GA-X58A-UD7 (rev. 2.0) how to AHCI

[failure13]

Good day.
How can i make AHCI work on this motherboard, without reinstalling my Windows 7 x64?
I don't want RAID or something, just AHCI so i can make my drives run faster.

I know that there could be made a boot-flashdisc, but i'm not sure exactly how to do it, since there are 3 controllers, and as i understand they all need to be installed...
My 4 Hard drives (all SATA II, except 1) are installed on Marvell 9128 chip controller & Gigabyte controller, but just in case i would buy additional Harddrives, i would like to install AHCI driver also on another controller (i guess it's Intel south bridge)...

P.S. If i shall install all the drivers and they will work good on existed Win 7, should i need to reinstall this AHCI drivers also, when it will be time to reinstall OS?
And will AHCI, compared to IDE, get me any sort of problems when reinstalling Windows / Formating harddrives and other operations that could cause loss of data?

[Aussie Allan]

Good time of a day.
How can i make AHCI work on this motherboard, without reinstalling my Windows 7 x64?
I don't want RAID or something, just AHCI so i can make my drives run faster.

I know that there could be made a boot-flashdisc, but i'm not sure exactly how to do it, since there are 3 controllers, and as i understand they all need to be installed...
My 4 Hard drives (all SATA II, except 1) are installed on Marvell 9128 chip controller & Gigabyte controller, but just in case i would buy additional Harddrives, i would like to install AHCI driver also on another controller (i guess it's Intel south bridge)...

P.S. If i shall install all the drivers and they will work good on existed Win 7, should i need to reinstall this AHCI drivers also, when it will be time to reinstall OS?
And will AHCI, compared to IDE, get me any sort of problems when reinstalling Windows / Formating harddrives and other operations that could cause loss of data?

             To answer your question specifically Enable switching between all IDE/AHCI/RAID modes by changing "Start" Values in these keys to 0 (Win 7 / Vista ONLY)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Pciide\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\iaStorV\Start...........The windows install has ACHI drivers already there for use.

  Ideally installing under a ACHI environment (ACHI set in BIOS) prior to OS install is best.....but the fix above does work......make sure you do these window based changes prior to the ACHI BIOS reset

  If you want anywhere near stable,good performance........us your Marvell ports for your DVD only.........Intel even though sata2 will out perform Marvell port every time on this board.

  Aussie Allan

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

To change from IDE mode to AHCI mode is very straightforward. Just a few registry changes are required.


To change windows 7 or Vista to AHCI mode after you install in IDE mode is easy.   Make the following registry changes in windows, then reboot the BIOS and enable AHCI and then load windows, after that you will be in AHCI mode.

Enable switching between all IDE/AHCI/RAID modes by changing "Start" Values in these keys to 0 (Win 7 / Vista ONLY)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Pciide\Start  
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\iaStorV\Start


(Hey Allan, you must be getting quicker!)

[failure13]

Wait, you mean if i'll change this keys + reboot and then change bios settings to AHCI it will just work?

And i don't even need to install any drivers?
I have forgot to say that Windows now have been installed with all to IDE, and it still on IDE mode...

So Windows doesn't have this keys even

[Aussie Allan]

Wait, you mean if i'll change this keys + reboot and then change bios settings to AHCI it will just work?

And i don't even need to install any drivers?
I have forgot to say that Windows now have been installed with all to IDE, and it still on IDE mode...

So Windows doesn't have this keys even

  What do you have to loose .....I suspect you already have the drivers onboard in hidden system files

  Aussie Allan

[Dark Mantis]

If you have installed all the chipset drivers etc for the motherboard then it should work fine.

[failure13]

Now i have changed this registry entryes, rebooted, changed all ports to AHCI in bios...then BSOD couple times...Get hang of this, changed back to IDE, then i'm here))
Any suggestions?

P.S. Before this i have installed latest stable x64 chipset drivers from Intel site, for my x58 chipset..

[Aussie Allan]

  Leave Optical in IDE........DM .....I have to disappear for a few hours........would you mind?....thank mate!

  Aussie Allan

[failure13]

I think that i have done it, coz now optical is inside the higher one ports, driven by intel SB i believe...I have try to set it to IDE, still bsod :\

[Dark Mantis]

Is there any reason why you can't do a clean instal of Windows on the drive ?

[failure13]

Mainly coz i have waste last 3 days of my life on reinstalling Windows...
So i highly won't like to bother it

[Dark Mantis]

It is one of the joys of computing!

Often it is just that it ends up being quicker than trying to trouble shoot a installation with issues.

[failure13]

I know, but just not this time.
Tell me how to try it out, if everything went wrong, i'll reinstall then...But now i would like just to know how to make it using boot-flashdrive.

[Dark Mantis]

Have you got the IRST driver file from Intel's website loaded ? If not go and download and install it as that is what loads the AHCI support.

[failure13]

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&changeLang=true&DwnldId=20215

Ok, which of this 2?