M5A88-M and AHCI not working

[jimlau]

i have an HDD (IDE) with the OS on it, and i'm installing an SSD drive. i am having trouble setting the mode for the SSD to AHCI from the default IDE.

the SATA ports seem to be grouped, 1-4, then 5-6. but i cannot change 5-6 to AHCI unless 1-4 are. so i put my HDD in port 5, and the SSD in port 1.

however, when i do, the BIOS only show SATA 5 and 6, and the 1-4 ports aren't even shown (though in another section of the BIOS, i do see the SSD, but it is shown as IDE).

if i set all to IDE, then the SSD shows back up in the first BIOS screen.

how do i set AHCI for the SSD while leaving my HDD at type IDE?

thanks.

 

[trents]

Was the OS originally installed on the IDE drive with the bios configured to AHCI or IDE? When OS is installed on a drive configured to IDE in bios you cannot go back into bios later and change to AHCI and still boot from that drive. AHCI parameters are included in the Windows registry when the OS is installed in a system where the drive parameters are set to AHCI in bios but are not if they are set to IDE. However, you can boot into Windows in IDE mode and then make changes to the Windows Registry that will enable you to boot in AHCI mode. Not sure if this is the issue here but something to think about.

 

[Cigarsmoker]

Check the manual for your MB. Some MB are finicky about which port is used for AHCI and SSD.

 

[jimlau]

Was the OS originally installed on the IDE drive with the bios configured to AHCI or IDE? When OS is installed on a drive configured to IDE in bios you cannot go back into bios later and change to AHCI and still boot from that drive. AHCI parameters are included in the Windows registry when the OS is installed in a system where the drive parameters are set to AHCI in bios but are not if they are set to IDE. However, you can boot into Windows in IDE mode and then make changes to the Windows Registry that will enable you to boot in AHCI mode. Not sure if this is the issue here but something to think about.

yes, the OS was installed on the IDE drive with all bios settings to IDE. i am simply adding a secondary SSD to hold data. i still want to run the OS drive in IDE mode, i just want to set-up the new drive in AHCI.

don't know how to tinker with the registry.

does this mean i have to re-install windows on my IDE main drive?

i actually plan to replace my HDD with the OS with another SSD drive, leaving me with 2 SSD drives. i will still have the IDE DVD drive tho. during a clean W7 install, are the settings made in BIOS for each SATA port before the install, or is there a step in the W7 install that lets me select both IDE and AHCI?

thanks.

 

[trents]

No, you don't have to reinstall Windows. Here's an article on how to edit the registry to be able to boot in AHCI mode when the original install was done with the drive in IDE mode:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...-enabled/1ed33ae9-b2ff-4d1f-b28c-406153e04faa

It's real easy. I've done it several times. And you really should be running both drives in AHCI mode because it gives better performance.

 

[jimlau]

will check it out. thanks.

i didn't think i could run the HDD in AHCI but only in IDE. that only the SSD could be. no?

 

[trents]

IDE HDDs have been AHCI capable for many years. Google the model number and check the specs.

 

[jimlau]

i tried to see if my hard drive is AHCI capable, but having a hard time doing so. i wonder if that means no.

i also tried to change the registry, but that did not work.

any other ideas?

thanks.

 

[trents]

After you changed the registry did you reboot and go back into bios to change the HDD configuration from IDE to AHCI for that drive?

 

[jimlau]

yep; the registry was actually already set to zero. i tried changing the ports the drives are plugged into, to no effect. the drives become unliswted in the sata port page, and in the boot page, the drives are both listed as IDE, even tho set in BIOS to AHCI.

 

[jimlau]

i wonder if when i first loaded the system, whether the ASUS drivers for AHCI are automatically installed, or if i have to go back and modify? is it safe to install motherboard drivers after i'm already up and running?

 

[trents]

Yes, that's safe. But first you would have to disable the existing ones in Control Panel System Hardware. Don't reboot before trying to install the new ones or it will just find the old ones again.

 

[jimlau]

no luck with re-installing ASUS software. the computer assembler told me that in BIOS, there is no need to set any SATA drives to AHCI. seems wrong?

the other suggestion is to clean install W7 again, not in IDE mode, but AHCI mode. bu i don't recall getting that option when i first did it.

any other ideas? this is not going well.

 

[ultimategtr]

no luck with re-installing ASUS software. the computer assembler told me that in BIOS, there is no need to set any SATA drives to AHCI. seems wrong?

the other suggestion is to clean install W7 again, not in IDE mode, but AHCI mode. bu i don't recall getting that option when i first did it.

any other ideas? this is not going well.

Hey buddy, I have the same mobo.

If I read right - You're trying to setup your SSD with an OS in AHCI, but it already had it installed in IDE Mode?

If so, then that link that someone posted above will work. I had the same issue. Just a reg key change and i was able to set my SSD to AHCI and boot in W7.. and it was MUCH MUCH faster. My windows score for HDD went up from 5.9 to 7.6 just by doing that.

 

[jimlau]

i did change the reg key but not much help. does your BIOS show the SSD in the first BIOS page? mine doesn't.

anyway, i just re-installed a clean windows 7, and nothing has changed. disappointing speed.

by 1 test (crystal..something), the read test goes from 150MB/s read if i set the SSD to IDE in BIOS, to 200MB/s when i set the SSD to AHCI. still slow.

my boot time, with no antivirus, is about 20 seconds from the BIOS window on. does that seem fast?

thanks.

 

[boucher91]

thats not bad ..
which drive is the os drive?

 

[ultimategtr]

i did change the reg key but not much help. does your BIOS show the SSD in the first BIOS page? mine doesn't.

anyway, i just re-installed a clean windows 7, and nothing has changed. disappointing speed.

by 1 test (crystal..something), the read test goes from 150MB/s read if i set the SSD to IDE in BIOS, to 200MB/s when i set the SSD to AHCI. still slow.

my boot time, with no antivirus, is about 20 seconds from the BIOS window on. does that seem fast?

thanks.

Umm, I dont think it does, cos I have mine set to AHCI, when I set it to IDE, then it does, I see all the drives in the 1st bios page.

I have my SSD plugged into the first SATA port as well if thats any help.

Boot times good. I think mines around 12-13 secs from the windows logo to be able to use my PC, this is with my AV and other stuff booting. A cold boot takes me around 24-25 secs.

 

[jimlau]

Umm, I dont think it does, cos I have mine set to AHCI, when I set it to IDE, then it does, I see all the drives in the 1st bios page.

I have my SSD plugged into the first SATA port as well if thats any help.

Boot times good. I think mines around 12-13 secs from the windows logo to be able to use my PC, this is with my AV and other stuff booting. A cold boot takes me around 24-25 secs.

do you ever test your SSD speed with a utility, like CrystalZDiskMark or HD Tune? would like to see if my set-up tests anywhere near to yours.

 

[trents]

i did change the reg key but not much help. does your BIOS show the SSD in the first BIOS page? mine doesn't.

anyway, i just re-installed a clean windows 7, and nothing has changed. disappointing speed.

by 1 test (crystal..something), the read test goes from 150MB/s read if i set the SSD to IDE in BIOS, to 200MB/s when i set the SSD to AHCI. still slow.

my boot time, with no antivirus, is about 20 seconds from the BIOS window on. does that seem fast?

thanks.

Did you reset the bios parameter to AHCI before you did the fresh install?

 

[jimlau]

yes, i set it to AHCI before W 7 install.

Umm, I dont think it does, cos I have mine set to AHCI, when I set it to IDE, then it does, I see all the drives in the 1st bios page.

I have my SSD plugged into the first SATA port as well if thats any help.

Boot times good. I think mines around 12-13 secs from the windows logo to be able to use my PC, this is with my AV and other stuff booting. A cold boot takes me around 24-25 secs.

when u look in Bios, under thr Boot page, does it list your SSD drive as IDE?

here are test results for my HDD (which is pretty full);



and for my SSD:



too similar?