M1330: Got AHCI working under WinXP... no slipstream CD, no floppy drive.

[kent1146]

I got AHCI enabled under WinXP!!

• Installed WinXP in ATA mode (not AHCI)
• Did not want to slipstream a WinXP CD
• Did not want to bother with F6 / floppy drive - I don't own an external floppy drive
• Attempting to switch HDD from ATA mode to AHCI mode after WinXP install would result in BSOD

Here's how:
1) Download the Intel Matrix Storage Manager here:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Prod...=2101&lang=eng

2) Once you download the file, run it with a -a switch:
iata76_enu.exe -a
This will NOT install the Matrix Storage Manager. What this will do is run the installer, and ONLY EXTRACT the files to C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager. Again, this does NOT install anything.

3) Your drivers are now located in C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager. They will be found in either \Driver, or \Driver64, depending on whether you're running a 32-bit or 64-bit OS.

4) Go to Device Manager --> IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Double-click on the Intel ICH8M 3-port SATA Controller - 2828... remember, *ONLY* click on the device that ends with 2828.

5) Go to Driver tab, and choose to Update Driver.

6) Tell the Wizard prompts:
- No, not this time
- Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)
- Don't Search. I will choose the driver to install.
- Click the "Have Disk" button. Point it to C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\Driver (or Driver64).
- The driver you want to install for WinXP 32-bit for the Dell XPS M1330 is Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller
- After you install the driver and click OK out of every menu, reboot the laptop.

7) During reboot, go into BIOS and turn on AHCI mode and Flash Module

8) Voila! WinXP will boot up with no BSOD!

[deadsimple]

Originally Posted by kent1146

[*]Installed WinXP in ATA mode (not AHCI)

From my understanding there are some AHCI features that you are unable to access nor enable if you didn't install XP with AHCI drivers from the beginning, regardless of whether you manage to get AHCI going post-install.

Let me know if you're able to turn NCQ on in Device Manager or the Intel Storage Matrix program, after using your method.

[kent1146]

The method above will PROBABLY work for enabling AHCI on other Intel-based laptops. I used a lot of trial-and-error to get this working, which is probably the only way to see if it will work for another laptop model.

You can use this as a guide:
[scsi]
iaAHCI_ICH9R = "Intel(R) ICH9 SATA AHCIController (Desktop ICH9R)"
iaStor_ICH8M = "Intel(R) 82801HEM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)"
iaAHCI_ICH8M = "Intel(R) 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M)"
iaStor_ICH8R = "Intel(R) ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller"
iaAHCI_ICH8R = "Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
iaStor_ESB2 = "Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
iaAHCI_ESB2 = "Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
iaStor_ICH7MDH = "Intel(R) 82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH7MDH)"
iaStor_ICH7DH = "Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
iaAHCI_ICH7R = "Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
iaAHCI_ICH7M = "Intel(R) 82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M/DH)"
iaAHCI_ICH6M = "Intel(R) 82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH6M)"

But do this at your own risk. You could end up BSOD-looping yourself. If that happens, your only options are to reinstall, restore off of a disk image (you DO make those, right?), or to pray that the "Last Known Good Configuration" boot option caught a snapshot before you decided to mess with drivers.

[John Ratsey]

Excellent. I will be giving this a try soon. I hope the same procedure works with Vista as well.

I had hit the problem of needing to enable AHCI on my Zepto 6024W in order to get Turbo Memory to run. I had pushed this to one side pending reinstallation.

First I'll be cloning the HDD, but not for a few days.

John

[DoubleBlack]

It's much easier to just load the drivers during installation <_<

[mbruno222]

Without a floppy drive, it's much more difficult to load them during installation...

[Mimino]

is enabling ahci will do any good?

[sleey0]

Umm, you don't have to use the -a switch. Just install the driver in XP, reboot, go into BIOS and set AHCI.

That's it

[mbruno222]

Originally Posted by sleey0

Umm, you don't have to use the -a switch. Just install the driver in XP, reboot, go into BIOS and set AHCI.

That's it

That didn't work for me because the installer can't find the correct hardware, since the BIOS isn't revealing it to the OS.

[John Ratsey]

I finally got round to trying this method on my Zepto 6024W.

It works fine with basically the same for both Vista and XP.

Thanks for figuring this out.

John