AHCI controller

H

Hormel

Member
Hello,

I am trying to activate the AHCI controller on my comp. I have read several places that my southbridge, Intel ICH9R, supports AHCI. However, when I go through the bios to change the SATA controller there are only two options: IDE and RAID. I guess dell did not add this option to their condensed version of the BIOS. I was playing around with the 'Add Hardware' utility in the control panel and came across something I think may be relevant. I navigated through the add hardware wizard like this:

  1. Selected "install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)"
  2. clicked "next"
  3. From the list of "common hardware types", I clicked storage controllers.
  4. I scrolled through the manufactures and selected "Silicon Integrated Systems Corp".
  5. There was only one option under model and that was "SiS Storport AHCI Controller" I selected this and clicked next on the bottom.
  6. The wizard stated "To install your new harddware, click next". I did so.
  7. After installing it the wizard read this "The software for this device is now installed, but may not work correctly. The device cannot start. (Cody 10)
  8. I went to device manager and expanded the Storage Controller tree. Listed in it is the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator, which seemed to be working fine, and the newly installed SiS Storport AHCI Controller. This had the yellow triangle with the exclamation mark inside.
Would installing this correctly allow me to use the AHCI controller? If not, does anyone know how I could activate it?

Specs:
Dell Inspiron 530s
Vista Home Premium x64
Intel Core Duo
Motherboard:
Manufacturer Dell Inc.
Model 0RY007 (Socket 775)
Chipset Vendor Intel
Chipset Model P35/G33/G31
Chipset Revision A2
Southbridge Vendor Intel
Southbridge Model 82801IR (ICH9R)
Southbridge Revision 02
 

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My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400
Anyone know anything about AHCI?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg
It says my chipset driver is valid. The only thing it recommends I update is my network controller. Is it possible to download an AHCI driver?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400
Hi,

Well that is strange!

If you have the AHCI stuff onboard & your drivers are up to date, I am not convinced you need them?

What is the exact make, model & version of Vista (Including SP) etc. do you have.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg
Lottiemansion said:
Hi,

Well that is strange!

If you have the AHCI stuff onboard & your drivers are up to date, I am not convinced you need them?

What is the exact make, model & version of Vista (Including SP) etc. do you have.
Click to expand...

Vista x64 Home Premium SP 2 OEM. I would not be surprised if it had AHCI drivers. However, the 'readme' file imbedded the link you sent me stated that not having the proper AHCI drivers would cause it to fail at installation.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400
Hi,

Have a look here & see if the information helps?

note.gif
NOTE: RAID is not supported on Inspiron 530sb/530sd.
Click to expand...

Documentation
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg
Lottiemansion said:
Hi,

Have a look here & see if the information helps?

note.gif
NOTE: RAID is not supported on Inspiron 530sb/530sd.
Click to expand...
Documentation
Click to expand...

My bios also has an option for RAID. I'm pretty sure it is for RAID 1 though. What does this have to do with AHCI? I'm also pretty sure the 530sb and 530sd have a different motherboard than my 530s.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg
First off, I want to thank you for all your help thus far. I'm very appreciative.

The wiki article you linked had this relevant information.

Many SATA controllers offer selectable modes of operation: legacy Parallel ATA emulation, standard AHCI mode, or vendor-specific RAID (which generally enables AHCI in order to take advantage of its capabilities). Intel recommends choosing RAID mode on their motherboards (which also enables AHCI) rather than AHCI/SATA mode for maximum flexibility.
Click to expand...

According to this it is possible that simply enabling the RAID during install would utilize the AHCI controller of a system. I'm still skeptical of whether or not have the AHCI drivers. If it does, I don't know why the Intel Storage Manager did not install. I found this:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...eng&OSVersion=Windows Vista 64*&DownloadType=

This is
used to preinstall RAID drivers (F6 diskettes are used during the installation of Windows* Operating System setup to setup RAID)
Click to expand...

Maybe this will enable the AHCI features of RAID mode. I'm not sure. I posted this inquiry on the Intel Forums as well. I thought I would post it here to see if you or anyone else would have some insight.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400
OK<

I downloaded the 32 bit drivers & it contained the following: -
 

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My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg
I could never got my windows instillation to install those drivers. However, I read somewhere that enabling Intel chipsets to RAID without actually creating an array will cause the controller to default to ahci. So that's what I did. I have included a screen shot of a splash screen in the bios that shows that an ahci bios has been installed (after doing the new os install). However, when I go to regedit and find
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesMsahci
after right clicking start and and selecting modify it has a hexadecimal value of four not zero. From my understanding it should be at zero if it is set to ahci.
I also used the hard drive benchmarking software AS SSD to see what my SATA controller is. It is iaStor. From what I understand this is intel's controller for ahci, as opposed to microsoft's ahci controller msahci.

So, it seems I'm getting some conflicting info. AS SSD says ahci is enabled, regedit says other wise. Any clues?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400
Hormel said:
I could never got my windows instillation to install those drivers. However, I read somewhere that enabling Intel chipsets to RAID without actually creating an array will cause the controller to default to ahci. So that's what I did. I have included a screen shot of a splash screen in the bios that shows that an ahci bios has been installed (after doing the new os install). However, when I go to regedit and find
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesMsahci
after right clicking start and and selecting modify it has a hexadecimal value of four not zero. From my understanding it should be at zero if it is set to ahci.
I also used the hard drive benchmarking software AS SSD to see what my SATA controller is. It is iaStor. From what I understand this is intel's controller for ahci, as opposed to microsoft's ahci controller msahci.

So, it seems I'm getting some conflicting info. AS SSD says ahci is enabled, regedit says other wise. Any clues?
Click to expand...
forgot to add attachment
 

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My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 530s
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Dup E4600
    Motherboard
    Dell 0RY007
    Memory
    3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 2400
Hormel said:
I also used the hard drive benchmarking software AS SSD to see what my SATA controller is. It is iaStor. From what I understand this is intel's controller for ahci, as opposed to microsoft's ahci controller msahci.
Click to expand...
Hi,

Sorry for any delays, I've been working away from home.

Is the answer in the "Quote"?

If you are on iaStor & not msahci, then you would expect msahci to be off?

Can you find a referrence to iaStor in there some where?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg
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