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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
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Sorry about the silence. I've been busy -- re-installing everything.
I guess my final idea came too late then? Shame, I thought it stood an excellent chance.
I wouldn't use Windows Update for any drivers unless I had to. Like Taupo Tech says, they can (and do) screw things up. The best place for drivers is the manufacturer's website.
Tricky
Windows drivers are generic drivers. It doesnt matter WHAT (version of Windows is installed, or WHAT the device is).
They're limited in what they can do.
It's like printer drivers. Windows 8 may have some of the latest printer drivers already. It doesn't mean everything on the printer (like printing / scanning) is going to work with them
Which can be a bugger if the manufacturer's site doesn't have Win8 drivers. Even tho some sites say Windows 8 has built in printer drivers
You maybe stuffed, if you want to use all of the printer's functions. You may have to buy a new printer, that's got Windows 8 drivers on the site
So, yup if it's an AMD/ATI card, its better if you get them from whatever site. I wouldn't rely on the WIndows drivers.
The only driver I've downloaded from Windows update is the ACPI one, thats about it And the mouse / keyboard. Which haven't affected anything. Anything else, I would go to the manufacturer's site.
I wouldn;'t rely on Window update for ALL drivers. They can stuff things up
If you wanted to change the resolution, you would install the videocard drivers not the monitor drivers??
Well, I've never seen any options in monitor drivers that let you change the resolution.
Correct! However, Win 8 says it has the latest driver for my display adapter! I have downloaded the latest drivers from AMD for my graphics card and will try intalling them. I'm now a little worried about updating Win 8 drivers. I think I killed my first install of Win 8 with a driver. It was a recommended update from MS through a Windows update notification for one of my printers (not one that I downloaded from the manufacturer). I'm now very gun-shy about updating Windows 8 drivers. The OS is still very new -- can't say I really trust it yet, especially after the printer driver related crash!
So if Win 8 says my graphics device driver is the latest, and I can't set the correct refresh rate and resolution, what gives? I think Windows has to have the correct driver and info about the display. On CRT displays, you can kill the monitor with a refresh rate that is too high!
If you want to install another OS after installing XP, (if it's on another hdd, you SHOULD leave the XP hdd connected / dont disconnect it).
Otherwise thats what will happen. You wont get a boot menu with the option to select either OS
The 2nd OS you install (it doesnt matter if its Vista, Win 7 or WIn8 - if you leave the XP hdd connected) it SHOULD pick up the XP install. And add its boot info to the 2nd OS's boot.ini file. Then you SHOULD have the option of booting into either OS
I
Thanks, Taupo,
Yep, that's what I did the second time around, and dual booting is working as it should, without EasyBCD! Thanks again. Going to be a long time before Windows 8 is my main OS though! Too many compatibility issues with my currant hardware pariferrals and software. Also will take me a while to learn, and adjust to the new OS and GUI. Huge difference coming from XP! I've set the Start screen to my secondary monitor and desktop to my main monitor. I like that Win 8 supports dual monitors, but don't like the (lack of) easy customization. I've installed Display Fusion, a program I'd already learned to like installed in XP. Once I get the drivers correct for my two monitors I am hoping I can run separate calibration profiles on each monitor. Can't do that in XP, but I was told that Win 7/8 can. Hope that is correct. Win 8 64 bit is for sure quicker than my XP 32 bit install!
Regards,
Kelly
If you wanted to change the resolution, you would install the videocard drivers not the monitor drivers??
Well, I've never seen any options in monitor drivers that let you change the resolution.
