How do I change Windows XP to use AHCI disk mode rather than IDE mode for Dual boot?

Anonymous
2012-11-24T16:14:09+00:00

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

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-26T03:43:35+00:00

    Tricky,

    Sorry! Yes I have indeed installed the supplied all in one chipset drivers from ASRock and again with the latest drivers directly from AMD for this chipset and upon booting after changing the bios from IDE mode to Ahci mode I get a brief blue screen and then a reboot.  I always install the chip drivers right after installing the operating system.  As far as the driver update goes, I am just trying all the many things people are recommending. What you say makes perfect sense to me though and is exactly what I would have expected. It would seem to be quite likely that I will never be able to fix this, after the fact, after bungling the install using the Mobo's default bios setting of ide mode. I appreeciate all the suggestions. Thanks again!

    Regards,

    Kelly

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-11-25T22:11:03+00:00

    Thank you, Taupo! I know all that. Yes I'm using Easybcd.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-11-25T22:09:29+00:00

    Thanks, Tricky!

    Yes I've seen those answers and threads. I've found many of them on my own. Most of them apply to Intel based computers, not AMD. My chipset is the RD990 and SB950.

    I feel like I'm in a Ketch 22, going around and around!  I have to keep repeating what I've posted before! :-)

    The first of the three devices ( **standard dual chanel PCI IDE controllers)**under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers is for my SSD, and all three will give me "The specified location does not contain info aobut your hardware" using the driver from the ASRock driver floppy containing the driver ahcix86.inf which should be the correct driver (it works for installing using F6).

    Many of the posts I've found using intel boards show a sata controller in the device manager, and in one of them they are creative a new dual channel controller for which they update the driver to the ahci one. This AMD board does not have that, so I'm stuck. Probably will just do a new install as I'm not having any luck. A bit frustrated with AMD passing the buck. Its their hardware and drivers that don't seem to work with Microsoft' OS. Or I'm dong something wrong with is very possible! :-)

    Regards,

    Kelly

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  5. Anonymous
    2012-11-25T20:33:52+00:00

    You'll have to do something like this first, otherwise it'll crash if you enable AHCI in the BIOS

    I dont know if the fixit will do it, since it doesnt list XP

    Changing XP to AHCI wont  let you dual boot. Unless you installed XP and Win8 the right way

    Probably be easier if you use something like Easybcd.

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