"Loading Operating System ..."

[MarkJohnson]

I have been using my system for a couple of months now and decided to install a SSD.  I enable AHCI and now I get this,"Loading Operating System ..." everytime I boot.  It last for about 20 seconds. I have even tried different hard drives and I still get the same error.  I'm not sure what it is, but it is very annoying.

Any clues to what is going on?
-=Mark=-
ps... I am using an H55N-USB3 board, I3-550, 4GB G. Skill ECO DDR3-1600 RAM, and a PowerColor HD 5670 Go Green.

[Dark Mantis]

Hi again,

The "loading operating system" display is normal but it shouldn't last for so long. Are you trying to say you have changed the setting to AHCI mode in the BIOS from IDE mode?
This can only be done before installation of the OS or by a registry hack afterwards. It cna also cause problem,s with other drives on the same controller if they ar enot fully compatible.

Did you clear the CMOS before installing the new drive?

[MarkJohnson]

Yes, I did clear CMOS after initial install and reinstalled windows plus removed all drives except SSD and DVD.  I read about the issue and  read memory settings can cause issues so I reseated them and used the XMP profile as well.

I also has the issue before installing the SSD a month ago when I switched to AHCI for my HDDs.  While imaging my HDD for preparation of installing my SSD Acronis keeps reporting a partition has errors (I dual boot Windows/Ubuntu) and just assumed it was a linux issue as Acronis doesn't seem to recognize the partition properly (it sees the drive, but doesn't report the used space).

But now it does it with windows only.  I went ahead and installed PinGuy OS(a custom Ubuntu 10.10) annd still get the issue.

Not sure what is going on, maybe I'll try an IDE install with my spare HDD and see if it still happens.  Not sure what else I can try.

I'm open to any suggestion.

Thanks for your help
-=Mark=-

[MarkJohnson]

OK, I'm halfway there.  After setting back to IDE mode it went by quickly.  I notice after the,"Loading Operating System ..." that it reports searching my DVD drive for bootable media, and before it got skipped.  I never got the DVD message in AHCI mode, so maybe it doesn't like my DVD in AHCI, or this motherboard doesn't like DVD in port1.  I can't put the DVD in port 4 or 5 as it doesn't have those.  It seems port 4 is eSATA and no port 5 at all, but it may be assigned to USB3?

If this is the case, what port will DVD work in?  If any at all.

Right now it boots past the the,"Loading Operating System..." if I disable first boot device as DVD.

Thanks once again for help
-=Mark=-

[Dark Mantis]

Optical drives often don't work well under AHCI mode. That is the reason we always say to set the controller that they are on to IDE.

I'm not 100% sure about your partition error but I suspect that your SSD wasn't aligned properly when you did the first OS installation.

[MarkJohnson]

Optical drives often don't work well under AHCI mode. That is the reason we always say to set the controller that they are on to IDE.

There's only one controller, the ICH10 or whatever Intel calls it on the H55.  and I can't connect it to port 4 or 5 as they are reserved for esata and usb3.  It seems to work fine with the exception of the 20second wait during,"Loading Operating System ..." message.  otherwise it seems fine and let me boot to install windows and Linux.

I'm not 100% sure about your partition error but I suspect that your SSD wasn't aligned properly when you did the first OS installation.

Actually I didn't align it as win 7 is suppose to do that.  I also had the problem on the hard drive.  It just may be Acronis with the problem as it seemed to restore fine and drive check passed the test.

But I can live with manually setting my DVD drive to boot, as I usually do anyway to save a second or two during boot so it doesn't try to check for a bootable disc. 

Thanks again for your help
-=Mark=-

[shikae]

modify the windows registry to enable booting using AHCI

[Lsdmeasap]

Use OS drives in the first ports, if you only use one drive for your OS put it into SATAII_0

Put your CD/DVD drive into the last SATAII port

AHCI and CD/DVD should be ok, but there are a few that have various issues with AHCI such as can't boot from CD, can't read CD from time to time, ect.