windows XP - AHCI mode in bios

[burgemaster]

Hi,

Can anyone please advise, we have some pretty new machines with SSD hdd that need sp3 xp imaged onto them. A fresh install gives a blue screen, but I've found that disabling AHCI mode in the BIOS allows it to install.

The hard drive in the bios now shows as an IDE drive instead of a SATA?

Is the performance taking a hit in this mode?

Do I need to maybe load some controller drivers etc?

Thanks in advance

[SYNACK]

Yes, this will be both limiting the performance and possibly lowering the lifespan of the drives thanks to an emulated mode. Running XP which has no TRIM support will also not help any with their longevity, reliablity or speed.

 

XP needed a disk drive to put textmode storage drivers in with a standard CD, you can integrate the drivers manually or just use nLight to integrate the drivers onto a new CD to get as much performance as you'll manage out of XP and life out of the drives.

 

In all seriousness, if you are using SSDs look at Windows 7 as it actually supports them fully rather than a half solution lible to cause problems as time goes on without extra matinence (low level wipes and reinstalls every six months to deal with dirtied clusters.

[burgemaster]

Yes, this will be both limiting the performance and possibly lowering the lifespan of the drives thanks to an emulated mode. Running XP which has no TRIM support will also not help any with their longevity, reliablity or speed.

 

XP needed a disk drive to put textmode storage drivers in with a standard CD, you can integrate the drivers manually or just use nLight to integrate the drivers onto a new CD to get as much performance as you'll manage out of XP and life out of the drives.

 

In all seriousness, if you are using SSDs look at Windows 7 as it actually supports them fully rather than a half solution lible to cause problems as time goes on without extra matinence (low level wipes and reinstalls every six months to deal with dirtied clusters.

 

Great reply! Thank for this.

Unfortunately XP is the only option for right now.

 

So can I now add the drivers with AHCI disabled and then create a new image? Then switch ahci back on?

Or do I need to install from scratch?

Could I add them to a WIM?

 

Thanks for this

[SYNACK]

Not sure about the install then switch method, I think it is possible but probably quite complex. Windows stores its boot storage adapter drivers in the registry and to install the hardware into the appropriate databases and activate it in the right way the hardware needs to be present which it is not if it is switched to emulation mode. You may be able to install the drivers with an installer then sysprep it which will kick it back to generic drivers which should boot under native then apply the right ones.

 

Not sure about its WIM compatibility, I have never used offline servicing on an XP WIM as we started playing with WIM with Vista then 7.

 

The best course would probably be a fresh install with the drivers integrated to the CD and AHCI switched on. I'd also check for any additional matinence software from the SSD vendors that may be able to trigger TRIM operations or anything simmilar which may help with performance long term. I think that most of those apps dried up though due to the reduced usage of XP.

[SYNACK]

Here is a good guide:

Installing Windows XP With F6 AHCI/RAID Drivers From USB Only - FlashBoot and EBCD Articles

 

Actually, a little extra looking found this:

Change XP from IDE to AHCI mode post install [Archive] - Overclockaholics Forums

Looks like depending on the driver it may be possible to just change it over thanks to the way XP handles mass storage driver installs. I feel silly for not having thought of it before.

 

Right clock my computer

Select manage

Open Device manager

Open IDE/ATA

ATAPI Controllers

Right click the storage device you want to switch to AHCI

mode

Select update driver, do not search and have disk.

Browse to your

extracted drivers click the one you want (AHCI) and ok

 

For Z68 (and

probably P67 now to) the new Intel drivers changed the name to

"Intel

Desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA AHCI

controller"

 

 

Restart changing BIOS to AHCI mode and reboot. new device

will be found. XP will install driver automatically and require another restart

(ahhh remember the good ole XP days, restarting every time you installed

something *sigh)

 

For once XP's archaic behaviour has a benifit

[sted]

you should also be able to inject the sata drivers if you use mdt but ssd and xp are supposed to be a good way of killing the ssd prematurely

[burgemaster]

Thanks for advice. Rebuilt the image from scratch and used F6 to add the ahci drivers... all good

Tried to replace the old drivers with various methods without success so just rebuilt the image.

Thanks again.

[mac_shinobi]

When you say AHCI Drivers which ones are you referring to ?

 

I only ask as on the Lenovo downloads page I think you get either the intel matrix storage manager which have some files like the ones mentioned or you get the chipset drivers ??

 

Lenovo website --> Click on Support --> Click on Drivers & Downloads link on left top corner --> enter model number ( in my case 7514A87 ) and then what ??

Edited August 7, 2012 by mac_shinobi

[burgemaster]

When you say AHCI Drivers which ones are you referring to ?

 

I only ask as on the Lenovo downloads page I think you get either the intel matrix storage manager which have some files like the ones mentioned or you get the chipset drivers ??

 

Followed the guide from their site:

 

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.lenovo.com%2Fibmdl%2Fpub%2Fpc%2Fpccbbs%2Fthinkcentre_drivers%2Finstalling_retail_windowsxp.pdf&ei=lNcgUKDYJsn80QWx4YEo&usg=AFQjCNEKV5S9j5LTUvEBggZGZ1k1HazVUg

[mac_shinobi]

Followed the guide from their site:

 

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.lenovo.com%2Fibmdl%2Fpub%2Fpc%2Fpccbbs%2Fthinkcentre_drivers%2Finstalling_retail_windowsxp.pdf&ei=lNcgUKDYJsn80QWx4YEo&usg=AFQjCNEKV5S9j5LTUvEBggZGZ1k1HazVUg

Once I quoted your comment it gave me the correct link, doh

 

which gave me this :

 

http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/thinkcentre_drivers/installing_retail_windowsxp.pdf