How do I change Windows XP to use AHCI disk mode rather than IDE mode for Dual boot?

Original Title: How do I change Widows XP from IDE  mode to AHCI mode so that I can dual boot to Widows 8

 

I have XP is installed in IDE mode on one SSD, and Win 8 is installed in AHCI mode on a second SSD . How do I  switch my  XP install to boot in AHCI mode so that I can dual boot?  My motherboard is an ASRock 990FX Extreme4.  The bios can be swiched from one mode to the other, but can't be set for each drive individually. I've found plenty of guides on switching the device driver in the XP device manager, but none have worked for me. I have AHCI SATA drivers from ASRock and from AMD, but I always get the message to the effect that the driver applicable to my hardware.  Can't find any info on this here (in these forums).  In the XP device manager there are 9 devices listed. Three primary channel, three secondary channel and three dual channel. 


Regards,

Kelly
 

Question Info

Last updated April 17, 2019 Views 35,636 Applies to:

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Hi,

 

Thank you for posting your question in Microsoft Community.

 

From your issue description, I understand that you are unable to change Windows XP to use AHCI disk mode rather than IDE mode for Dual boot. Please let me know if this is not the issue that you are facing.

 

Before proceed with troubleshooting, I need some information.

What is the make and model number of the computer?

 

Try the steps below and then check:

Step 1: Update the driver:

a)      Plug SSD drive.

b)      Click Start button, click Run.

c)      In the Run window, type devmgmt.msc and then click “Ok”.

d)      In the Device Manager, expand “IDE ATA/ATAPI controller”.

e)      Under the list, check if any listed hardware is titled as “Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller or SATA IDE Controller”. If the device is listed as the same, right click on it and select “Update Driver”. Follow the onscreen instructions to update the driver.

f)       Note: If you find other than the list provided as above, please post your reply with the name of drives listed under “Intel ICH9 SATA IDE controller”.

 

Step 2: Edit the BIOS and then modify the settings:

BIOS Disclaimer: Modifying Basic Input Output system (BIOS)/ complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings incorrectly can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the configuring of BIOS/CMOS settings can be solved. Modifications of the settings are at your own risk. 

 

Note: You can also contact the manufacturer of the system for the same.


If the issue persists, please feel free to reply to us with the results and questions asked as above. We are happy to assist you further!

 

Hope it helps.

 

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Hi Praveen,

Thanks for your reply. First, this computer is my own build. The above mentioned motherboard ASRock 990FX Extreme4 is an AMD chipped board, not Intel. The method you describe is exactly the method I have been using. The message I get is" "The specified location does not contain info about your device".  I have created a driver floppy from the ASRock driver CD as per ASRock's user manual. The driver is named ahcix86.inf.  I have also tried other amdsata.inf files downloaded from AMD and ASRock's web site. The diskette does work running setup and F6 to load, but I want to know how to fix this problem with the current install.

As for AMD help/support. They replied to me that his is a Windows issue and I should contact Microsoft. Take about "passing the buck"! :-)

It would appear to me that I need to be able to load a new device in device manager and update the driver to the ahci sata driver and then reboot set the bios to ahci mode from ide mode. I find no way to loat a new dual channel device. Obviously with the driver I have windows won't let me update the driver. 

Thanks for your help!

Regards,

Kelly 

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My understanding is that the IDE mode and AHCI mode are effectively different hardware. You could no more update the IDE device with AHCI drivers than you could, for example, update the graphics card with AHCI drivers.

However, you may be able to install AHCI drivers whilst in IDE mode, then switch to AHCI in BIOS and reboot to detect the new hardware and install AHCI drivers, as AndyWHall did in this thread...

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-windows_install/windows-xp-install-crashes-when-bios-is-set-to/f2ada1d6-637b-4a36-8ebd-46303c3b3657

...albeit on different hardware. You AHCI driver installation might be achieved via the download here. Choose the appropriate regional option for Marvell SATA3 driver ver:1.0.0.1036All\Marvell_SATA31.0.0.1036.

Then extract and run the setup. The setup may also be manually executable from your driver CD.

You may wish to set a system restore point first...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948247

...in case things get messed up and need to restore to it...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084

And backup important data too.

Tricky

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You'll have to do something like this first, otherwise it'll crash if you enable AHCI in the BIOS

I dont know if the fixit will do it, since it doesnt list XP

Changing XP to AHCI wont  let you dual boot. Unless you installed XP and Win8 the right way

Probably be easier if you use something like Easybcd.


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Thanks, Tricky!

Yes I've seen those answers and threads. I've found many of them on my own. Most of them apply to Intel based computers, not AMD. My chipset is the RD990 and SB950. 

I feel like I'm in a Ketch 22, going around and around!  I have to keep repeating what I've posted before! :-)

The first of the three devices ( standard dual chanel PCI IDE controllers) under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers is for my SSD, and all three will give me "The specified location does not contain info aobut your hardware" using the driver from the ASRock driver floppy containing the driver ahcix86.inf which should be the correct driver (it works for installing using F6). 

Many of the posts I've found using intel boards show a sata controller in the device manager, and in one of them they are creative a new dual channel controller for which they update the driver to the ahci one. This AMD board does not have that, so I'm stuck. Probably will just do a new install as I'm not having any luck. A bit frustrated with AMD passing the buck. Its their hardware and drivers that don't seem to work with Microsoft' OS. Or I'm dong something wrong with is very possible! :-)

Regards,

Kelly

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Thank you, Taupo! I know all that. Yes I'm using Easybcd.  

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Hi,

None of what you say leads me to believe that you have tried my suggestion of running the executable that installs the AHCI drivers (the download executable I suggested is called drvSetup.exe). This suggestion is not chipset dependant. Download from

http://www.asrock.com/MB/overview.asp?cat=Download&os=XP&Model=990FX Extreme4

There is a difference between updating a driver and installing a driver. What I am suggesting that you do is install the AHCI driver (even though the hardware will not be detectable until you change the BIOS settings and reboot).

Whist the BIOS is set to IDE you will not be able to update a driver for a device that Windows cannot see, but you will hopefully be able to install a driver for a device to be enabled afterwards in BIOS. This is the same technique that some manufacturers document with regard to their PCI cards, which state that you should install the driver before inserting the card into an expansion slot. The BIOS switch from IDE to AHCI is the equivalent if installing a PCI expansion card.

Tricky

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Tricky,

Sorry! Yes I have indeed installed the supplied all in one chipset drivers from ASRock and again with the latest drivers directly from AMD for this chipset and upon booting after changing the bios from IDE mode to Ahci mode I get a brief blue screen and then a reboot.  I always install the chip drivers right after installing the operating system.  As far as the driver update goes, I am just trying all the many things people are recommending. What you say makes perfect sense to me though and is exactly what I would have expected. It would seem to be quite likely that I will never be able to fix this, after the fact, after bungling the install using the Mobo's default bios setting of ide mode. I appreeciate all the suggestions. Thanks again!

Regards,

Kelly

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Hi Kelly,

Firstly an apology. I cut and pasted the wrong description for the driver to install in my original post. I have now amended that post but for clarity the driver to download and install is Marvell SATA3 driver ver:1.0.0.1036All\Marvell_SATA31.0.0.1036 from

http://www.asrock.com/MB/overview.asp?cat=Download&os=XP&Model=990FX Extreme4

This gives you a zip file called Marvell_SATA3_Win7-64_Win7_Vista64_Vista_XP64_XP(1.0.0.1036). therein you should find/extract/execute drvSetup.exe.

I do not believe that this driver will be part of the AMD all in 1 drivers.

Tricky

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Hi Tricky,

Thanks very much. This board actually has 8 Sata 3 connections, the first 6 are controlled by the AMD SB850 and the last 2 by the Marvel chip. The manual recommends using SATA 1-6 for booting. There is a setting in the bios for booting from the marvel controller, but even though I have the marvel drivers installed,  I am unable to boot from there in either mode, IDE or AHCI. Perhaps because I didn't install the operating system while connected to the Marvel controller?
I'm going to give re-install all these drivers and try to reboot to AHCI.  I'm not optimistic however. This is an interesting issue, and hopefully I can learn something from it.  I am going to install XP on another drive or partition in AHCI mode while continuing searching for a solution for this install. As I believe I mentioned before there are solutions that others have posted and have had success fixing this problem, but (as I recall) they have all been for Intel based mother boards not AMD. Bottom line Win XP is arguably obsolete and not fully compatible with some newer hardware. But we have gotten a lot of millage out of it! So compare that with our digital cameras which are obsolete in one to two years!  In that regard XP is looking pretty good! :-) 

Regards,

Kelly

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