS. Now my problem is getting my other HDD to even read. I was going to uninstall all current RAID drivers and Media Shield & try again with the latest RAID package 15.25 but I'm thinking that would be useless since my 2nd HDD doesn't even register.

Is there a way to determine what's wrong w/my HDD or am I stuck sending it to Seagate?

System Specs
OS: Vista 64 bit Home Premium, SP1
MOBO: Asus P5N32-e SLI, 680i chipset

[Fernando 1]

@ Whopper:
1. Many nForce RAID users reported about big problems after having tried to get NVIDIA's driverpacks 15.23/15.25 installed. The included nForce SataRAID drivers v10.3.0.42 are not a good choice, if RAID is enabled.
For your nForce 680i SataRAID system I recommend to take the nForce IDE drivers v9.99.09, which are part of NVIDIA's 9.64 set and my "Special WHQL Performance Pack v5.0".
2. Since the creation of the RAID within the nVRAID Utility (F10) has nothing to do with the drivers, you should check the currently flashed BIOS version and the BIOS settings. After having deleted the RAID array and rebooted, you should see both SATA hdd's within the BIOS. Otherwise one of your SATA Controllers may be corrupted. Try to change the SATA ports.

[rmaramone]

Thanks so much!

I was not able to see my Raid, and the **** Nvidia does not support my motherboard anymore, along with my motherboard fabricant (DFI Lanparty UT nF4 SLI-D). But with your packages I could see my raid 0, thanks!!

(It didn't work when I first loaded the sata raid drivers, but when I did with the IDE drivers it works!)

[huuub]

Damn I don't have time to read all 123 pages so I'm asking...

I have a setup with an asRock Alive DUAL. Which has the nforce3 250 chipset and a JMicron chipset (also capable of doing raid).
For the moment the RAID is installed on 2 disks in RAID 0 at the nforce chipset running XP(32).

I want to install WIN 7 on it. So I should be using the ANNEX I part.
However it states that I have to attach another HD to the NVIDIA chip. But I can only attach 2 to it.
So a third is not possible. I don't understand that?

(or would it be wiser to try it with the JMicron chipset)
Help or clarification appreciated...

J

[Fernando 1]

@ huuub:
Welcome at nForcersHQ Forum!
The guide (= start post) within this thread will not be suitable for you, because it was written for the installation of Vista and not Windows 7. So if you want to get Win7 installed onto your nForce RAID array, you should better look here.
Maybe I am wrong, but I don't believe, that you will be able to get Windows 7 installed onto your nForce2 RAID array, because the Win7 in-box nForce SataRAID drivers do not support your chipset and the Win7 Setup will not accept any suitable other nForce SataRAID drivers.
Neverthelesess you may try the following:
1. Download Squall's nForce 9.35 Remix package you can get here and unzip it by using a tool like WinRAR or 7-Zip.
2. Copy the content of the LEGACY folder onto a floppy disk or USB stick.
3. Boot off the Windows 7 DVD.
4. When you come to the point were Win7 should detect your hdd's resp. RAID array, hit the "Advanced options" and then the "Load driver" button.
5. Let Win7 Setup load the content of the prepared floppy drive/USB stick. Give the permission to load both "required" devices.
6. If you are lucky, Win7 will now detect your RAID array as 1 single hdd device. In this case you will be able to get Win7 installed onto your nForce2 RAID array.

Please report here, if you succeeded or not.

Please remember, that meanwhile all nForce chipsets lower than NF5 have been outdated by NVIDIA. The last OS, which is fully supporting LEGACY mode nForce chipsets like yours is Windows XP.
So you should either change your mainboard or stick with Windows XP, if you don't want to break your nForce RAID array.
I do not recommend to create a JMicron RAID array, because you will be disappointed about the performance and furthermore you cannot be sure, that you will get Win7 installed that way.

[huuub]

Thanks for the quick answer... Just to verify. I have NForce3, not 2. Does your post still apply? In an other post of you, you stated that Win7 is also valid for that part I referenced to?

[huuub]

Fernando, I tried those allready, but did not succeed with those you suggested! Thanks anyway!

[Fernando 1]

Just to verify. I have NForce3, not 2.

Ok, my bad, I obviously didn't read your post correctly. Nevertheless this doesn't change the situation fundamentically.

Fernando, I tried those allready, but did not succeed with those you suggested!

I didn't really suggest to do that, it was just a try worth, because someone else reported, that these LEGACY drivers were able to detect his nForce2 or nForce3 RAID array while installing Win7.

In an other post of you, you stated that Win7 is also valid for that part I referenced to?

You may try that, what I have written within the Annex I part of the Vista & RAID guide, but I am not sure, that this will really work with Windows 7 too. The problem: You should use WHQL signed nForce3 compatible SataRAID drivers while installing XP.
By the way: There is no need to connect an extra hdd. You should just install Windows XP onto any partition of your RAID array and then start the Win7 installation from within the running Windows XP.