SATA, IDE and AHCI in BIOS

Sukh

Sukh

Sukh

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Hey guys I need some urgent help. I got a new SSD and went to install Win7 on it.

In my BIOS my SATA controller was set to IDE instead of AHCI for some reason, and thought I would get more speed using AHCI than IDE.

So changed it to AHCI but the computer won't boot to my SATA dvd drive when I do this, what am I doing wrong?


Also will I lose my data on my current HDDs becuase I changed the mode from IDE to AHCI? Will I need to format them?


Thanks in advance for speedy help.
 
Erm, you might need to install the AHCI drivers in your Win installation BEFORE you do the change in BIOS otherwise it'll carp out on you.
 
Ok sorry, I am trying to install win7 on a new SSD so how do I do this if when ACHI is selected, I cannot boot from the DVD?
 
So changed it to AHCI but the computer won't boot to my SATA dvd drive when I do this, what am I doing wrong?
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Can you be more specific? Getting an error when attempting to boot from DVD? Ignoring the DVD drive and booting to HDD? If you haven't done so already try using the boot menu and select CD/DVD as having boot priority.

Alternatively, just leave it in IDE mode. The SSD doesn't actually require AHCI mode although performance will be marginally better. Never a good idea to change modes then allow Windows to launch so if you ever need to do a f/w update in a different controller mode always change it back before starting Windows.
 
I thought in IDE mode, the other Mechanical disks I have will be slightly slower as they will be IDE and are capable of SATA2?

Ziggy4 said:
Never a good idea to change modes then allow Windows to launch so if you ever need to do a f/w update in a different controller mode always change it back before starting Windows.
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This bit I don't quite understand?
If i change modes, Windows wouldn't boot anyways as the AHCI driver would not be installed.

Sorry, to explain more clearly;
I put SATA CDROM as first boot device and SATA mode to IDE, it boots from DVD fine.
I change SATA mode to AHCI and it doesn't boot from DVD.

I know its possible to change after install, but thought since win7 you could just install with AHCI?
 
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The AHCI driver is in Windows so yes, it will most certainly boot even if you previously installed in IDE mode and that is where problems can occur. I'd recommend installing Windows in AHCI mode but clearly you are having some issues with it. Could be a compatibility problem with either the DVD drive or the motherboard but unless it's really ancient I am puzzled that it won't allow a boot from DVD in AHCI. Another option is to make an ISO of the Win 7 DVD and try out MS's new bootable USB drive tool. Haven't tried it myself although I plan to next time I need to re-install.

One thing to try though. Presumably your BIOS has a boot device menu. The hot key is usually F12 or something like that. It will normally display the avaliable options during startup. Try using that to select DVD as boot device.

Might help also to post the make and model of the DVD drive and mobo.
 
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Its a Abit IP35 and Samsung TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-S203D ATA Device.

I have just flashed the firmware to the latest edition for both BIOS and DVD drive. Still didn't work.

I am going to try another copy of the Windows DVD.
 
IDE mode isn't any slower than AHCI. It's missing some features, I believe hotswap is the only important thing ahci adds though smart may be involved as well. By far the easiest answer is to just use the ssd in ide mode.

I can't persuade debian to install in ide mode, nor could I get vista to install in ahci mode. These things happen, I now go into the bios and change it over when changing OS. Not got around to installing the ahci driver for vista.

I think your problem is a motherboard limitation. Install using ide mode, then change over to ahci if you want to. OCZ recommend just using ide.
 
Ack! A Samsung DVD... Oh, wait, was about to start grumbling about them but a quick search has turned up some posts that you can't boot from DVD in AHCI mode with that particluar mobo. Seems they didn't get a chance to release an update before they folded. I'm only the messenger here so probably worth doing a more thorough search in case some bright spark figured out a fix. In that case suggest you get a hold of a cheap n cheerful IDE DVD drive and install Windows from that then you can continue using the SATA drive for normal ops. You can install Windows from an IDE drive even when the controller is set to AHCI mode.
 
It looks like after you set it to AHCI, you haven't selected the dvd drive to boot up windows.

It's not the 'sata dvd' you select, there should be a device in the list that refers to the dvd as 'Samsung xxx'.

Thats what happened with me when I had my ip35 pro,when I set to it AHCI from IDE, it wouldn't install windows from the dvd as I hadn't properly selected the dvd in the boot list.

Took me a while to find out what the problem was, but once it was changed from 'sata dvd' to the Pioneer xxx sata dvd I was using it worked.
 
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gazzamcg said:
It looks like after you set it to AHCI, you haven't selected the dvd drive to boot up windows.

It's not the 'sata dvd' you select, there should be a device in the list that refers to the dvd as 'Samsung xxx'.

Thats what happened with me when I had my ip35 pro,when I set to it AHCI from IDE, it wouldn't install windows from the dvd as I hadn't properly selected the dvd in the boot list.

Took me a while to find out what the problem was, but once it was changed from 'sata dvd' to the Pioneer xxx sata dvd I was using it worked.
Click to expand...

Thanks, theres no boot menu at F12 that I can see, so do it from BIOS. From BIOS I will check :)
 
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