Where in the BIOS change ahci. What is AHCI mode of SATA controller
If you contact system administrator and ask the question, what is the most weak link on the computer? - you will receive the answer that it is the HDD, because it is practically the only mechanical element of the system that slows down the operation of the entire computer. In this regard, many manufacturers were looking for a way out, at least some opportunity to speed it up, also with SSDs. The output became visible when using AHCI.
Mode AHCI drive includes several main differences (there are 3 of them), which make it a priority in the use of all disk drives, except for legacy IDEs. The main features of the mode:
- Hot Plug – allows you to “hot” change computer components (disks). Thus, there is no need to turn off and unplug the PC; you can change the HDD and SSD directly in operating mode. This is important for server stations where disconnecting is unacceptable and is simply convenient for anyone who uses multiple disks;
- NCQ – support for “deep” command sequence, that is, it is able to configure a more efficient trajectory of the head in mechanical ones and significantly increases the output in SSDs;
- TRIM is primarily applicable to SSDs, as it guarantees a significant increase in speed.
AHCI mode allows you to enjoy all of these benefits and most likely you have the opportunity to enable it. If you use an SSD, then you probably need to turn it on to see the proper speed of its operation, applicable to both SATA II and SATA III, except for outdated ones IDE drives. Therefore, if you are in doubt about which mode to choose: ide or AHCI, the latter is definitely an advantage.
How to check if AHCI mode is enabled?
The first thing you need to do is find out whether it is worth pursuing further switching; perhaps it is already active for you. There are several places that show necessary information: Device Manager and BIOS.
- Click Start, right click on “Computer” and click on “Properties”;
- Now select "Device Manager";
- Next, expand the “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers” section;
- Check to see if there is a section called AHCI.
If there is no such item, you may find out that it is inactive. We will also consider another option through the BIOS (UEFI):
- Go to the BIOS by pressing Del or F2 (possibly other keys) when starting the computer;
- You should go to the section called SATA or Storage in different options until you find it SATA Mode/Configuration, where the mode will be shown.
At this stage, do not change the connection mode, as this may result in system errors. It is best to enable AHCI mode in the BIOS and install by new Windows, which guarantees normal mode processing, but this is quite radical.
How to enable AHCI mode in Windows 7?
The most relevant and widespread system in which we will perform actions. It should also be noted that if you install new disk, then you can freely switch the AHCI mode without any consequences. There are also several options for activating AHCI: through the registry and through a utility. A more correct option would be to use the registry to prepare the system for further changes; the latter method will simply help solve pending errors in the computer.
- Press Win + R and type regedit;
- Follow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci;
- Replace the value of the Start option with 0;
- Here you will find the lastorV section;
- Also replace Start with 0.
Now you can enable AHCI mode in the BIOS and Windows will correctly detect it by installing the necessary drivers. Alternative way involves initially changing the mode and then simply clearing the error. To do this, use the official Microsoft utility Fix it. After installation, run a check and the failures will be eliminated; you may need to run from safe mode.
How to enable AHCI mode in Windows 10?
IN general action are not significantly different, let's look at the differences in editing the registry.
- In the same section as in Windows 7, you need to change the Start parameters in the iaStorV and storahci folders to the value 0;
- Expand each of the specified sections and go to the StartOverride subsections, where parameter 0 is set to 0.
We managed to turn on the mode AHCI Windows, but it is worth noting that it is better to make the first launch in safe mode in order to avoid unnecessary problems. During initial startup, the AHCI operating mode will be set to necessary drivers automatically.
It is necessary to make a reservation about distinctive features, how to enable AHCI mode in Windows XP and other legacy versions.
Despite the fact that XP does not support this mode at all, there are drivers that expand these capabilities, although this is unsafe.
You should also think about whether it is worth it, because if the computer is very weak for more modern systems, then the speed increase will be insignificant. Also, the AHCI controller mode in Vista is activated in the same way as the “seven”.
So, mode AHCI sata It’s easy to turn on, and the system will reward you for your efforts with an increase in speed. Usually there are no problems with changing the controller, but if you encounter them, just run the utility Microsoft Fix it. AHCI is required for use when using SSD disk, otherwise you will not use its full speed.
If you still have questions on the topic “What is AHCI mode and how to configure it?”, you can ask them in the comments
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Where was it mentioned that for her normal operation AHCI mode is required. This mode unleashes the full capabilities of storage devices, which greatly improves performance. We are talking about memory storage devices - SSD, HDD. Next, you will find out what AHCI is, let’s check whether it is enabled, and if not, then enable it.
What is AHCI?
Previously, computers had the so-called PATA interface, to which all storage devices were connected, but its days have passed and it has been replaced by SATA interface, which will be discussed now.
SATA has two operating modes:
IDE(Integrated Development Environment) – this mode needed to create compatibility with outdated devices, which are still connected via the PATA interface, which can be said that the SATA interface with IDE mode is almost the same as PATA.
AHCI(Advanced Host Controller Interface) is a SATA mode that reveals all the capabilities of memory drives. It has several interesting features: hot plugging and hot plugging hard drives, that is, you can do this while the computer is turned on. Another possibility is NCQ technology, which reduces the number of read head movements of hard drives and also improves drive performance.
Using this mode will have a positive effect, in practice it is not that noticeable, to be honest, but still, there is something, so I would recommend turning on this mode if it is turned off, especially since there is nothing complicated about it.
Does your computer have AHCI mode?
There are two ways to find out if there is an AHCI mode on a PC or laptop; if you have it quite new, then most likely you have it.
First method : We have to go to Device Manager where you expand the tab IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, or something similar, and if the controller name contains the word AHCI, then this mode is used.
Second method : The presence and use of AHCI mode can be viewed and. There you should find SATA mode, or something similar and check what is there, if AHCI, then you can rest assured.
I would like to remind you that instead of the AHCI item there may be IDE, but you should not immediately switch this mode, below you will find out why.
How to enable AHCI mode in the operating system?
AHCI is enabled through the BIOS. Most likely, you have motherboard There are SATA interfaces, but you cannot activate the AHCI function in the BIOS. Most likely the problem is in the BIOS firmware, and it needs to be updated, but this should not be done without special knowledge.
If you have modern versions Windows, then you already have the AHCI driver installed, it is required. It's built in from Windows Vista. In this case, you can activate AHCI without any problems.
What can we say about Windows XP? At that time, there was no AHCI mode yet, and the SATA interface was just being developed. But the necessary driver can be found on the Internet and used in Windows XP.
That's all, I told you about the features of the AHCI mode, now you know how to check for its presence and how to enable it.
Competent operation of a computer becomes possible in cases where the operating system and hardware interact harmoniously. Technologies are developing, especially in the storage category. Modern SSD drives and hard drives differ in that they work faster versions, used 5 – 10 years ago.
Data transfer is carried out using the SATA interface, it is through it that the computer is connected to the drive. It is noted that the SATA interface can operate in two modes: AHCI and IDE. If used in computer SSD or modern hard drive, then AHCI mode can significantly speed up the computer. You can find out about ahci in this article.
AHCI as a parameter is one of the modes for transmitting information via the SATA interface. Through this interface It is possible to transfer data at speeds from 1.5 to 6 Gb/s. It is in AHCI mode that maximum speeds are supported, which will be relevant for working with modern drives. If you look at the IDE mode, the SATA interface supports it only for compatibility with older types of hard drives.
In the default settings of the Windows system, AHCI mode is not always enabled, even if the drives are connected via SATA to system board. This significantly reduces the performance of the computer, since the disk speed indicators are limited by software. If you install ahci mode, the speed of the drive can be increased from 20 to 30%. This will become evident from the general sensations from the operation of the computer you are using.
How to determine if AHCI mode is enabled
Often, users do not even know that they need to enable AHCI mode to improve computer performance. Windows by default does not always enable AHCI mode for working with SSDs and HDDs. To check whether AHCI mode is enabled in Windows, you need to perform the following operation:
- Right-click on “Start”. Then a drop-down menu appears where you need to select “Device Manager”.
- Then a list opens with “IDE/ATAPI Controllers” devices.
- Review the list of devices in detail. If there is no ahci mode in the name, then most likely it is disabled in the system.
Another version, according to which there are no devices using AHCI mode in the list, is due to the fact that old-style drives that are not capable of working with the new mode are connected to the motherboard.
There is also a way to check in which mode the SATA interface operates using the BIOS. To do this, you need to restart the computer, and while loading, press “F2” or “Del”. This will launch the BIOS, where you need to go to the SATA Mode menu and find out whether the option is IDE or AHCI.
If you saw in BIOS menu If the SATA interface is connected to work in IDE mode, then you should not switch to AHCI mode. It won't do any good.
Enabling AHCI mode in Windows
In Windows operating systems, support for AHCI mode began with Windows 7. It can also be enabled in Windows XP, but this requires the ahci driver, which is available on the Internet. This driver was created by enthusiasts. This method will not increase performance, so when working with Windows XP it is better to abandon the use of AHCI mode and continue working with drives using a standard IDE.
Enabling ahci mode involves work where you need to set the appropriate settings for SATA in the BIOS. The operation is carried out before installing the operating system, otherwise the computer will display error 0x0000007BINACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE when booting or will be constantly rebooted. To switch from ide to ahci mode on a Windows computer, you need to make certain changes in the registry. Let's look at the steps that need to be performed for individual versions of operating systems.
Enabling AHCI mode in Windows 10
If you are interested in how to enable ahci mode in Windows 10, then it is worth knowing that Microsoft does not offer a setting that allows you to enable support for AHCI mode on the fly if SATA previously worked with IDE. To correctly switch to AHCI mode, you must perform the following steps:
- The Registry Editor starts. To do this, press the “R+Windows” keys on the keyboard. In the window that appears, you need to enter the regedit command.
- Then you need to follow this path in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStorV.
- In the folder that opens, select Start by double click left mouse button. In the "Values" menu you need to set it to 0, and then click "OK".
- Then you need to set the Start indicator to 0 in the path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\storahci
- The value 0 for 0 parameters is set in the following sections:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\storahci\StartOverride
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStorV\StartOverride
- When all the required parameters are set, you need to restart the computer to enter the registry. It sets AHCI mode to ensure work with the SATA interface.
When the operating system boots Windows system, you will be prompted to install the drivers required to work with AHCI mode.
Enabling AHCI mode in Windows 8 and 8.1
To enable AHCI mode in Windows 8 and 8.1, you need to perform some operations in command line. You need to do the following:
- Run command line as administrator. You need to right-click on “Start” and select the appropriate section.
- Then enter and use the following command at the command line:
bcdedit /set (current) safeboot minimal
- Reboot your computer. During startup, open the BIOS, where you need to switch the mode from IDE to AHCI for the SATA interface.
- Reboot the OS and launch the command line. Entering and using the command:
bcdedit /deletevalue (current) safeboot
- Another restart of the computer.
If the computer uses an Intel CPU, then it is possible to use standard utility from the company. This will allow you to carry out the required actions for switching Windows to work with AHCI mode. This is done like this:
- Download the following files from the official Intel website:
- SetupRST.exe is an executable file that provides configuration.
- f6flpy – driver.
- Then you need to right-click on “Start” and open “Device Manager”. In the list where devices are displayed, select the menu “ Disk devices" Called context menu for a drive where Windows OS is installed. In this menu, select the “Update drivers” option.
- The utility that updates the drivers will start. It selects the “Search and install drivers manually” option. The downloaded f6flpy driver is then installed.
- The computer is rebooted, and AHCI mode needs to be activated in the BIOS.
- At loading Windows, you need to execute the SetupRST file, which configures the computer.
This method is only relevant for versions of computers running on Intel processors. For AMD processors There are currently no such solutions.
Enabling AHCI mode in Windows 7
You can find out how to enable ahci mode in Windows 7. following instructions. The activation method is quite close to the operation with Windows 10. Here it will be necessary to make certain changes in the registry in this way:
- Launch the registry editor using the combination “R+Windows”. Enter the regedit command in the Run menu and click OK.
- Then you need to go to the registry editor along the following path, and Stars is set to 0:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci
- Then the Start parameter, which is located in this folder, is set to 0:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\IastorV
- The computer reboots, and the AHCI mode for the SATA interface is selected in the BIOS.
When the computer boots for the first time, you need to install the entire list of drivers offered by the operating system.
After the computer has entered AHCI mode, errors may occur. They can be eliminated by using free utility"Microsoft Fix it." The program is distinguished by the presence of Russian localization, and it is not difficult to understand.
In most cases, when the above steps are performed, AHCI mode works fine. The system starts working significantly faster. If no results are achieved, then you can reinstall the system when the mode change occurs. It takes time, but the result is guaranteed.
AHCI Video
What is AHCI mode and why should it be enabled? AHCI is a mechanism for working with information storage devices. For example, with hard drives or SSD drives. This mode replaces the more outdated IDE mode. The dawn of this “protocol” came, perhaps, in 2011. At that time prices for SSD drives have become more or less available for home use.
We will not disclose all the technical details about how the AHCI mode works. For a regular user It will be enough to know that with AHCI enabled, the speed of working with the disk and its service life increase. But to experience the beauty of its work, you must have it installed on your computer. SSD drive with SATA 6Gbit interface.
This is where we will finish the story about the details of the operation of the AHCI mode and move on to considering the issue of enabling it in the system.
It’s worth mentioning right away that the connection mode for AHCI drives must be supported by your motherboard. Fortunately today, we can confidently say that almost any motherboard released from 2008 onwards has this capability.
Increase PC speed using AHCI mode
What is the difficulty when switching to AHCI mode? If you are just going to install the operating system, then no problems will arise. You just need to enable this mode in the BIOS of your computer and only then carry out Windows installation. As a rule enable AHCI it is possible through the BIOS in the section on working with storage devices Storage Configuration.
On different models For motherboards, this section may have a different but similar name. For example, SATA Configuration, SATA Mode, etc. The guideline for your search will be the ability to select from a list of the following modes: IDE, AHCI, RAID.
Switching to AHCI without reinstalling the operating system
So, we figured out installing a clean OS, everything is simple! Now let's look at the situation of turning on AHCI for already working Windows . The fact is that when you change modes in the BIOS, the operating system will stop loading with various kinds of errors.
These errors are caused by the lack of the required driver controller hard drive when loading the OS. That is why before changing BIOS settings we will need to prepare the operating system.
To do this, open the Registry Editor through the menu Start > Run > Regedit and we will find the following subsections in it:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\IastorV
In each section you will need to open the parameter Start and replace its value with - 0 .
After making changes, you need to restart the computer, go into the BIOS, enable AHCI mode and save the changes. When the operating system first starts, it will install the new driver and be ready for further work.
As a rule this method is working and suitable for everyone Windows versions starting from version 7 and higher. If you were unable to figure it out with the first method, then you can try to enable AHCI mode a little differently or contact our team for help.
Proper operation of a computer is possible only with coordinated interaction between the hardware and the operating system. Technologies are developing and lately This is most noticeable in the area of storage. Modern hard drives and SSD drives are many times faster than those used in computers 5-10 years ago. For data transfer, the SATA interface is used, through which the drive is connected to the computer. The SATA interface is capable of operating in two modes: IDE and AHCI, and if you have a modern hard drive or SSD installed, you can speed up your computer by enabling AHCI mode.
What is AHCI mode
As noted above, AHCI is one of the data transfer modes over the SATA interface. As you know, through the SATA interface you can transfer information at speeds from 1.5 to 6 Gigabytes per second. Maximum speed is supported specifically in AHCI mode, which should be used with all modern drives. Regarding IDE mode, it is supported in the SATA interface for compatibility with older hard drives.
Default in operating system Windows does not always enable AHCI mode, even if the drives are connected to the motherboard via SATA. Because of this, the user loses in computer performance, since the disk speed is limited by software. By setting the AHCI mode, you can increase the speed of the drive by 20-30%, which will affect the overall experience of the computer.
How to find out if AHCI mode is enabled in Windows
Most often, users do not even suspect that it is necessary to enable AHCI mode in order to improve computer performance. At the same time, Windows by default does not always work with HDDs and SSDs, even the most modern ones, in AHCI mode. To check if AHCI mode is enabled in Windows, you need to do the following:
Please note: Also, the absence of devices operating in AHCI mode in the list may be due to the fact that old drives that are not capable of operating in the new mode are connected to the motherboard.
You can also check whether the SATA interface works in AHCI or IDE mode through the BIOS. To do this, you need to restart the computer and press “Del” or F2 during the boot process. The BIOS will launch, where you will need to find the SATA Mode item and see whether the AHCI or IDE option is installed.
Important: If you notice in the BIOS that the SATA interface is set to work in IDE mode, you do not need to switch to AHCI mode, since this will not do any good.
How to enable AHCI mode in Windows
Microsoft began supporting AHCI mode in Windows operating systems with Windows 7. However, you can enable it in Windows XP if you download the necessary drivers on the Internet, made by enthusiasts, and install them. However, it is worth noting that this method does not always give a performance boost, and on Windows XP it is better to abandon the idea of using AHCI mode and work with drives through a standard IDE.
To enable the AHCI mode itself, just set the appropriate setting for SATA in the BIOS. But this must be done before installing the Windows operating system, otherwise when booting the computer will display error 0x0000007B INACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE or go into the constant reboot. Therefore, to switch IDE mode to AHCI when installed Windows, you need to make some changes to the registry; below we will look at what actions to perform for each version of the operating system.
How to enable AHCI mode in Windows 10
In a modern operating room Windows system 10, Microsoft did not offer a setting that would enable support for AHCI mode on the fly if the SATA interface was previously running via IDE. To correctly switch to AHCI mode, you will need to do the following:
After the computer boots, the Windows operating system will prompt you to install the necessary drivers to work with AHCI mode; be sure to do this.
How to enable AHCI mode in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
To switch the Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 operating system to work with AHCI mode, you need to do some work on the command line. You will need to do the following:
It is worth noting that if the computer runs on an Intel CPU, then you can use the company’s standard utility, which allows you to make the necessary settings for switch Windows to work with AHCI. This is done as follows:
Please note: The above method is only suitable for computers with Intel processors, for AMD such a decision V at the moment No.
How to enable AHCI mode in Windows 7
In the Windows 7 operating system, the method for enabling AHCI mode is close to that used in Windows 10. Here you will also need to make some changes to the registry as follows.