[SOLVED:] Moving to a 64-bit WHS2011: no mobo/BIOS AHCI support

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm moving from a WHS v.1 32-bit server on an Intel P45 LGA-775 mobo to WHS-2011 on an nVidia LGA-775 mobo.

The nVidia BIOS only distinguishes between "non-RAID" and "RAID" configuration. I can't remember the specifics of the other system, but the drives were set up in "IDE" mode (a minor mistake I made when first configuring).

The old WHS v.1 had a Startech SATA hot-swap bay and caddy system. I was able to use a "SwapMan.exe" Swap Manager program acquired from StarTech.

I'm wondering if I can use the same swap manager on the 64-bit WHS-2011. Unlike my socket-1155 Z68 system, I can't configure BIOS for disks I want to swap in/out. I haven't been able to discover any feature in WHS 2011 that let's me do this.

Maybe I missed something. I'll keep looking as I hope for any posts here that provide me options.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Once again, probably answered my own question . .

Programs like StarTech's Swap Manager are fairly simple constructions. You'd think there would be more of them, but pre-AHCI systems are probably among the older SATA-II manufactures still in use.

This seemed to come from two locations, and I finally just installed the older 5.0.0.0 version:

http://www.ghacks.net/2009/04/05/enable-sata-hot-swap/

There's a 32-bit and 64-bit version separated by folders extracted from zip.

Tried it ("Hot-Swap!") in WHS-2011, and it works. Probably simpler than Swap Manager.

The only other option would be addition of an SATA-II or SATA-III PCI-E controller with a few ports and ACHI support.

Interface reminiscent of the ubiquitous "Remove USB . . . device . . " icon.

I always worry about these little niche programs . . . adware or other risks and annoyances . . . But this seems OK.