Enable AHCI after install

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How to enable AHCI mode, for Intel ICH10R, after having installed Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3, 32 bit.

This guide is for your entertainment only. Legal stuff on. User beware. This guide warps time and space. By following this guide you understand your computer will blow-up plus 100 Mega Bytes. I do not take any responsibility for your actions with this guide. I take no responsibility, no accountability. What else can be typed to lower your expectations? Now -- consider it typed. And keep lowering your expectations. Lower. Lower still. Lower again. OK There is an extremely small, but non-zero, chance that this guide might even work for you. Legal stuff off. Let the entertainment begin...

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1. 2. 3. 4.

Make a backup of your data. Did you follow step 1? Have you backed-up your data to two separate locations? Advanced users, jump to paragraph 19.

5. Is this computer (BIOS) in AHCI mode? No. This computer is in IDE mode. > Enter BIOS > Storage configuration > Configure SATA as > IDE Leave it in IDE mode for now.

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6. Why update from IDE mode to AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface)? Reasons can vary, here are some : a. Possible performance gains in AHCI mode. b. Possible performance gains by updating OCZ Solid State Drive firmware. c. But the larger reason to update the computer to AHCI mode is to use OCZ software to update the drive firmware. Because OCZToolbox.exe version 2.36 Update Firmware does not work in IDE mode see paragraph 8.

7. To clarify, in IDE mode OCZToolbox.exe v2.36 works with : Identify Data SMART Data Die Size of 64 GB for a 50 GB drive

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8. In IDE mode . . .

OCZToolbox.exe version 2.36 does not Update Firmware. Because, the computer locks up. Needed to press RESET button to restart computer . But, on the bright side this is will be a great post-AHCI-install hot test to confirm AHCI is enabled and working. See paragraph 38 for confirmation AHCI is working.

9. What does OCZToolbox.exe do? It updates firmware on OCZ Solid State Drives. Like OCZ Vertex2 SSD from firmware 1.27 to 1.33 OCZToolbox.exe version 2.36 1,331,200 bytes File version 1.0.0.1

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10. Here is another way to enable AHCI, a REGedit method : Change from IDE to AHCI after Installation
http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?73355-Change-from-IDE-to-AHCI-after-Installation

But since this computer does not have the msAHCI subkey : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\msahci Then I carry on with procedure below.

11. Note your start position, Open Device Manager Win-R devmgmt.msc
For different ways to open Device Manager, see paragraph 47.

12. Expand IDE ATA/ATAPI controller

13. Note : Intel(R) ICH10 family 2 port Serial ATA Controller 2 - 3A26 Intel(R) ICH10 family 4 port Serial ATA Controller 1 - 3A20

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14. Can you easily recover your OS (Operating System) Partition? Do you have a GHOST image of C: or a drive image of C: drive? If Yes that you can easily recover then go to next step. If No then consider : Taking whatever measures to recover your OS with ease, like Control Panel > System > System Restore, that the option _ Turn off system Restore on all drives is not active, no check mark, and that the Windows XP drive is being monitored. This will allow you to undo the changes by pressing F8 when Windows reboots, if things go astray.

15. Start Win XP as usual, meaning a. BIOS > storage configuration > configure SATA as > IDE (not AHCI yet) b. If you change BIOS to AHCI mode and Restart and have no AHCI drivers then c. expect Windows to keep booting repeatedly or d. expect the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) and e. expect error 7B, Fatal System Error: 0x0000007b INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (7b)

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16. CPU-Z is freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system.

Intel ICH10R http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

17. Speccy Intel ICH10R http://www.piriform.com/speccy/download

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18. Download drivers from the Intel homepage. http://downloadcenter.intel.com/ They might be called Intel Matrix Storage Manager. Search Intel site for : ICH10R AHCI
ICH10R AHCI Driver for Microsoft Windows* (32 & 64 bit) Size:0.42 MB ICH10R SATA Drivers 8.9.0.1023.zip Version:8.9.0.1023 05/04/2010 May/4/2010 f6flpy32.zip (32 bit win XP)

While at this Intel site I found 9 matches to ICH10R AHCI A clue that this Version: 8.9.0.1023 is the one for this computer is the size of 0.42 MB which means it can fit on a floppy disk. If you formatted the hard drive and did a fresh install of Win XP then at the beginning you can press F6 and install third party drivers from a 1.44 MB floppy. Ya still got that floppy drive, right? FYI, the other 8 of 9 matches were much larger, 6 to 25 MB.

19. If you are not an advanced user then consider reading all the steps starting at paragraph 1. Advanced users. Ready? Here we Go! Unpacking drivers to C:\Windows\AHCI\ICH10R\8.9.0.1023 or whatever directory is best for you.
The AHCI drivers installed from Intel are from : ICH10R SATA Drivers 8.9.0.1023.zip 2009-06-15 2009-06-04 2009-06-15 2009-06-04 2009-06-04 2006-07-26 2009-06-04 07:22 AM 06:33 PM 07:52 AM 06:33 PM 06:43 PM 11:06 AM 06:33 PM 7 File(s) 8,654 iaahci.cat 8,773 iaAHCI.inf 7,962 iastor.cat 7,629 iaStor.inf 330,264 IaStor.sys 4,904 license.txt 5,526 TXTSETUP.OEM 373,712 bytes

Simple batch file :

xcopy *.* C:\Windows\AHCI\ICH10R\8.9.0.1023

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20. Open Device Manager Win-R devmgmt.msc

For different ways to open Device Manager, see paragraph 47.

21. Select Intel(R) ICH10 family 4 port Serial ATA Controller 1 - 3A20

22. Right click and select "Update driver".

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23. Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software? "No, not this time" Next

24. Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)

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25. Don't search. I will choose the driver to install.

26. Have Disk

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27. Select the directory where the unpacked files are. C:\Windows\AHCI\ICH10R\8.9.0.1023\iaAHCI.inf Open

28. Confirm directory C:\Windows\AHCI\ICH10R\8.9.0.1023 OK

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29. Select 1 of 12 device drivers Intel(R) ICH10R SATA AHCI Controller Next

30. At this stage the screen shows a message box. Its a warning about not being able to verify the compatibility of those drivers. Do you want to continue installing this driver? Yes

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31. Installing software for Intel(R) ICH10R SATA AHCI Controller Finish

32. Save data, Close applications.

33. Before you press Yes in the next step (step 34) remember after Restarting computer : a. Enter BIOS (Press DELETE key or whatever your computer requires) b. Change from IDE to AHCI c. BIOS > storage configuration > configure SATA as > AHCI If you forget to change BIOS to AHCI mode expect Windows XP to boot continuously. 34. Note: a. b. c. d.

Save data, Close applications. Remember in a few seconds do above step 33 (Enter BIOS, configure SATA as > AHCI) Do you want to restart your computer now? Yes.

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35. After Restart, let Win XP finish booting. Open Device Manager Win-R devmgmt.msc
For different ways to open Device Manager, see paragraph 47.

If you are fast at opening Device Manager then note : "PCI device".

If you are slow at opening Device Manager then press : Expand + IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers Alt-A, A = Action, scAn for hardware changes wait some seconds : Intel(R) ICH10 SATA AHCI Controller

36. After Win XP Restarts, wait some 2 minutes : a. Save data, Close applications. b. Do you want to restart your computer now? c. Yes

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37. After Restart, everything is ready, Open Device Manager Win-R devmgmt.msc
For different ways to open Device Manager, see paragraph 47.

Under "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" you now see your AHCI controller ready. Intel(R) ICH10 SATA AHCI Controller

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38. Recall paragraph 8, in IDE mode OCZToolbox.exe version 2.36 does not Update Firmware. Now see paragraphs 39 40.

39. Here is a hot test for this computer that : a. AHCI is selected in BIOS and b. AHCI drivers are installed and working.

Note OCZToolbox.exe v2.36 now is Downloading firmware updates! In this case it was from firmware version 1.27 to 1.33

40. Note the message : Firmware Download Primary drive detected. Initiating shutdown. 15 seconds to shutdown. And the computer is running fine and no lock ups.

41. If your Windows XP manages to boot then it suggests all is OK. If the AHCI installation failed the PC might be giving a BSOD or hanging or rebooting continuously. If this happens go back to your BIOS, change AHCI back to IDE and boot Windows. If Windows still doesn't want to wake up, keep the key "F8" pressed at the very beginning when the OS boots to bring up a menu and choose the "Last good known configuration" to undo above changes. (remember the notice at the top of this guide about your computer blowing-up plus 100 Mega Bytes, well here you may have it )

42. End of How to enable AHCI mode.

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43. Extra tips below:

44. Intel ICH10R = I/o Controller Hub 82801JR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I/O_Controller_Hub http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=34395

45. AHCI = Advanced Host Controller Interface http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Host_Controller_Interface 46. IDE = Intelligent Drive Electronics or Integrated Drive Electronics

47. Device Manager, different ways to open it : a. Win-R devmgmt.msc b. Win-Pause > Hardware > Device Manager c. Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager d. Start > Right click on My Computer > Property > Hardware > Device Manager See paragraphs 11 20 35 37

48. Win-Pause is a short-cut key that calls up System Properties in Win XP. Win-Pause = Start > Control Panel > System Win = the Windows keyboard button

49. Other resources: How to enable AHCI : Windows XP

http://expertester.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/how-to-enable-ahci-windows-xp/ Error message when you start a Windows 7 or Windows Vista-based computer after you change the SATA mode of the boot drive: "STOP 0x0000007B INACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE" http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

Enable Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) in Windows 7

http://mintywhite.com/windows-7/enabled-advanced-host-controller-interface-windows-7/

Enabling AHCI mode AFTER Windows 7 Installation

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=313676

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50. With respect to Solid State Drive speed tests using 2.46 ATTO
http://www.attotech.com/products/product.php?sku=Disk_Benchmark or http://www.majorgeeks.com/ATTO_Disk_Benchmark_d6359.html

Did it make a difference when the ACHI drivers were installed? Nope. Method 1 refers to the above guide on enabling AHCI mode, after having installed 32 bit Windows XP versus Method 2 of doing a fresh install of Win XP then at the beginning, during the install process, you press F6 and install third party drivers, AHCI drivers, from a 1.44 MB floppy. From tests done on one computer, there was little speed difference between the above Method 1 and 2. The ATTO tests were about the same speed. So from that view it did not matter when the AHCI drivers were installed. Said differently, this means that installing AHCI drivers after a Win XP install or installing AHCI drivers during a Win XP install gave similar ATTO speed results for an OCZ Solid State Drive, Vertex 2.

51. If you wish to send words of appreciation for the creative energies in making this guide then email J12027@yaho1o.co1m _1_________1____1_ but you must remove three 1s. So the above email has 18 characters minus the three 1s you get a 15-character email address (18 - 3 = 15 characters) and this helps a bit in that a person is likely emailing me thus reducing automated email.

52. Celebrating the creative energies in making version 1 of this guide on Tuesday-28-June-2011. 53. Jump to paragraph 1. 54. End transmission.