Cannot Boot in AHCI mode

platypus

platypus

platypus

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Not really sure if this is the best forum or not, but just wondering if anyone has any ideas..

I've just reinstalled Windows 7 64bit. AHCI was enabled, but when Setup rebooted, the system hung on loading the drivers. I've had to switch back to IDE, and it boots fine. Has my sata controller gone?

After playing about a bit, it seems that loading AHCI will hang if my SSD and Sata drive are connected, either together or one by itself. If I disconnect them and leave just my (sata) dvd drive in, it loads the AHCI drivers and then carries on through the booting process (only to stop with no O/S of course).
 
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Yes I did enable AHCI before installing Windows.

I can't get past the initialisation screen where the AHCI Intel drivers load. I get the initial post with processor/memory speed, then the next screen the Intel AHCI drivers start to load, it reads the SSD (or the HDD) and then hangs.

It does not hang, in AHCI mode, with no devices attached.
 
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Gigabyte P55-usb3, and an Intel X25-M. I wasn't prompted for AHCI drivers at any stage, so I assume they were automatically installed as part of the setup.
 
I had to enable the driver mentioned in The Deuce's link after installing Windows.

To resolve this issue yourself, enable the AHCI driver in the registry before you change the SATA mode of the boot drive. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Exit all Windows-based programs.
  2. Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
  3. If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
  4. Locate and then click one of the following registry subkeys:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\IastorV

  5. In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.
  6. In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
  7. On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor.

It's not enabled as part of the Windows installation. You have to enable it manually.
 
I've already done that as well, I've reinstalled Windows twice, in both modes (IDE/AHCI).

Then setting AHCI mode in the bios causes the initialisation to hang.
 
It should only affect the boot drive if AHCI isn't working correctly, according to that support article. Might be worth seeing if it hangs or not with a formatted/data only drive if you haven't done so.
 
Aye I've tried that. I disconnected my SSD and left my sata drive in to see what happened, and it crashed.

Here's what I did:

First time round
-AHCI already set in BIOS from previous windows install.
-Ran the Windows 7 install, windows booted no problems.
-Rebooted after initial windows updates - AHCI initialisation crashes.

Second time round
-Set BIOS to ide mode
-Installed windows
-Edited the registry to provide ahci support/mode
-Rebooted, set AHCI in BIOS - AHCI initialisation crashes.
 
Getting a bit desperate on suggestions that don't involve a hardware swap, but the guide for enabling the driver mentions changing one of the registry entries to a value of 0. Any chance you might have done both? No idea if that would upset anything, but I only set the Msahci entry to 0 and have had no problems.
 
I did indeed set both to 0, perhaps that is causing the issue?

Ah! Could this be trying to load both the Intel and the Microsoft AHCI driver, therefore not knowing which to pick?
 
Nope. Just left it on the windows. Looking at the reg keys now it was perhaps silly of me to set the Intel driver to AHCI mode rather than the Microsoft one, if that is indeed the case for those two keys!

Should I manage to get AHCI mode working, which is better for performance/reliability; Intel or Microsoft?
 
Actually thinking about it, I'm not sure I can install in AHCI now. I cannot get past the AHCI initialisation with any hard drive connected.
 
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