AHCI Hell

timmillwood · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:00

I have just been setting up a new SSD, I changed all the bios to AHCI and windows would not boot for them DVD, so I changed it back to IDE and installed windows.

I have now managed to use AHCI on the marvell SATA3 controller, but not on the standard (intel?) one. So I am not half AHCI and half not.

My SSD is connected to the marvell controller and booting from that, my other HDD and DVD are connected to the standard SATA controller and running on IDE mode.

I really want both on AHCI, and booting off the standard controller rather than the marvell one.

I think this is a driver issue, how can I get it working?

dfarrall · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:20

Your SSD really needs to be in the intel ports to get full speed, should be as simple as turning it on in bios and installing windows. What did you mean when 'windows would not boot for them dvd'

Idleman · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:32

Look in the Storage devices forum. Plenty of guides in there. Maybe a Mod will move the thread there.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=88

timmillwood · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:33

When I plugged the DVD into the intel sata port and enabled AHCI the DVD wouldn't boot. It just loaded the bios settings.

I therefore installed windows in IDE mode. My SSD is now running on AHCI mode but via Marvell.

As soon as I enable AHCI on the intel ports it stops booting.

Gregry254 · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:41

Make sure all your Sata drives are plugged into the Intel ports on the motherboard and not the Marvel ones!

Make sure your boot order is set to CD first then HDD (atleast until you get windows installed).

Goto sata operation/mode/whatever its called and set it to AHCI. Save and exit.

when prompted "Hit any key to boot from CD" and enjoy the speed boost an SSD has to offer

Gregry254 · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:42

And also make sure only the DVD drive and SSD are plugged in while installing windows.

timmillwood · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:47

Thats exactly what I did, and the DVD did not boot. Could the DVD or windows not be ACHI compatible?

Gregry254 · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:49

The DVD drive is a SATA one right? not plugged in with some kind of IDE adapter?

I have the same mobo as you and I didn't have any problems . . . except my own stupidity

Orcvader · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:50

Why not use the DVD on the Marvell controller in IDE mode and the SSD on the Intel controller in AHCI mode?

Have you fully checked the boot order in BIOS?

timmillwood · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:53

It is a sata DVD, I will give it another try, but as I already have windows installed on the SSD running in ACHI mode on tr Marvell controller it seems strange why it wont work on the intel controller in ACHI mode.

Did you need to install any intel ACHI drivers?

Orcvader · 29 Dec 2011 at 14:55

It might be the optical drive not liking AHCI, what optical drive do you have?

timmillwood · 29 Dec 2011 at 16:40

I switched the Marvell controller to IDE and the intel to ACHI. Plugged the DVD into Marvell, SSD and HDD into intel and all seems to be working for now.