"I disagree....these are simply optional IDE drivers....these are not needed AT ALL. These drivers simply give you "something extra" and in no way essential to the operation of the OS unlike the chipset inf drivers."
So are the Via 4-in1's.. If you are using XP on a Via based system, the 4-in-1's are not needed as the chipset drivers are included with XP. The newer versions just tweak performance like better IDE busmaster drivers and the like. Sounds just like Intel's IAA's..just there to add some extra performance, but not needed.
"Sure they are chipset drivers, but are not released to address chipset issues like the VIA drivers."
The last several releases of the 4-in-1's were not to resolve any chipset issues as you claim. The only two things I am aware of that the 4-in-1's were supposed to address were the SB Live, which IIRC was was more of a bad ACPI header issue with CL's drivers, and not so much the Via chipsets themselves, and the recent problems with the Nvidia drivers that happen on non-via systems too, so again, this is more of an issue with the Nvidia drivers themselves. Via just tried to fix the problem first with their boards rather than waiting for Nvidia to do it. If you are aware of any more "chipset issues" that the 4-in-1's are needed to resolve, by all means please enlighten me. 🙂