[Grav!ty]

INSTALL VISTA TO NVIDIA NF4 RAID - CLEAN INSTALL

For the latest developments in installing Windows Vista to a NVIDIA NF4 RAID array see Windows Vista Build 5472: Clean Installation to RAID, Installing NF4 RAID Controller Drivers During DVD Boot WORKS and Vista Build 5456 X64: Install on a RAID Array

This method used for a clean install of Vista 5308 to the NVIDIA NF4 RAID controller may well work for other RAID controllers such as PROMISE and SILICON IMAGE. This has not been tested on those controllers however.

It has in the past, proved difficult if not impossible to install Windows Vista to a RAID array based on all three of these RAID controllers. What makes it possible to do so with Build 5308 is quite simply the fact that the "Load Driver" function is active in this build, when running an installation from within Windows XP.

This installation process, when run from Windows XP Pro x64 Edition works equally well for the installation of Windows Vista Build 5308 X64.


Pre-Install Preparation

Installing Windows Vista Build 5308 (32-Bit) in this way requires that you have an existing installation of Windows XP 32-Bit on a partition of your RAID drive, and a clean pre-formated second partition of your RAID drive on which to install Windows Vista Build 5308.

It is recommended that you NTFS pre-format the partition you intend installing Vista on - a quick format from within Windows XP is fine, from My Computer or Windows Explorer.

Make sure you have your Windows XP RAID driver floppy disk handy. It is recommended that your boot device order be set as follows:

1. DVD-Rom
2. HDD
3. Floppy,

for the simple reason that it may be necessary for Windows Vista to draw files from the floppy drive during installation and both before and after reboots.


Installation

1. Whilst in Windows XP, insert your Windows Vista Build 5308 installation DVD. Let it autorun and select "Install now"




2. Its not necessary to go online to get updates at the next setup screen but it does no harm to do so either. If you prefer, just use the "Do not get the latest updates for installation" option, enter the product key and accept the EULA.

3. At the setup screen asking which type of installation you want, select "Custom (advanced)" and at the following setup screen first select the partition you want to install Vista to and then select "Load Driver"

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4. Insert the floppy disc containing your Windows XP RAID drivers when prompted and from the list of files, first select the NVIDIA nForce(tm) RAID Class Controller (A:\nvraid.inf) file and then the NVIDIA nForce4 Serial ATA RAID Controller (A:\nvraid.inf) file. Click "Next" when floppy disc activity stops. At the next screen again make sure you have selected the partition to which you want to install Windows Vista to and select "Next"





5. The following screen is the final setup screen and no further intervention is necessary until installation has been completed. It is recommended that you leave your RAID driver floppy disc in your floppy drive during the entire installation process in case Windows Vista needs to install more files from it during the setup process.




Windows Vista Build 5308 X64

The same installation procedure, run from Windows XP Pro X64 Edition works perfectly to carry out a clean install of Build 5308 X64. Obviously one needs to use the X64 drivers for the X64 version of Windows Vista. These are the files one should load at the "Load Driver" stage:

NVIDIA nForce(tm) RAID Class Controller (A:\nvrdx64.inf) and
NVIDIA nForce4 Serial ATA RAID Controller (A:\nvatax64.inf)

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For the latest developments in installing Windows Vista to a NVIDIA NF4 RAID array see Installing NF4 RAID Controller Drivers During DVD Boot WORKS

[ar1stotle]

Hmmm, I tried this, but then I got the same BSOD that I did when it failed the first time. It says to uninstall any new hardware or hardware controllers, run chkdsk /f, etc. I'm assuming it's the raid drivers causing the problem. If I failed installing Vista before, do I need to do any thorough cleanups before trying this? Is it still trying to use old files and confusing itself?

I got the latest Nforce raid drivers from nvidia.com. Which did you use?

Edit: OK, seemed to do just what you did, but I still get a BSOD when it tries to reboot and continue setup... when I go to load the drivers, am I supposed to do the Raid Class controller, then wait for it to go back to picking where I want to install it to, then click "Load drivers" again to load the Serial ATA RAID drivers?

[jabermacy]

dude, just forget it - this flaming x&%@ will NOT install properly on nvidia RAID - I'm using latest drivers from EVGA and this thing has behaved badly from the go - check my other deperate post - tired of this X5&*@# pig... I suspect this is another Windows ME debacle just gaining enough mass to explode on launch (say 2010).... OSx86 anyone? Can I get ya some LINUX? - you know you want it

[Neuromancer]

I cant wait to try instaling this on my soon to be updated machine

[Grav!ty]

If you have a previous failed vista installation ar1stotle, you need to clean up your Windows XP system files by removing the following files that Vista would have placed on it:

$RECYCLE.BIN
Boot (folder)
Boot.BAK
bootmgr
BOOTSECT.BAK

and then booting to Recovery Console of your Windows XP setup disc and running fixboot. If you do not run fixboot from Recovery Console you will no longer have access to your Windows XP installation.

Once you have cleaned up Windows XP boot back into Windows XP and run Vista setup from inside Windows XP on your RAID array. These are the files I have on my RAID floppy disc:



There have been a few reports of inability to install Windows Vista to an overclocked system as well

[ar1stotle]

OK, I'll try that method. I didnt run fixboot, but I can still access XP just fine. But where did you get those raid drivers from? The ones from nvidia.com, there are only 8 files, so its obviously a different version.

[jabermacy]

OK, I'll try that method. I didnt run fixboot, but I can still access XP just fine. But where did you get those raid drivers from? The ones from nvidia.com, there are only 8 files, so its obviously a different version.

Good question - only 8 files here (http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_nf4 ... _6.70.html) and on my EVGA drivers - is the rest just junk not needed?

[Grav!ty]

I can't say if those are all really needed or not but the ones I have work so maybe at least some of them are required. Perhaps if you search your Windows XP installation for the ones you don't have on your floppy disc you will find them.

[Grav!ty]

This same process can be used to install Windows Vista Build 5308 X64 on the NVIDIA nForce4 RAID controller, when setup is run from within Windows XP Professional X64

[RipFire12901]

I have just attempted this type of installation but it failed. I forgot to take a screenshot of the "Windows Vista has Failed to Install" screen.

I did see a Blue Screen "Dumping Phisical Memory".

What did I do wrong? Could it be trying to install it on RAID could be the problem?

TIA