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

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

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-25T23:44:34+00:00

    Hi,

    None of what you say leads me to believe that you have tried my suggestion of running the executable that installs the AHCI drivers (the download executable I suggested is called drvSetup.exe). This suggestion is not chipset dependant. Download from

    http://www.asrock.com/MB/overview.asp?cat=Download&os=XP&Model=990FX Extreme4

    There is a difference between updating a driver and installing a driver. What I am suggesting that you do is install the AHCI driver (even though the hardware will not be detectable until you change the BIOS settings and reboot).

    Whist the BIOS is set to IDE you will not be able to update a driver for a device that Windows cannot see, but you will hopefully be able to install a driver for a device to be enabled afterwards in BIOS. This is the same technique that some manufacturers document with regard to their PCI cards, which state that you should install the driver before inserting the card into an expansion slot. The BIOS switch from IDE to AHCI is the equivalent if installing a PCI expansion card.

    Tricky

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  3. 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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  5. Anonymous
    2012-11-26T08:37:49+00:00

    Hi Kelly,

    Firstly an apology. I cut and pasted the wrong description for the driver to install in my original post. I have now amended that post but for clarity the driver to download and install is Marvell SATA3 driver ver:1.0.0.1036All\Marvell_SATA31.0.0.1036 from

    http://www.asrock.com/MB/overview.asp?cat=Download&os=XP&Model=990FX Extreme4

    This gives you a zip file called Marvell_SATA3_Win7-64_Win7_Vista64_Vista_XP64_XP(1.0.0.1036). therein you should find/extract/execute drvSetup.exe.

    I do not believe that this driver will be part of the AMD all in 1 drivers.

    Tricky

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