New Vista Install - Issue with backup Sata Drive

[NickC19]

So I just did a clean install of Vista tonight. I have 2 Sata drives, my main one with the O/S, and then a 2nd one from my previous install that I use to access older files (not set up in a RAID or anything). I installed Vista with just the primary connected and everything went fine.

After installation was done, I connected the 2nd drive and all was still well - until I installed the Nvidia chipset drivers. Now Vista hangs up and takes forever to fully load, and then even though it shows the 2nd drive, i cant access it. If I disconnect it from the mobo everything is fine again. The 2nd drive is an 80GB Hitachi, I believe only 1.5 Gbit/s.

My board is a P6N-SLI-FI...when installing the chipset drivers I also installed the IDE SataIDE Driver in the file package (nForce 680i SLI/680i LT SLI - Windows Vista 32-Bit, version 15).

Anybody know what the problem may be and if so, how I go about fixing it?

 

[NickC19]

Just bumping to see if anyone knows what may be wrong - still having issues with it.

Should I have not installed the SATA drivers in the chipset driver package from the nVidia site? It seems the problem started only after installing the nVidia drivers, but the fact that it can see the drive but wont let me access it and is totally hanging up the whole system during startup is whats confusing me...Is there a way to get rid of just this one driver?

 

[MattWeb]

Are you using a legit retail version of Vista?

Reason I ask is there is a OEM activation hack floating around that does not play nice with the nvidia chipset drivers. It basically causes the drivers to be written to the maintenance sector of the HD, rendering it dead basically. No offense meant if I'm off base here but the symptoms you are having are the same being reported by people who have fallen prey to this.

 

[NickC19]

Are you using a legit retail version of Vista?

Reason I ask is there is a OEM activation hack floating around that does not play nice with the nvidia chipset drivers. It basically causes the drivers to be written to the maintenance sector of the HD, rendering it dead basically. No offense meant if I'm off base here but the symptoms you are having are the same being reported by people who have fallen prey to this.

Well, its an Vista Ultimate Upgrade version that I got through my school, but yes, I used the workaround to do a clean install (assuming thats what you meant by OEM activation hack). So are the chipset drivers from nvidia even needed or are the ones with Vista all thats necessary? I dont really get how this would effect my backup harddrive though, and not the one with the O/S installed on it...?

 

[MattWeb]

Well, its an Vista Ultimate Upgrade version that I got through my school, but yes, I used the workaround to do a clean install (assuming thats what you meant by OEM activation hack). So are the chipset drivers from nvidia even needed or are the ones with Vista all thats necessary? I dont really get how this would effect my backup harddrive though, and not the one with the O/S installed on it...?

No, the method you're using is not the same as to the one I'm referring to. Forget about that then. You can use the windows supplied drivers just fine. No idea as far as the HD goes though.