About had it with Gugabyte MBs.. wont boot with AHCI

[snowbound]

Just got a MA785GMY-UD2H and AMD Athlon II X3 435 Triple Core Processor Socket AM3 2.9GHZ and Kingston KVR1333D3N9k2/4G memory. Using a WD 1TB and created a primary partition for Windows7 x64 outside of Windows so as not to get the additional partiton that Win7 creates if it formats the primary partition. Well the system will not boot off the Windows7 DVD to do the installation IF the AHCI is enabled in the F3 bios on the motherboard.

This is the 2nd computer with a Gigabyte motherboard that I have had problems with.

 

[Engineer]

Have you tried to install in IDE mode and then switch to AHCI afterward? You would need to change one registry entry, reboot straight to the BIOS setup and switch to AHCI. Save BIOS settings and then continue the boot.

Change from IDE to AHCI Mode after Installation

Information: AHCI stand for Advance Host Controller Interface. AHCI is a hardware mechanism that allows software to communicate with Serial ATA (SATA) devices (such as host bus adapters) that are designed to offer features not offered by Parallel ATA (PATA) controllers, such as:

* Hot-Plugging
* Native Command Queuing (NCQ) -might improve computer/system/hard disk responsiveness, especially in multi-tasking environment


Instruction: There is one way to fix this, although you need to have knowledge of registry editing.
The detailed steps from Microsoft website are as follows:

* Exit all Windows-based programs.
* Press [Win] + R or take the RUN option from the start menu.
* Now type regedit there and press Enter Key to open up the Registry Editor Window.
* If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
* Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\msahci

* In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.


* In the Value data box, type 0 [3 is default], and then click OK.

* On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.
* Restart your computer
* Go to BIOS and enable AHCI, Save & Reboot
* Another restart will be required to finish the driver installation.


Alternatively

Just download this Reg File and double-click to implement AHCI on your Windows-based computer.
Just remember to do the BIOS switch as well when you reboot.

 

[vailr]

Double-check that the optical drive is identified in the bios's boot sequence by the exact brand and model number. If left in the default generic CD/DVD ROM designation, it's not bootable, when the Intel ICH10 controller is set for either: AHCI mode or Raid mode.

 

[snowbound]

I got it to boot by setting SATA4/SATA5otion in the BIOS to IDE and made sure that the SATA DVD was hooked up. That allowed it to boot however the install process seems exceedingly slow i.e. "Setup is starting" shows on the screen for at least a minute as well copying the files and expanding them is horribly slow.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Double-check that the optical drive is identified in the bios's boot sequence by the exact brand and model number. If left in the default generic CD/DVD ROM designation, it's not bootable, when the Intel ICH10 controller is set for either: AHCI mode or Raid mode.

Exactly.

I had the same problem with an ASUS Intel board. When AHCI is enabled on a lot of boards, you can only boot off ports 1-4; the rest are invisible to the boot process.

Moving the DVD drive to SATA port 2 fixed my problem and I was able to boot like normal.

 

[vailr]

Exactly.

I had the same problem with an ASUS Intel board. When AHCI is enabled on a lot of boards, you can only boot off ports 1-4; the rest are invisible to the boot process.

Moving the DVD drive to SATA port 2 fixed my problem and I was able to boot like normal.

Not exactly. My understanding is: SATA optical drives should be connected to either of the two highest-numbered Intel SATA ports. Or else: one of the (purple-colored) JMicron SATA ports. At least: that's how it was explained to me some while ago, on another forum.

 

[snowbound]

Exactly.

I had the same problem with an ASUS Intel board. When AHCI is enabled on a lot of boards, you can only boot off ports 1-4; the rest are invisible to the boot process.

Moving the DVD drive to SATA port 2 fixed my problem and I was able to boot like normal.

The DVD was on Port 3 which was AHCI and would not boot off the Windows7 DVD. Only after moving it to port 4 and changing the bios setting to AHCI would it boot.

 

[Muadib]

Not exactly. My understanding is: SATA optical drives should be connected to either of the two highest-numbered Intel SATA ports. Or else: one of the (purple-colored) JMicron SATA ports. At least: that's how it was explained to me some while ago, on another forum.

Are you saying that you can only have 1 drive in the purple if you go AHCI? I currently have 2 drives in the purple, and it takes about 4 minutes before it sees 1, and then continues to boot.

 

[vailr]

Are you saying that you can only have 1 drive in the purple if you go AHCI? I currently have 2 drives in the purple, and it takes about 4 minutes before it sees 1, and then continues to boot.

Are you using the IDE port AND the purple SATA ports?
That's never a happy combination. Go with SATA optical drive only.
The JMicron controller can't run BOTH: IDE and SATA drives (at the same time) very well.
The OP's system board uses an AMD chipset; my thread comments are more for Intel chipset boards.

 

[Muadib]

Are you using the IDE port AND the purple SATA ports?
That's never a happy combination. Go with SATA optical drive only.
The JMicron controller can't run BOTH: IDE and SATA drives (at the same time) very well.
The OP's system board uses an AMD chipset; my thread comments are more for Intel chipset boards.

No, no IDE at all. I have a total of 4 internal SATA devices, 3 hard drives, and a DVD burner. I also have an external esata that I leave off most of the time. My board is an Intel chipset, the EP45-UD3P.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Are you using the IDE port AND the purple SATA ports?
That's never a happy combination. Go with SATA optical drive only.
The JMicron controller can't run BOTH: IDE and SATA drives (at the same time) very well.
The OP's system board uses an AMD chipset; my thread comments are more for Intel chipset boards.

I have no problem with my P35-DS3R v1.0 boards, with ICH9R and Gigabyte/Jmicron. I have IDE DVD burners, and SATA HDs, plugged into the purple ports.