New AHCI Driver Confusion!

[Virgorising]

Hi.

So, few weeks ago, when my new SSD arrived---I am running W7 64-bit, I planned to clone my WD Black to the new SSD and clearly, when I set up the Black, my bios was not on AHCI.

So, when I tried to change that in the bios I got BSOD. But, I learned here, no problem, cause in yr setup AHCI drivers will load automatically.

And the SDD seems to be functioning at the right speeds and normal; I do luv it a lot.

But, I just delved and learned TWO reg subkeys should be set on 0. So, I went in and looked and, only ONE is set on 0....the other one is on 3.

Pls see screenies below, items in red.

Now, MS has a utility fix for this (or you can do it manually)....I just downloaded the fix, but I am afraid to run it or to change the one with the 3 to an 0 manually, and I honestly do not know if either is necessary!

Is it?

MANY thanks!!!!:biggrin:

 

[G73S]

from what I know, changing the boot mode in BIOS from RAID to AHCI or IDE would render your system bootless and vice versa offcourse

you need to set your boot mode in BIOS to AHCI then reinstall Windows to get the max performance. even if your scores are nice now, you can probably squeeze in more if you do this.

 

[Virgorising]

from what I know, changing the boot mode in BIOS from RAID to AHCI or IDE would render your system bootless and vice versa offcourse

you need to set your boot mode in BIOS to AHCI then reinstall Windows to get the max performance. even if your scores are nice now, you can probably squeeze in more if you do this.

What U know is right, and thanks much for posting....cause that is wut happened and why I first got the blue screen before I went back into the bios and put it back from having moved it to AHCI.

But, I do not wanna do a clean install.....and, until just now, I didn't know about the subkey still set on 3, I only knew about the one set on 0! I learned it after finding this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

Says U can get around doing clean install.....via setting both subkeys on 0....or using the magic MS fix I downloaded but am afraid to run.

Wut should I do?
______________________________________________
PS: in my case, another mitigating confusion is....I set up dual boot using Easy BCD; my WD Black is now my backup drive and a clone of my SSD.

 

[G73S]

What U know is right, and thanks much for posting....cause that is wut happened and why I first got the blue screen before I went back into the bios and put it back from having moved it to AHCI.

But, I do not wanna do a clean install.....and, until just now, I didn't know about the subkey still set on 3, I only knew about the one set on 0! I learned it after finding this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

Says U can get around doing clean install.....via setting both subkeys on 0....or using the magic MS fix I downloaded but am afraid to run.

Wut should I do?

see in some computers/laptops you can simply change the boot mode in BIOS save

on my Alienware for example, if I attempt to change the boot mode to RAID or AHCI, I get a big black warning box telling me exactly what is about to happen and whether I want to continue anyway or not "changing your boot mode might render your system bootless" or something like that

now, back to your problem, changing the reg value will have no real world difference if your BIOS is not set to AHCI! why? because the BIOS POST is what tells the OS how to handle operations, yes you can fool Windows by manually changing the value but in reality, the backend which is BIOS is not AHCI!

If I do what you are doing on my system, Samsung Magician will have a big red warning telling me I am NOT in AHCI mode which will give me reduced performance.

no pain no gain, if you don't format, I'm afraid you have to either live with this which I know your mind deep inside won't let you, knowing you are having crippled performance from your shiny SSDs

post your benchmarks telling us which SSD you own and whether you are using the default MSAHCI driver for the controller or the IRST driver and which version is it

 

[Virgorising]

on my Alienware for example, if I attempt to change the boot mode to RAID or AHCI, I get a big black warning box telling me exactly what is about to happen and whether I want to continue anyway or not "changing your boot mode might render your system bootless" or something like that

Exactly! (I have an Alienware lappy, by the way, but this desktop is the system we are addressing.)

now, back to your problem, changing the reg value will have no real world difference if your BIOS is not set to AHCI! why? because the BIOS POST is what tells the OS how to handle operations, yes you can fool Windows by manually changing the value but in reality, the backend which is BIOS is not AHCI!

O! So, what MS said is wrong or does not apply in my case? OR.....I misunderstood it, maybe!

If I do what you are doing on my system, Samsung Magician will have a big red warning telling me I am NOT in AHCI mode which will give me reduced performance.

I don have a Samsung (cept for my awesome phone)....this is a Crucial M500 240GBs (with the ceramic caps), but I am impressed that Samsung wrote that into their proprietary app! Crucial don have anything like that, their drives leave it all up to us and Windows.

no pain no gain, if you don't format, I'm afraid you have to either live with this which I know your mind deep inside won't let you, knowing you are having crippled performance from your shiny SSDs

I am impressed U know my strange little mind!😎

As per my last read/write tests.....SSD is running well, tho within the limitations of the SATA 2 controllers on my board---this is VERY FAST WEE DRIVE, even capped by SATA 2, boot time is 11 seconds.

When people here got upset at me for making a case to not go SSD and everyone said once you do you will never go back....I din believe them for months.

But.....they were all RIGHT!:whiste:

Sooo....changing that one subkey value to 0 from 3 or running the MS fix will do nothing, right? Or far more worse (as they say)....mess things up?

 

[Virgorising]

K....now, I found THIS:

http://bourlas.alloenablog.com/2011...-mode-for-windows-7-and-vista-without-format/

I keep thinking I can get around reformatting but still have full AHCI support. Is that just wishful wishing?

 

[G73S]

Exactly! (I have an Alienware lappy, by the way, but this desktop is the system we are addressing.)



O! So, what MS said is wrong or does not apply in my case? OR.....I misunderstood it, maybe!



I don have a Samsung (cept for my awesome phone)....this is a Crucial m500 240GBs, but I am impressed that Samsung wrote that into their proprietary app! Crucial don have anything like that, their drives leave it all up to us and Windows.



I am impressed U know my strange little mind!😎

As per my last read/write tests.....SSD is running well, tho within the limitations of the SATA 2 controllers on my board---this is VERY FAST WEE DRIVE, even capped by SATA 2, boot time is 11 seconds.

When people here got upset at me for making a case to not go SSD and everyone said once you do you will never go back....I din believe them for months.

But.....they were all RIGHT!:whiste:

Sooo....changing that one subkey value to 0 from 3 or running the MS fix will do nothing, right?

1) I wouldn't trust ANYTHING that comes from MS, to each his own off-course


2) One of the best things buying a Samsung SSD (be it any one of their lineup) is that little Samsung Magician. No more need to download tweaking programs or manually do many tweaks in the registry to optimize your SSD. Heck, in Magician, if you click on the OS Optimization tab, then select the performance mode, it will automatically set the right page file for you, disable superfetch, tweak your System restore to prevent automatic backup preventing unnecessary disk writes, enables your write cache ah heck, and a plethora of other tweaks, all this is done in 1 second and you reboot!

Previously, I used to waste so much time reading about SSD tweaks and doing them is another hassle, not even knowing which one is good and which one is bad. Magician keeps my mind at ease knowing that I am getting the best bang for my hardware.

3) Yes offcoure you are impressed with your current scores, even if you get the worst SSD in the planet and use it, you will be blown away compared to an HDD so you think WOW! but if you have a Corvette, why would you put a low octane gas in it VS a high octane? why did you buy a Corvette? you want to put the right fuel, the right setup, to have it perform like it should? right?

4) yes, once you use an SSD for a week, try this, go use someone else's laptop which has an HDD and notice how the nerves in your knees will start itching because of the slowness, you will wait for a long time for apps to load, installing large apps would be a nightmare, you simply cannot go back....you are d00m3ed with SSDs for life... :wub:


5) I have told you all the facts, if you're happy with your current setup, so be it, it ain't bad after all, would I accept that personalleh? no way in freakin' hell! I would format my system if I had one wrong driver installed or one BSOD knowing I didn't set it up right from the start. But that's just how I do things...you need not follow meh

 

[G73S]

K....now, I found THIS:

http://bourlas.alloenablog.com/2011...-mode-for-windows-7-and-vista-without-format/

I keep thinking I can get around reformatting but still have full AHCI support. Is that just wishful wishing?

Ok so your BIOS is in AHCI mode, and you're forcefully telling your OS that NO!! IT IS AHCI! so the OS will go by what you manually enter in the registry, but will that actually work is another thing. All you are doing is forcing the OS telling it hey my motherboard is in AHCI mode when it's not! doesn't make sense to me.

Additionally, when you do set your BIOS to AHCI mode and then format reinstalling Windows from scratch, you need not touch the registry or tweak it, you WILL be in REAL AHCI mode.

If you have no time to spare, you can do this gradually

don't do it all at once or you will mess up your work flow

Day 1- install Windows + updates then go to sleep 🙂

Day 2- Install Drivers + eat a burger then go to sleep :wub:

Day 3- Instlal important apps like antivirus and browser then go to sleep

Day 4 - install useless apps that you rarely use but want to have them on your system for when you need them then go to sleep 😛

Day 5- go to sleep then wake up then go to sleep :wub:

 

[Virgorising]

1) I wouldn't trust ANYTHING that comes from MS, to each his own off-course

I kinda do. Trust MS for some things, NOT ALL. I mean, this is about changing the value of one subkey in the registry, after all.

2) One of the best things buying a Samsung SSD (be it any one of their lineup) is that little Samsung Magician

Indeed, I am envious of this! but I chose wut I chose, the Crucial.

3) Yes offcoure you are impressed with your current scores, even if you get the worst SSD in the planet and use it, you will be blown away compared to an HDD so you think WOW! but if you have a Corvette, why would you put a low octane gas in it VS a high octane? why did you buy a Corvette? you want to put the right fuel, the right setup, to have it perform like it should? right?

Absolutely. When I get my dream Vette: numbers matched, big block 67... MINT.....it will get the very best food and care.:wub:

I gotta say, I am not familiar with the nerves in the knees itching phenomenon.....but I do have something similar.😎

 

[Virgorising]

Ok so your BIOS is in AHCI mode, and you're forcefully telling your OS that NO!! IT IS AHCI! so the OS will go by what you manually enter in the registry, but will that actually work is another thing. All you are doing is forcing the OS telling it hey my motherboard is in AHCI mode when it's not! doesn't make sense to me.

Additionally, when you do set your BIOS to AHCI mode and then format reinstalling Windows from scratch, you need not touch the registry or tweak it, you WILL be in REAL AHCI mode.

If you have no time to spare, you can do this gradually

don't do it all at once or you will mess up your work flow

Day 1- install Windows + updates then go to sleep 🙂

Day 2- Install Drivers + eat a burger then go to sleep :wub:

Day 3- Instlal important apps like antivirus and browser then go to sleep

Day 4 - install useless apps that you rarely use but want to have them on your system for when you need them then go to sleep 😛

Day 5- go to sleep then wake up then go to sleep :wub:

Gotta say, this is adorable, esp DAY 5!!!!!:biggrin: U should go on the road!!!!

Pls know, I am the sort who commits and starts and does not stop until everything is done forget sleep, forget food.:$

I am using intel controllers by the way. My board is intel.

I should have shared my bios is set on legacy. Put it right back after having changed in and got the BSOD.

 

[G73S]

Gotta say, this is adorable, esp DAY 5!!!!!:biggrin: U should go on the road!!!!

Pls know, I am the sort who commits and starts and does not stop until everything is done forget sleep, forget food.:$

I am using intel controllers by the way. My board is intel.

I should have shared my bios is set on legacy. Put it right back after having changed in and got the BSOD.

that is not the Intel MSAHCI controller drive, you have installed the IRST driver, it clearly shows in the version number, you are using IRST driver v 12.8.6.1000. So wait, you are using a legacy boot mode, with a RAID driver....kinda messed up to be honest.

BIOS set to legacy, not only are you not in UEFI mode and are in BIOS boot mode which is OK, you are in a legacy boot mode rather than the new technology AHCI. Legacy is used for crippled old hardware that do not run in a certain mode. Think of, you are trying to boot off a USB device but it isn't working coz it's old, then you would set it to the crippled legacy USB mode which is horrible in terms of speed but hey, does work.

I explained to you my logic behind this, now it's up to you and what others may have to comment to do what you need to do 🙂

 

[Virgorising]

Does anyone here think if I either change that one subkey value to 0 (the other one is on 0 already).... or ran the fix it would potentiate my AHCI driver without doing a clean install?

And not mess up this system?

 

[Virgorising]

BIOS set to legacy, not only are you not in UEFI mode and are in BIOS boot mode which is OK, you are in a legacy boot mode rather than the new technology AHCI

But I was told here by someone smart.....that upon installation of an SSD, Windows 7 employs AHCI.....even while the bios is still set on legacy.

Just found another corroboration of what you feel certain will do ugatz....why wouldn't this work on any board?
And, I checked immediately when I installed the SDD, and TRIM IS WORKING!

Again, my only concern now is that second reg sub key I just learned about whose value is 3.

Re: Best way to install SSD/AHCI mode on 790XTA-UD4 for Windows 7?

tried the registry tweak??? saves you re-installing the os

1.Exit all Windows-based programs.
2.Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
3.If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
4.Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesM sahci

5.In the right panel, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.
6.In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
7.On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.
After this you’ll have to restart your computer, go to BIOS and enable AHCI. When you log in to Windows again, you’ll notice the installation of for AHCI. Another restart will be required to finish the driver installation​

​

 

[Virgorising]

AHAH!!!!!!

I found this amazing little utility some mad Russian named VLADIMIR wrote to check if yr TRIM IS TRIMMING!

Is called TRIMCHECK! U wan it? Here it is: http://files.thecybershadow.net/trimcheck/

Did I not SAY....MINE WAS TRIMMING PROPERLY? Well....it IS, OK?:whiste:

Were my AHCI driver not enabled in SOME WAY, despite I am on legacy in the bios....TRIM...would not be TRIMMING!

 

[Virgorising]

Hold it!

Just found yet anther one, this one too refers to the same two reg subkeys.....and confirms in words, if I changed the sub key in the registry now with value 3 to 0, I would be enabling ACHI!!! tho mine must be partially enabled given the other sub key value is 0...and NOTICE below, he says ONE of the TWO (now in red)! Did he say U gotta have both values set on 0? NO!

And, heads up; that....was my original confusion and reason for posting. I am still not clear if I should change the other one to 0.

See? There is always more to learn for EVERYONE.....but u gotta work at it....always with a dearth of arrogance in the premise anyone knows everything and that learning is never finite.

Chris. B replied on December 3, 2010

• 

Hi
you can enable AHCI via registry before you change the SATA mode of the boot drive:
Exit all Windows-based programs.

1. Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
2. If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
3. Locate and then click one of the following registry subkeys:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\IastorV
4. In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then clickModify.
5. In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
6. On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.

For further info please refer to this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976/en-us
In addition, you should refer to your BIOS/PC manual.
______________________________________________________________________________
Now see this! Disregard the SONY reference:


DominicP replied on December 3, 2010

• 

In reply to Daniel Jacks's post on December 3, 2010


Either your model is set up as AHCI, in which case you already have an AHCI driver, or it is set up as Legacy IDE.
The setting can only be changed in the BIOS and the setting will not be available. Sony has decided which setting it will support and has removed the option to change it.

 

[Virgorising]

One more!

See this? And the guy who responded got the OP was using a Crucial drive with intel controllers! AS I AM AS WELL!!!!

Cept, my system indicates I AM using intel controllers, not MS....and yet, my TRIM IS TRIMMING.

All this is setup in the BIOS, but where of where is some software to tell me YES AHCI is working?
Is there a clue, software, anything to test to determine if I am AHCI instead of IDE Mode?

Please help.

I'm going to make the big assumption that you're using the Crucial drives on the Intel controller. Heck, if I were you I'd disable the GSATA2 controller because it just adds boot time.
Anyway, control panel will tell you that you're in AHCI mode once you have the Intel AHCI driver loaded, because it will combine all the Intel ports into one controller (the list of Intel controllers will go from like six items to one).

But, I'm going to make another assumption that you're NOT using the Intel driver because I've heard that TRIM only works with the

Microsoft​

​

driver. In any case, there really isn't a need to confirm anything because I've done that for you.

I've tested the EP35-UD3P, with AHCI mode enabled in BIOS, and it worked.
______________________________________________________________
While I do not approve of thoroughbred racing, given its reality for three year olds (total sadism)....I now feel as if I just ran the Belmont Stakes, cause, unlike my friend G73S....I no way have TWO 1T SSDs (I just looked, he has TWO!)... I just keep running--- to win/earn accurate data ongoing.

​

 

[Virgorising]

OMG 😱

Head exploding benchmarks!

http://www.ocinside.de/html/results/crucial_realssd_c300_64gb_1_8.html

 

[Virgorising]

And G73S, where the hell you got from that screenie I am running AMD drivers, I have NO CLUE. It says intel clear as stuben crystal!!

Wall Street! Pls see the post I just made, #22!!!!!!!!:biggrin:

 

[G73S]

And G73S, where the hell you got from that screenie I am running AMD drivers, I have NO CLUE. It says intel clear as stuben crystal!!

I never said you had an AMD driver. Please point to where I said that. And please stop smoking what you're smoking

 

[Wall Street]

What happens if you go to bios and select RAID and try to boot? RAID mode should be the fastest on most Intel boards even if not running RAID.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Hi.

So, few weeks ago, when my new SSD arrived---I am running W7 64-bit, I planned to clone my WD Black to the new SSD and clearly, when I set up the Black, my bios was not on AHCI.

So, when I tried to change that in the bios I got BSOD. But, I learned here, no problem, cause in yr setup AHCI drivers will load automatically.

And the SDD seems to be functioning at the right speeds and normal; I do luv it a lot.

But, I just delved and learned TWO reg subkeys should be set on 0. So, I went in and looked and, only ONE is set on 0....the other one is on 3.

Pls see screenies below, items in red.

Now, MS has a utility fix for this (or you can do it manually)....I just downloaded the fix, but I am afraid to run it or to change the one with the 3 to an 0 manually, and I honestly do not know if either is necessary!

Is it?

MANY thanks!!!! . . . [pic, pic, etc.]

It seems that some little misstep can lead to complications and confusion. Just for future reference -- it might have been done in either of the following ways:

1st approach: Clone the Black WD to SSD with both drives configured in BIOS as "RAID" mode or "IDE/SATA" mode. Remove the WD Black. Boot to windows. Go to the MS website, find the "Fix it" button for converting to AHCI, click the button and run the "fix it." Then restart the machine to enter BIOS IM-MED-iately and change to "AHCI mode." The boot to windows.

2nd approach: Go to the MS website, find the "Fix it" button . . . etc. Re-start and enter BIOS immediately to change to AHCI mode. THEN -- clone the drive to the SSD.

I had myself found all the advice about the three registry keys and editing. I was prepared to go through the same tedium until I found that MS had posted "Fix its" -- even offering the "manual" approach with the registry edit instructions. Much easier just to click on the "Fix it" button.

 

[Virgorising]

It seems that some little misstep can lead to complications and confusion. Just for future reference -- it might have been done in either of the following ways:

1st approach: Clone the Black WD to SSD with both drives configured in BIOS as "RAID" mode or "IDE/SATA" mode. Remove the WD Black. Boot to windows. Go to the MS website, find the "Fix it" button for converting to AHCI, click the button and run the "fix it." Then restart the machine to enter BIOS IM-MED-iately and change to "AHCI mode." The boot to windows.

2nd approach: Go to the MS website, find the "Fix it" button . . . etc. Re-start and enter BIOS immediately to change to AHCI mode. THEN -- clone the drive to the SSD.

I had myself found all the advice about the three registry keys and editing. I was prepared to go through the same tedium until I found that MS had posted "Fix its" -- even offering the "manual" approach with the registry edit instructions. Much easier just to click on the "Fix it" button.

Lovely post! Well see, I did end up using the fix it tool....then both reg sub keys had values of 0.

I went nto the bios where I saw it was set on RAID....now, maybe I remembered wrong and maybe it was not set on legacy ever. I do not know, and I never will. But, I got another BSOD after changing it to AHCI. So I put it back on RAID.

I delved more and, I THINK where things are right now are FINE. My TRIM is working, it did from jump, etc.

But, given what I did, I do not get why I now can not change things to AHCI in the bios without gettin a BSCD.

 

[Virgorising]

What happens if you go to bios and select RAID and try to boot? RAID mode should be the fastest on most Intel boards even if not running RAID.

Brilliant! Pls see my recent post, #22 right above!!!!!:biggrin:

 

[Virgorising]

I should share, only cause I was suggesting it to an OP in a thread in which I am trying to help, he visit intel updates and use their interactive tool....I did that myself.

Was surprised to find I had two outdated drivers, one for my SATA RAID controller. So I got both udpates, and now, I have this new, intel Rapid Storage thingy. I will put up screenies.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Just responding to VirgoRising . . .

I was lucky that I took my darn time adding a standalone SSD drive -- two months or so correcting the HDD OS installation and getting the reds and yellows out of my event logs. It gave me time to think about this AHCI vs RAID issue, and my system BIOS was set up for RAID mode.

The Sammy 840 Pro would have got TRIM as standalone in RAID mode, which is supposed to include the entire AHCI spec as a subset of its features. But I also discovered you couldn't get "RAPID" with the 840 Pro without AHCI. By the time I was ready, I had the "Fix it" page in my favorites, the downloaded "Fix it" program, and was sure to have my finger poised on "DEL" when I restarted the system.

Sometimes, simple things are a b**** and you wonder why you would even have needed the simple things.