Can't get SATA AHCI to work

[Mixolydian]

This is driving me nuts, so hopefully you guys can help me.

I just recently purchased a brand-new Intel 530 series SSD to go in a laptop. Obviously I want to use AHCI. While I have no issues with installing the hardware drivers for the SATA chipset, I cannot get either Windows XP or 7 to recognize the disk itself as a SATA/AHCI/SCSI device. It seems to be "stuck" in IDE mode. Now there is a setting in the BIOS called "SATA Native Mode" which is set to enable. As stated earlier, the AHCI drivers install fine, which I've tried both during and after installation. Windows recognizes the controller itself as an AHCI controller.

This is an older laptop. The chipset is "dual interface", so it has a SATA interface (for the hard disk) and an IDE/ATAPI interface (for the optical drive). I'm wondering if this is causing problems with the OS seeing the disk as an IDE device.

I took a screenshot which hopefully describes the issue better.


As you can see, Windows absolutely does see an AHCI controller. It also sees an IDE controller for the optical drive. However, the SSD, which is attached to the SATA interface, only shows up in IDE mode.

Any ideas??

 

[Deders]

If it is an Intel board it's worth installing the RST drivers from their website.

 

[ronbo613]

You have to change a registry entry. This works for Windows 7 and Vista, you may be out of luck with XP.

1. Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > System > Current Control Set > Services > msahci
3. In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.
4. In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
5. On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.
6. Reboot machine, go into BIOS and enable AHCI.

 

[Mixolydian]

Ok it works!

When I edited the registry, nothing had changed. So I went to Intel's website and downloaded the RST driver (actually called Intel Matrix Storage Manager). After installing that, it worked. I'm not sure why it didn't work before, as I was using the latest driver for this chipset which supports AHCI. :hmm:

 

[Deders]

The matrix storage manager is more for raid. Does it now say Sata/AHCI controller in the control panel now?

I usually install the Intel chipset drivers with the -overall switch (otherwise it doesn't install half the drivers) Then I install the RST drivers, leaving the Matrix drivers as I don't raid.

 

[Mixolydian]

Interestingly, it shows the controller as "Intel(R) ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller", compared to the picture posted in OP. I really don't know why the driver needed to be installed twice for it to work. I used the "F6"/floppy drivers when I installed Windows.

 

[Deders]

They must have written 2 drivers, 1 standard and one for AHCI. It seems the AHCI driver is incorporated in the RST and the Matrix packages.

 

[Cerb]

If you don't have a chipset that can support AHCI, AHCI won't work. You have an ICH7, most of which didn't support AHCI. The chip can, but either Intel had it turned off often, or the OEMs decided not to add the extra firmware for it.

Native mode with Intel's drivers should give you NCQ.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Just from the week's experiences I've had, I gleaned the following, but I could be corrected -- and encourage members' corrective remarks here.

I had a real mishap -- and a stupid one. In the ISRT configuration, unhinging the SSD from the HDD also involves taking the HDD from a "RAID" setting in the "RAID Mode" to a "non-RAID" setting in a RAID-mode BIOS configuration. If this is interrupted before completion, the drive won't boot. It will be recognized in BIOS, but likely unrecognized by Windows.

I was able to "repair" and correct my disk -- a 600GB WD Veloci-Raptor. And the way I did it: I put it in a hot-swap caddy and shoved it into another Win 7 desktop workstation. I then went to Disks and Storage" or "Disk Management" under "Computer Management." Somehow, Windows informed me that "a process was not completed, and the drive cannot be read or accessed until it can be changed from 'RAID' configuration to that of a 'non-RAID' disk. Do you want Windows to correct the drive?" [yes][no] etc.

For several hours before the "correction," I struggled to do several things -- including a complete reinstall of Windows, and a cloning of an operable HDD with windows on it. I concluded that the drive was "physically damaged," and I'd have to go through all the warranty-RMA hoops.

How much information -- or even whether "information" continues to describe the drive's state -- contained on the drive itself -- I don't rightly know. But just looking at the registry-editing requirements (not much), these drives behave like they have a simple logical three-way switch, so they can be set to work in IDE-mode or IDE/SATA, AHCI and RAID. In my system, disabling and unhinging the HDD from an ISRT arrangement apparently just flips that switch, but it seems possible to leave the drive in something like a state of "in-between." And apparently the same version of the Win 7 OS is able to fix it on a different computer.

 

[Z15CAM]

Why even use AHCI when RAID Mode BIOS will do under Intel RST GUI - SSD Trim is still effective as long as the SSD is not a member of a Raid Array.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Why even use AHCI when RAID Mode BIOS will do under Intel RST GUI - SSD Trim is still effective as long as the SSD is not a member of a Raid Array.

Yup. Abso-tively. Pos-i-lutely correct. So for unforeseen needs, you'd be just as well defaulting the entire controller in Raid Mode, then using the single disks or configured arrays howsoever desired. But some controllers like nForce weren't managed like intel's storage manager IRST program and hardware. The greatest flexibility in that comparison goes to Intel.

 

[Mixolydian]

They must have written 2 drivers, 1 standard and one for AHCI. It seems the AHCI driver is incorporated in the RST and the Matrix packages.

But I specifically installed the AHCI driver during installation. :hmm:

Why even use AHCI when RAID Mode BIOS will do under Intel RST GUI - SSD Trim is still effective as long as the SSD is not a member of a Raid Array.

No RAID mode. This is a laptop.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

But I specifically installed the AHCI driver during installation. :hmm:


No RAID mode. This is a laptop.

You're right about that, too, but as you said -- you have an "older laptop." This is the same thing I'm dealing with here and in the "OS" forum for an LGA-775 desktop system with the orphaned nForce controller.

I'm still contemplating a decision to eliminate the nFarce entirely by installing a second AHCI-compliant controller board identical to the one which solved my own particular problem. It boils down to whether TRIM is supported with the older hardware. And of course, your options with an older laptop are fewer than mine.

 

[Coup27]

But I specifically installed the AHCI driver during installation. :hmm:

I don't know what the difference is between the RST F6 driver and the full .exe. package but there must be some. I installed a RAID setup once using the F6 and ran a benchmark and the scores were low. I then installed the RST package of the same driver version and the scores rocketed.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I may post about the Marvell-based SATA-III PCI-E controller I recently purchased and added to my server.

Somehow the controller either installs or activates an Intel configuration option that pops up after the controller's own BIOS posts. Right now, the controller BIOS reports that the drives which appear as AHCI on the controller by default are "unconfigured," but the configuration options are all "RAID" options. StableBit Scanner shows these as AHCI and all working properly. It also shows what I consider to be phenomenal throughput speeds for the controller and disks attached to them -- about as close as it comes to what you'd see for a Veloci-Raptor connected to an SATA-III port. But these are NAS drives.

 

[Z15CAM]

Any Media not part of a Raid Array is actually in AHCI Mode when you select RAID Mode in BIOS. The problem is with most SSD Software such as Samsung Magician will not recognize the Media when seated in this arrangement. Samsung should UpDate their SSD Software.

I really have no use for Mfgr's Software such as ASUS AI Suite or Samsung Magician.

I've run several nForce MB's successfully using Win7 32-Bit but when trying to optimize say a nForce 4 SLI G8-8N-SLI MB with Win7 64-Bit things get tricky. nForce 4 was and without doubt FAST for it's time but no longer a feasible working platform today.

 

[Deders]

I don't know what the difference is between the RST F6 driver and the full .exe. package but there must be some. I installed a RAID setup once using the F6 and ran a benchmark and the scores were low. I then installed the RST package of the same driver version and the scores rocketed.

The F6 driver is so the OS will recognise the disk so you can install it in the first place, although most people won't have to use it as it is native to windows 7.

It is strange that they give different performance levels though.

 

[Towermax]

Interestingly, it shows the controller as "Intel(R) ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller", compared to the picture posted in OP. I really don't know why the driver needed to be installed twice for it to work. I used the "F6"/floppy drivers when I installed Windows.

On my older Dell D630 C2D notebook, I also installed the Matrix Storage Manager drivers, as recommended on Dell's website. The controller is listed as "Intel(R) ICH8M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller". There's also an "Intel(R) ICH8M Ultra ATA Storage Controller-2850" that runs the PATA DVD player.

Only had to install it once. However, I was able to set AHCI mode in the BIOS before loading Windows 7.

 

[Z15CAM]

I was able to set AHCI mode in the BIOS before loading Windows 7.

Yes either set ACHI or SATA Mode in Bios before installing windows. Depending on your MB and IRST Driver UpDates RAID Mode may not work for your Preliminary Win Installation unless you supply the latest IRST Drivers on a separate media during the installation. You can choose ACHI Mode as the preliminary installation mode then load the IRST Drives into Win GUI then Switch BIOS Mode to RAID if you need it.

I can't see why basic AHCI BIOS Mode would not work for most MB's unless you have a Platform which the Win7 Driver Base does not cover in which case Down Load the Latest IRST driver- place it on media where you point the Win SetUp to during the Installation - In which case I would choose RAID Mode, providing you MB supports it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Yes either set ACHI or SATA Mode in Bios before installing windows. Depending on your MB and IRST Driver UpDates RAID Mode may not work for your Preliminary Win Installation unless you supply the latest IRST Drivers on a separate media during the installation. You can choose ACHI Mode as the preliminary installation mode then load the IRST Drives into Win GUI then Switch BIOS Mode to RAID if you need it.

I can't see why basic AHCI BIOS Mode would not work for most MB's unless you have a Platform which the Win7 Driver Base does not cover in which case Down Load the Latest IRST driver- place it on media where you point the Win SetUp to during the Installation - In which case I would choose RAID Mode, providing you MB supports it.

Interesting, and I almost forgot about that: "Magician" needs AHCI to work. TRIM works for single drives in RAID-mode BIOS setups. I was within a day or two of replacing my "Smart Response" ISRT with a single Samsung 840 Pro. Since I didn't need a "magician" to maintain my caching SSD under that setup, I'm likely to ignore any inability to use "Magician."

I'd actually be more inclined to use "RAID-mode" with an Intel SATA controller with single drives in this way, because at some time, I might want to install some simple RAID configuration for HDDs. So it seems needless that they design the software for "AHCI" only.

UPDATE: Also, I took note of your testament to nForce SATA motherboard controllers. Now that I resolved a problem of driver conflicts on my server, I have the choice to continue using the onboard NVidia controller together with a PCI-E SATA-III controller I just put in the box, or I can kill nForce altogether. I haven't entirely made up my mind yet. But I think I'm more comfortable with controllers that meet the full AHCI standard and do RAID as well, so . . .