Changing from RAID to AHCI

Anonymous
2010-10-28T12:24:52+00:00

Hi,

on my Dell E6510 I have my disk drive set to RAID mode. I have issues using the eSata port so I want to switch to AHCI. I followed the instructions here:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976. However when I boot my system after setting the disk mode to AHCI in the BIOS I see the Windows logo (using Win7 x64) and some seconds later I get a bluescreen with a message I can't read because the system is rebooting. Changing the BIOS back to RAID brings up the system again...

Anything I can do to make AHCI working?

Thanks,

Thomas Pagel

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2010-11-03T18:05:23+00:00

Hi Thomas,

Thank you for your post.

I believe I have the solution to your problem and I verified it against a Dell machine that has similar controller with your machine. Changing from AHCI to RAID,http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976 fix will work.  

Changing from RAID to AHCI, you need one more step. Msahci driver requires Atapi.sys miniport to be loaded during boot as well. So you need to change theStart value to 0 for both of the following entries in your registry. You can use regedit.exe utility. 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\msahci

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi

Or you can also simply run the below command lines in an elevated window.

REG ADD HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\msahci /v Start /d 0 /f /t REG_DWORDREG ADD HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi /v Start /d 0 /f /t REG_DWORD

Regards

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-10-28T17:29:32+00:00

    So how come you say it is configured in raid mode? and if raid is configured is the configeration JBOD?

    When you boot the PC do you see any option to enter/start the raid configeration utility?

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-10-28T17:59:07+00:00

    I can simply change the SATA Mode from AHCI to RAID and back... If RAID is enabled I get another screen while booting where I can press Ctrl-I to define new RAID sets...

    It's the intel controler Dell puts on the board...

    Thomas Pagel

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-10-28T18:44:00+00:00

    Usually if raid config is selected, and depending on the raid controler, the drives may have to be set as JBOD under that controler.

    I havent looked at the specs of your Dell, are you able to easily remove one of the drives, without opening the case? and if so, if you then set the BIOS to ahci, and disable raid, does the system boot?

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-10-28T18:48:23+00:00

    I added the second drive later, it's completely different and even removable... So it's not JBOD...

    The funny thing is that the systems starts to boot... I see the Windows start screen, it's loading some drivers and then it stops... As I said in my initial post I just can't read the message of the blue screen... It's at that moment when you usually wait a second and then see the mouse pointer...

    Thomas Pagel

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