This step by step installation is done on a nForce2 ultra 400 (abit nf7-S ). But should apply to other nforce board with same silicon Image SATA Raid controller and raid bios.
Preparation -XP cd with sp1 -Floppy diskette with Sil 3112r drivers. i created this from the mobo cd drivers/sata/w2k-xp files copied to floppy: Instdll.dll Si3112r.inf Si3112r.mpd Si3112r.sys Siisupp.vxd SIWinAcc.sys TxtSetup.oem
-Motherboard cd with chipset drivers for nforce.
First steps PC disk prepare -Disconnect existing IDE / ATA drives -Connect SATA drive to SATA port 1 . -Disconnect all USB devices.
First steps common BIOS -In Integrated peripherals setup menu under onboard PCI device, enable Serial ATA controller. -Save bios end reboot.
-Enter bios a second time. -Enter advanced BIOS feature setup . -Set : First Boot device = CDROM Second Boot device = Serial ATA Third Boot device = Floppy Boot other device = none
Check if SATA drive is detected -When SATA/RAID bios displays : Press ctrl+s or F4 -Press F4 In setup of raid array nothing can be done with one disk , but is should be listed as connected to primary . And a low level format of the disk can be done here.
If this check is not successful you cannot continue as xp-install will not find any mass storage to install to.
Fault locating should in this case be done on connections ,SATA port,drive,jumpers on drive, replacement of drive etc.
If drive is detected by SATA bios ,it's drive manufacturer name and model will be displayed some seconds after the crtl+s F4 message as primary disk. And secondary as none.
-Enter advanced BIOS feature setup . -Set/and check again : First Boot device = CDROM Second Boot device = Serial ATA Third Boot device = Floppy Boot other device = none
Windows Xp-pro(sp1) install -Reboot/boot the PC with xp cd in cdrom.
-Press F6 shortly after boot from CD as the message "press F6 to install RAID or 3rd party driver" displays.
-Setup starts to initialize drivers and after a minute or two it asks for drivers from floppy.
-Insert the floppy with Sil 3112 for w2k/xp in A: and select "S" and choose Sil 3112 for XP in the "dos" dialog box.
-Setup continues with driver initializion and comes to the partition/format screen.
-Delete any existing partition and create new as you want them . And set setup to install XP on the desired one.
-Or choose install to unformatted space to get one big partition and select NTFS(if that's your preference)
-C: is then formatted by setup to the partition 1 [new (raw)] xxxxMB on xxxxMB on Disk 0 at Id 0 on Bus 0 on si3112r[MBR]
Formatting ------------> to 100% Checking C:
-Asks for floppy with sil3x12 in A: if taken out insert and then press enter.
-Setup will continue to copy files and drivers to the disk at the install folder in the SATA drive.
- At 100% and when the counter counts down to reboot make a test by removing the xp cd from cdrom.
-Let the system restart ( whohaa ) it restarts to continue with the setup wizard from the SATA drive.
-XP setup asks for the cd to continue ,insert + OK .
-Follow the setup wizard. In the "Installing windows" pass: setup will two times give a warning on 1) sw not passed xp-logo testing and 2) hw "sil raid controller" not passed xp-logo testing. Answer YES continue on both theese messages.
-Next is ordinary setup routine. "Installing windows" continuing and finishes. Locale settings,Product-key,Network,Clock,Completing. Start menu items,Registering components. "Finalizing installation." Saving settings.
-System now restarts.
-Windows starts with "display ajust" accept OK Welcome , next . Enter users (Enter your one,two or more users) next,finish. Log in as user1 (personal folders and settings are created)
-nForce chipset drivers Insert your motherboard cd and install the chipset drivers Answer no to install the nvidia sw-ide driver(bad before vers. 3.13) Choose "continue anyway" on all xp-logo warinings. XP's new hw wizard will display "new hw found" some times. Choose cancel on theese. Reboot machine .
-Enable the xp firewall and install som antivirus sw (or other firewall if desired)
-Setup network/dialup/internet/timesone etc.
-Goto nvidia.com and download the latest unified chipset driver pack (by 29.12.2003 it's the 3.13 version)
-Install with setup.exe over the previos installed one . With this pack it's okay to install the nvidia sw-ide driver.
Reboot .
-Use windows update to get latest critical updates , windows mediaplayer 9 , and directx9.0b runtime (at microsoft.com/directx).
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