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

Neither would I but Kelly has expressed a desire to avoid re-installing Windows using F6 to load SATA drivers.

Regardless, that may not be an option. I don't base my suggestions/recommendations/instructions on what the OP does and does not want when it involves a potential for compounded issues. Too many things can and does go wrong with repair install. Most notably activation issues, bsods', loss of personal data. The list goes on. In any event, my comment was not aimed at your suggestion. It was specifically addressed to the OP and intended to discourage a repair install.

Don't assume that because I suggested slipstreaming with SP3 Kelly is on SP2.

Where did I assume? I asked the OP what sp he/she was running. Asking a question is not equivalent to assuming. In fact, it is the complete opposite.

rarely would I perform or suggest anyone else perform a repair install, aka dirty install.

Neither would I but Kelly has expressed a desire to avoid re-installing Windows using F6 to load SATA drivers.

Don't assume that because I suggested slipstreaming with SP3 Kelly is on SP2. For all we know Kelly could be Gold, SP1, SP1a, SP2 or SP3. Though in my experience, the SP level would not interfere with driver installation.

I do not believe performing a repair install will install the sata drivers. I cannot say for certain though. Regardless, rarely would I perform or suggest anyone else perform a repair install, aka dirty install. I would perform a clean install slipstreaming both sp3 and the sata drivers into the Windows disc and installing with AHCI enabled.

I would recommend you first download and install the AMD chipset for Windows Xp from HERE. I am of the opinion your issue is the result of using a driver package which is not compatible with Xp.

Edit: Are you still running sp2 or have you updated to sp3?

Good luck for later. The drivers in that folder have AHCI in their names so they may install.

Because Windows XP was designed to provide the F6 option for non-embedded drivers, it was not encumbent upon hardware manufacturers to do anything other than provide a means of installing drivers by this mechanism, so you may not be correct in your assertion...

there must be a fix for this problem

It is not even encumbent upon anyone to work out what a possible solution/workaround might be.

I have researched manual installation of drivers and I found these...

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itproinstall/thread/a7f77561-9fda-4cc5-ad45-edaf77484ae7

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=11729

...though at a glance I suspect that at least parts of one may have been cribbed from the other.

Another possibility would be to slipstream a Windows installation CD using, for example, nLite, with AHCI drivers (and maybe SP3 too if the original CD was pre SP3), then use this CD to do a repair installation of Windows. Never having done this I am unsure it will do the job, but maybe someone else watching/viewing this might know.

I'm out of ideas now.

Tricky

 

Thanks again, Tricky!

I will be trying these tips out later!  There seems to be some very interesting ones there! Yes, a slipstreamed CD probably is in order anyway. XP was installed from my Win XP SP2 CD

Regards,

Kelly

Did you run the reg file I posted in my previous link

Hi Taupo,

Not yet I'm at work) . See my reply to your previous post. Can I run it even though there is no msahci entry in the registry? only the pcide?  searching thourgh the system 32/drivers directories I don't see any of the amd ahci drivers there. It would appear to me (and I will admit to limmited knowlledge of these matters) that when I have run the driver install fires from amd and ASRock that these won't install, because Win XP sees that windows is running in IDE mode -- so no registry entry either. Tricky has given me some interesting links that may apply -- so I will be doing more work on this when I get home to my computer.

Regards,

Kelly