Windows 10: Enable AHCI in Windows 8 and Windows 10 after Installation

Hello Jim, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

You would want to run a SSD in SATA. IDE is the old slow wide ribbon cable connection instead.

What does Windows show that you currently have set in the registry?

 

I think I wasn't clear enough. I was referring to changing my CMOS from SATA to AHCI mode so that my SSD will work at a higher speed, as samsung advises. This is in reference to a post by Shawn https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...tallation.html

This is a delicate procedure and I want to know if it's really advisable and if there are any updates.

Thank you

 

You should be able to do so using the method in the tutorial without having to reinstall everything. Of course, I would recommend to back up anything that you don't want to lose just to be extra safe.

 

Thank you. I finally found almost the same procedure on a Microsoft Forum

 

can you tell by the attached screenshot if I am already using AHCI? I am about to perform a clean installation of my system to an SSD and would prefer to change this setting during install.

Thanks,

Danny R

 

No attached screen shot *Smile

 

here it is...

 

Do you have the SSD already connected? as something is showing under Other Devices and one of them is a Mass Storage Controller and something else that is not installed correctly.

It appears your AHCI Controller is in IDE Mode , as it is listed under IDE IDE/ATAPI Controllers so you should be able to switch the HDD Controller in the BIOS to AHCI and then Clean install Windows , this Tutorial is really for those who don't want to or can't do a full reinstall after setting it Correctly in the Bios.

*** of course both screenshots are showing now *Smile

KB.

 

Thank you. I will do that.

One more question I had not thought about...Do I need to create a disk to boot the SSD from so I can transfer the image for the recover process? I am certain I do so where will I find that? Is it just a recovery disk I can make using Windows or is there something else you can recommend?

To answer your question No the SSD is not attached. Those two unknown devices showed up after I did a clean installation of the Insider Preview build I am currently running. I have no idea what they are and everything is running fine. I am attaching screenshots from their properties windows in Device Manager. Maybe they will give you an idea of how I can find out what they are?

Thanks,

Danny R

 

You are missing Drivers for Something , is this an older Laptop ? does it have Windows 10 Support ? Or do you have something attached to the Laptop via USB etc?

Did you try to enable AHCI in the bios already ? Or Raid?

The PID on the Driver Details Page might let you google the Device and find out what it is , you probably aren't the 1st person with the issue...

This is mine but this computer is use Raid mode so my Intel ICH10R Mass Storage Controller is seen Under Storage Controllers instead. try googling the last of the 4 numbers shown below from YOUR system for the 2 unknown devices.





You can't use a Recovery Disk to Reinstall Windows AND swap IDE to AHCI windows would not BOOT. For backups and Recovery I use Macrium Free and make sure I make the Rescue CD or USB Key , works great , takes a 1/2 hr to Roll the Computer Back if M$ screws another Update Up and saves me *Smile

KB

 

To answer your question about the usb mass storage and unknown devices...turns out they are micro card reader and a pci bridge drivers that didn't get reinstalled when I did a recent clean installation of Insider Preview. they have both been updated.

I am in fact using Macrium Free for the SSD install. I will reboot my system and change the AHCI settings then insert the WinPE boot disk I created and reboot again and image the saved partitions to the SSD, correct?
Then change the BIOS again if necessary to make the SSD the first thing to boot from and test boot the SSD?
If all is good I reformat my existing HDD to use as an external drive, shut down, remove the HDD and then install the SSD into the laptop and then check everything, right?

I am very excited that I am finally getting this close!

Please let me know if it looks like I am on the right track.

Thank you!

Danny R

 

Nope *Smile

as mentioned in my last Post you can not Reinstall windows on the SSD with an IMAGE AND switch to AHCI in one move , you would get a x07 Stop Error most likely as you would not have AHCI setup on the SSD yet ...in Win10.

you would need to follow this Tutorial to successful completion and then do it your way OR simply ( and best way) install the SSD and Clean install Windows 10 on to the SSD along with any of your Programs you still need/want.

this way works ( see link below) easily too going from IDE to AHCI if you don't want to do a Clean Install.... and don't want to play in the registry... the values are rewritten by Windows 10 itself while in Safe Mode.

PS Do a MacriumBackup before attempting this and make sure you have an updated Rescue Disk too...and that it works ie is bootable

Attn. SSD owners - Enabling AHCI mode AFTER Windows 10 installation.

 

Kbird,

I was not going to update the AHCI and do the image restore in one move if it sounded that way. there would have been some restarts and checking the changes/installs in between but thank you for stressing that point because it keeps me cautious.

I went from originally cloning my HDD to the SSD then opted for the Image instead after some good advice I received here. I do also see the purity in doing a good Clean Install especially since that is what ultimately got me out of some bad Insider update hell a couple weeks ago! If I do the Clean Install would I do the AHCI settings before the install (not in the same move) or follow the tutorial on doing it after? I am on Insider Preview 15060 as of 5 minutes ago but prior to that I created a bootable image of IP15060 using UUP to ISO so is that what I would use for the Clean Install?

Finally, if I do a clean install of windows after the SSD is installed I want to make sure I set the SSD up the correct way and have the partitions and alignments right. Is there a tutorial for that as I have only seen them for cloning or imaging to the SSD. Well, that is probably because that is all I was looking for!

Thanks,

Danny R

 

@djrobison22,

To do the clean install and set up the SSD, fully shutdown the computer - in your current Windows 10 hold down the shift key when you click shutdown to get a full shutdown. Then change the SATA controller to AHCI mode in BIOS/UEFI. Boot the computer from your bootable Windows 10 USB flash drive or DVD that you made from your Windows 10 ISO file. Select the custom install option. When you get the list of partitions on the SSD, delete every one of them. If you happen to have a separate data partition it is hopefully at the very end of the SSD and you would delete every partition except for it. Pick the unallocated space and click next to let Windows set up the partitions it wants.

 

What NAVY LCDR Said *Smile

With a Clean Install windows 10 will setup up the Correct 4 partitions and align them as it needs , you don't need to worry about that , it also will setup TRIM etc as it will know it is a SSD not a HDD.

Are you staying on the Insider Hell Route ? *Smile if so then yes Mount the ISO and copy it to a FAT32 Formatted USB Key and Clean install with that.

Once reinstalled Clean then use Macrium to Image the SSD to another Drive frequently so you can reinstall if Insider gets pear shaped on you for any reason...

KB