Hard drive operating modes: AHCI vs IDE. Switch from IDE to AHCI without reinstalling Windows

Enable and configure AHCI mode is worth it for every user who wants to improve and expand the capabilities of the computer when working with hard drives SATA and especially SSD.

The mode allows you to increase the speed of your computer due to the increased speed of data access, and to activate it you only need to perform a few simple actions.

Before considering options for enabling the mode, you should first familiarize yourself with its features and operating principle.

What is AHCI

Interface of modern hard drives SATA drives, supporting data transfer rates from 1.5 Gbit/s to 6 Gbit/s, capable of operating in two modes:

AHCI.

The first ensures compatibility with older devices (drives manufactured in 2000).

The speed of even the most powerful disks in this mode is not much different from those of the most outdated models.

More modern regime AHCI allows you to fully enjoy all the benefits of the SATA interface.

For example, by disconnecting and connecting disks to the motherboard on the fly, without turning off the computer, or with the ability to minimally move the disk heads to increase operating speed.

By activating the mode, the user speeds up the launch of files, reading and writing information on disks and increases the overall performance of the computer.

And, although the increase may not be so significant (within 20%), for some tasks such an improvement may be important.

If you have SSD drives with the SATA form factor, this option is the only option for efficient work devices.

IMPORTANT: Should you enable AHCI on an SSD?

When using AHCI mode on an SSD, you will only get results if you have a SATA II/III interface; in other cases there will be no improvement in performance.

How to check if the mode is enabled

If you are going to enable AHCI mode, make sure that it is not already used on the computer.

Unless you're running high-performance applications and have a powerful processor and plenty of memory, you may simply not notice which mode you're in.

You can check whether AHCI is enabled or not enabled in this way:

First, go to the computer properties (Start menu, Computer item, Properties sub-item context menu);
Open device manager;
Open the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers section;
If there is a device here that has AHCI in its name, the mode works. If such a disk is not in the list (and you do not have an outdated IDE hard drive, but a more modern one), you will have to enable the mode yourself.

Second way to check AHCI work– reboot the computer and go to BIOS menu(using one of the available options - it differs slightly for different motherboards and laptops, although most often it involves pressing the function keys - from Esc to F12).

How to enable AHCI mode

Enabling this mode on your computer can be done directly from the BIOS.

At the same time, if you have Windows 7, after trying to boot the system, a message like 0x0000007B INACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE will most likely appear on the screen, indicating the impossibility of working with the disk.

Sometimes the same situation occurs with Windows 8 and 10, but the likelihood of a message appearing is less - most often the computer starts up or begins to reboot constantly.

The situation will be completely different if you select AHCI mode before installing the system.

This will give an opportunity software from the installation disk, recognize the parameters of the HDD or SSD while launching the installer, and there will be no problems starting the mode.

Difficulties begin only if the system is already installed on the drive, and the user is going to change the IDE parameter to SATA and enable NCQ (Native Command Queuing, an extension of the SATA protocol, which significantly increases the speed of working with information by optimizing the order in which commands are received).

In this case, you will have to use either the registry editor or safe mode, depending on the operating system.

If none of these actions provide the required result, all that remains is to enable AHCI and reinstall the system.

For Windows 7

One of the most popular currently operating systems, Windows 7, requires using the registry or special utility.

The first option includes next steps:

Launching the Registry Editor (Win + R to open the Run menu, entering the regedit command and confirming the changes);

Go to section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci;
Go to the Start item, whose default value is 3, and change it to zero;

Go to the same subsection from msahci to IastorV and search for the Start parameter;
Changing three to zero;
Closing the editor.

Now all that remains is to restart the computer and enable the desired AHCI mode in the BIOS menu.

After the system boots, Windows 7 will begin to automatically install drivers for all drives connected to the motherboard, and then require another reboot to make changes.

The last stage of setting up the mode is to check whether write caching mode is enabled in the disk properties. If it is not enabled, the function should be launched.

Another option - Microsoft utility Fix it, which allows you to get rid of errors after enabling the new mode (you can download it from the official Microsoft website).

Once you launch and select the appropriate troubleshooting action, the application will automatically make any necessary changes and the error message will no longer appear.

For Windows 8 and 8.1

If Windows 8 or 8.1 is already installed on your computer, you can use Safe Mode to configure AHCI mode.

To do this, if an error occurs:

Return IDE mode to BIOS;
restart your computer;
Run the command line as an administrator (“Start” / “All Programs” / “Accessories”);
Enter the command bcdedit /set (current) safeboot minimal

Press the enter button;
Restart the PC and enter the BIOS;
Enable AHCI mode;
Run the command line again;
Enter the command bcdedit /deletevalue (current) safeboot;
Reboot the system again, after which Windows should stop displaying the error message.

If your system is running on an Intel processor, it is possible additional option enabling AHCI using a utility from this manufacturer (this method does not work for AMD).

To use it you should:

Download the f6flpy (mode driver) file from the official Intel website by selecting suitable version(x32 or x64);
Download the SetupRST.exe file from the same resource;
Open device manager and install manually in the properties of your hard drive new driver f6 AHCI instead of SATA;
Restart the PC and enable AHCI in the BIOS (UEFI);
Run the SetupRST.exe file, which should automatically resolve the problem.

For Windows 10

Windows 10 also allows you to use a utility to fix errors when switching modes. Intel processors, reinstalling the system and safe mode.

But the most effective option is to use the Registry Editor, which is slightly different from the similar method in Windows 7.

To use this method you need:

Log in as administrator;
Launch Registry Editor using one of available ways(the easiest way is through the Run window and the regedit command);
Go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStorV section and find its Start parameter, changing its value to 0;
Find in the adjacent subsection Services\iaStorAV\StartOverride a parameter named 0, setting a zero value for it as well;
Go to the Services\storahci subsection, reset the Start parameter;
In the Services\storahci\StartOverride subsection, set the value zero for parameter 0.
Close the editor and restart the computer;
Enter the BIOS during system boot and enable AHCI mode.

Tip: It is recommended to do the first Windows startup 10v safe mode, for which this option is enabled using the “Run” menu (Win + R) and entering the msconfig command to display the system configuration window. Here you need to select the “Boot” tab and check the safe mode box, indicating the “Minimal” option.

Subject to availability UEFI interface you need to troubleshoot through the system menu:

Login side menu(Win + I);
Select the update and security tab;
Go to "Recovery" and then to special options downloads;
Go to the troubleshooting menu, tab " Additional options" and finally, "UEFI Software Settings".

For standard interface You can access the BIOS settings by clicking the corresponding button when booting. function key.

For example, F2 or F12, depending on the motherboard or laptop model, if the settings are made for it.

Read.

After the first Windows downloads 10 will install everything necessary drivers to work with AHCI, and will not generate any errors in the future.

At the same time, the speed of working with data should increase - especially if the drive has a SATA III interface.

Manufacturers hard drives They are constantly looking for ways to speed up the performance of their products. Relatively recently, storage disks for computers worked in a rather slow mode and their development concerned only an increase in the total volume of the storage medium. Then the developers invented a completely new type SATA interface, which allowed access to the newest types acceleration of hard drives.

The main innovations were the following 3 functions:

NCQ (Native Command Queuing) - built-in support for command execution order. This feature is designed to speed up HDD operation. But significant performance turns out to be on hard drives SSD type (Solid State Drive), which are known for their high performance due to fast processing of the order of command execution.
Hot Plug - translated from English means “hot plug”, which should be understood as a replacement hard drive without turning off the computer. You just need to disconnect the drive programmatically(like a flash drive). This feature may be of interest to users who constantly work with several media at the same time. This will allow you to quickly change hard drives without stopping work on your computer.
TRIM - translated from English as “to trim”, that is this function allows you to delete files or format hard drive without causing harm. As you know, during such operations the disk wears out faster. This technology is relevant for modern SSD media, since it was created in order to compete with regular HDD. An SSD with this feature has excellent operating speed and durability.

But for all these features to become available, you will need to configure the SATA interface to a special AHCI mode in the BIOS.

What is AHCI?

AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) is a development Intel, which is designed to replace the interface of a long-outdated ATA controller. The main reason for the replacement is its inability to support command queuing and hot-swapping functionality.

Not all motherboard chips support the AHCI function. In some cases, the board chip provides AHCI support, but it may not be implemented in the BIOS itself and will simply not be available. This problem can be solved with an update BIOS firmware. In addition, you can try updating the BIOS unofficial firmware, but this is done at your own peril and risk, since there is a possibility of damaging the motherboard.

Until today, the main problem is changing the interface from ATA to AHCI (Blue Screen Of Death - abbr. BSOD). At the same time, at the very bottom of the BSOD the message STOP 0x0000007B, INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE was displayed. Eliminate blue screen It was possible only by canceling all previous actions in the BIOS or reinstalling the Windows operating system. It later turned out that the reason for this was the lack of drivers that are required for AHCI to function.

Switching the SATA interface to AHCI mode before installing the OS

Selecting the SATA operating mode in the BIOS from Phoenix

Before, you need to change the SATA configuration in the motherboard BIOS. This can be done by pressing the F2/Del key after turning on the computer. Typically, the SATA Configuration option is located in the Advanced section, but its name may vary depending on the BIOS. You need to find it and enable AHCI controller mode. Save the settings (Save and Exit) and restart your computer.

Switching the SATA interface to AHCI mode on an existing OS

On already running Windows 7 you need to shut down all applications and run the “Run” command by simultaneously pressing the Win+R keys (the Win key is usually designated Windows logo). In the window that appears, type the regedit command to open and click OK. A registry window will appear in which you need to open the section along the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci.

In the directory that opens, you need to change the value opposite Start to 0 and save the registry settings. Then restart your computer and enable AHCI mode through the BIOS, as described in the previous paragraph. After booting the Windows system, you need to reinstall the SATA drivers, which are usually located on the disk that came with the motherboard or laptop. If everything is done correctly, Windows will detect the new hardware and install it.

Together with the functions described above, you will receive a full-fledged throughput SATA III, which is 6 Gb/s.

Automatic transition of Windows 7 and 8 to AHCI or RAID mode

Due to the fact that switching to AHCI mode caused many problems for Windows users, Microsoft has developed a special utility that allows you to prepare the operating system for changing the mode to AHCI or RAID. It can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website. After launch, the utility itself will perform all the necessary actions. You just need to restart the system, simultaneously switching to AHCI mode in the BIOS. In the future, Windows itself will install the necessary AHCI drivers for operation.

In Windows 8, just switch to AHCI mode in the BIOS and boot the OS in safe mode. If you were unable to start the system in safe mode, you can open the Run window using Win + R and enter the msconfig command. In the “Boot” section, you must select the “Safe Mode” item, while selecting the “Minimal” option. After this, the system will boot into desired mode and install AHCI drivers.

AHCI mode is supported in the OS Windows family, starting from Windows Vista. In older versions of the OS (such as Windows XP, etc.), there is no built-in support for AHCI mode and for this mode to work, you must install additional vendor-specific drivers.

However, not everything was smooth with the activation of AHCI mode in the new Microsoft operating systems. If the system was installed in normal (IDE) mode, the AHCI driver in the system is located in disabled condition. This leads to the fact that on such systems, when turned on BIOS mode AHCI on SATA controller, the system stops seeing sata disk(the required ahci driver is missing) and crashes into BSOD ( INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE). For this reason, controller chipset manufacturers (primarily Intel) recommend enabling AHCI mode TO OS installation, in this case the installer understands that the chipset supports AHCI mode and installs the necessary drivers (for some chipsets it is sometimes necessary to load specific AHCI/RAID drivers directly during the installation process Windows installations, for example, from a USB flash drive or CD/DVD drive).

Note. Mode AHCI (Advance Host Controller Interface) Enables advanced SATA features such as hot plugging ( Hot-Plugging) And NCQ(native command queuing), which improves the performance of disk operations.

In Windows 8, the situation with activating AHCI has not changed, and if you try to change the SATA controller mode to AHCI without making changes to Windows itself, this will lead to the inability to boot from system disk. The fact is that Windows 8 also does not automatically load the AHCI driver for a controller that was not in AHCI mode at the time the system was installed.

The article is intended for those who installed Windows 8 in IDE mode and would like to switch to AHCI mode without reinstalling the operating system. If the BIOS (or) is already set to AHCI mode, then there is no need to do anything additional - your Windows 8 already supports AHCI mode.

We have already described without reinstallation. According to this article, it is necessary to work in normal (ide) Windows mode 7 switch to mode automatic download standard driver AHCI (the driver is called msahci) and only then activate AHCI in the BIOS. The procedure went quite smoothly and in the vast majority of cases painless.

On Windows 8 (and Windows Server 2012) when trying to enable AHCI mode in this way, the user will encounter a problem: the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci branch is simply missing in the registry. And trying to create it manually will lead to nothing.

The fact is that Microsoft decided to change the name of the driver responsible for supporting the AHCI mode for SATA controllers, replacing it with a new driver called StorAHCI. It is worth noting that this driver has the same functionality and supports the same devices as MSAHCI.

We were able to discover two ways to activate AHCI after installing Windows 8. One of which is associated with modifying the registry, the second is with booting in safe mode.

Enable AHCI in Windows 8 using the registry

To enable AHCI mode in Windows 8 without reinstalling the system (which was installed in IDE mode), you need to make changes to the system registry.

Note: let us once again recall this modification Win registry dows 8 must be produced TO enabling AHCI in BIOS.

Unfortunately, the specified method for activating the ahci driver in Windows 8 does not always work (it does not work in about 10-20% of cases). In this case, it is recommended to use official instructions from Microsoft, available in the knowledge base article KB2751461(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2751461).

An alternative way to enable AHCI in Windows 8

In the event that the above method did not work, and Windows 8 does not boot in AHCI mode, going into BSOD or endless attempts to restore Windows (Attempting repair). Necessary

Disable AHCI mode in BIOS
Cancel changes to system registry, by setting ErrorControl = 3 And StartOverride\0 = 3
Using the following command we will set loading Windows 8 in safe mode - Safe Mode(as an option, you can). bcdedit /set (current) safeboot minimal
Then you need to reboot the system, go into the BIOS again, switch to AHCI Mode and save the changes.
IN result Windows 8 should boot into safe mode and install the AHCI driver automatically.
Then you need to disable booting in SafeMode: bcdedit /deletevalue (current) safeboot
And restart Windows
The next time you boot the system, the system should boot normally. All that remains is to make sure that the AHCI controller appears in the device manager.

To ensure that disk performance Windows subsystems 8 has increased due to AHCI mode, run the update and check that the Disk data transfer rate has increased. In our example from 5.2 to 8.1 units (although to be frank there are more 🙂).

What to do if you have a hard drive installed in your computer SATA interface, and before installing the OS you forgot to switch to BIOS option "SATA Mode" from the meaning IDE to the value SATA(the name of the option in the BIOS may differ)? Usually already installed Windows After switching the value of this option, it produces a blue screen. Some people find nothing better than reinstalling the OS again. But there is another way.

I recently had this problem. I tested the hard drive in the client laptop using the mHDD utility, having previously switched the “SATA Mode” option in the BIOS to IDE mode. After testing, I forgot to switch back and installed the operating system. I discovered my error already at the stage of installing drivers in installed system when I didn't want to install Intel driver AHCI. Fortunately, the problem was solved without reinstalling the OS, just by digging into Windows registry. Read on to find out how to do this.

First of all, call up the “Run” dialog box. It is called up through the Start menu or the Win+R key combination. In the Run dialog box, enter and execute the command "regedit"(without quotes).

In the registry editor that opens, we find the following section:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci

In this section, we need to change the value of the "Start" key to 0.

Now we find the following section:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\iaStorV

And also change the value of the “Start” key to 0.

After the steps described above, reboot the PC. When rebooting, enter the BIOS and change the value of the “SATA Mode” option from IDE to AHCI. Save the changes to the BIOS settings and reboot the computer.

After rebooting, Windows will find new hardware and install its driver. After this, you can safely download the Intel AHCI driver, because now our hard drive will operate in AHCI mode.

One of the main elements of any computer device, as we know, is a hard drive on which information is stored. In relation to hard drives of any type, the term AHCI is used. But many users not only know how to enable AHCI, but have no idea what it is. Let's consider the meaning of the main term and the actions required to activate this mode on Windows systems.

What is AHCI?

Modern hard drives connected to the motherboard through operation can use two modes: IDE (compatibility with legacy equipment) and AHCI - the latest standard, designated as Advanced Host Controller Interface, which allows you to significantly increase the performance of the device itself and the installed operating system due to faster reading data.

Almost all modern SSD drives show an increase in performance when accessing them precisely when the AHCI mode is set. But this is not the most important thing.

What is AHCI mode for?

Let's leave for now the question of how to enable AHCI mode in Windows, and let's look at the benefits that a user of a modern computer can derive from activating this mode.

First of all, when AHCI mode is activated, you can change or install additional hard drives, as they say, “on the fly” (even without turning off the computer or reinstalling the operating system). This is undoubtedly a huge plus for servers.

The second aspect is related to the fact that when such a mode is installed, the special technology NCQ, which allows you to reduce the number of read head movements, while speeding up the simultaneous use of access to the hard drive different applications, programs and services. Finally, AHCI activation is believed to have a beneficial effect on overall system performance. Of course, as evidenced by reviews from experts and users, at home there will not be much increase in productivity, however, provided installing hard SSD drive It’s still better to enable this mode.

What not to do and what to pay attention to initially

But the most important misconception of most users is that they try to use exclusively the settings of the primary BIOS systems(at least, this is what you can read about in most reviews of emerging problems). It is strictly forbidden to do this without performing preliminary actions in the operating system.

You can activate the mode in the BIOS only if you install the OS on a “clean” hard drive. If you perform this procedure with an existing OS on board, Windows will throw an error at startup and go into constant reboot. Then the complaints begin, saying that the user enabled AHCI mode in Windows, but nothing good came of it. What to answer? Perhaps the basic rules were violated because different modifications system needs to take various actions.

How to check if AHCI mode is active?

But first you should check if the mode is enabled. Perhaps he additional activation and won't be needed.

In the simplest case, when starting a computer terminal or laptop, you need to go to BIOS settings and refer to the SATA Mode section.

In the operating system itself, you can use the “Device Manager”, called from the “Control Panel”, administration or the “Run” console with the command devmgmt.msc and go to the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers section. When the mode is turned on standard devices The AHCI controller will be displayed. If it is not on the list, you will have to decide how to enable AHCI in the system. Again, the decision depends on which one Windows version installed on your computer.

How to enable AHCI mode in Windows 7

So, first, let's look at the "seven". For the seventh and tenth versions, the actions look somewhat similar, but for Windows 8 they are quite different.

The first step is to call the registry editor (regedit in the Run console).
Expand the HKLM thread.
Through the SYSTEM, CurrentControlSet directories and the final Services directory, reach the msahci folder.
On the right, you should call up the menu for editing the Start parameter and set its value to zero.
Now in the Services directory you need to find the IastorV directory, in which, for the Start parameter, actions similar to those described above are performed.
Only after completing these procedures, the question of how to enable AHCI in the BIOS without catastrophic consequences for the system will cease to be a problem.

Actions in Windows 8/8.1

For Windows 8, the above method will not work, since there is a simpler solution. IN in this case First you need to set the system to minimum boot mode in safe mode. How to enable AHCI? Simple enough.

To do this, first call command line(required on behalf of the administrator), and the combination bcdedit /set (current) safeboot minimal is written in it.
After this, you need to reboot, at the very beginning of the restart, enter the BOIS settings and then switch the mode from IDE to AHCI.
After saving the settings, a reboot follows again, called command console, and the line bcdedit /deletevalue (current) safeboot is written in it, followed by another restart of the computer.

In principle, the question of how to enable AHCI in the G8 can be resolved by using a special utility from Intel (of course, if you have a processor from this particular manufacturer).

First with official resource you need to download the driver as a file f6flpy and the customizer SetupRST.exe.
After this, the desired hard drive is selected in the “Device Manager”, the driver update procedure is applied, and as the driver itself in manual mode indicates the downloaded file f6flpy.
This is followed by a reboot, and after the system starts with already activated mode AHCI to complete the computer setup runs the SetupRST executable configuration file.

How to enable AHCI on Windows 10?

As already mentioned, for the tenth version of the system the actions are somewhat similar to those performed in Windows 7. The only difference is the selection of folders and parameters.

In the system registry we find the Services directory. Here, the storahci directory is used for the Start parameter.
Next, zero values are set for parameter 0 in the storahci/StartOverride and iaStorV/StartOverride directories.
After this, you can begin to activate the primary value in the BIOS primary input/output system settings.

By the way, in the eighth version of the system, editing similar parameters can also be done. But why, if there is a simpler rational solution to the problem?

Activating AHCI in BIOS

To enter settings on desktop computers The Del key is most often used, and for laptops - F2, F12, combinations with Esc keys and Fn or special buttons on the panel like ASSIST in Sony VAIO.

Here you need to find the AHCI mode section or settings. How to enable it in BIOS required parameter? Just use the enter key on the SATA mode setting line, and select a parameter using the arrows with confirmation in the form of another press of Enter. When exiting, don’t forget to save the changes (F10 + Y) and reboot the system. When you restart, the system will automatically install the necessary drivers.

Possible problems

Unfortunately, sometimes when switching to AHCI mode, problems may also occur. unexpected errors. Perhaps the hard drive itself does not support this mode of operation. In this case, there is no point in trying to activate AHCI.

On the other hand, if the system boots, but some errors are displayed or crashes occur precisely after switching from IDE to AHCI, you can try to troubleshoot using a specially developed utility from Microsoft called Fix It.

If neither one nor the other helps, you will have to call up the BIOS settings again and change the operating mode of the hard drive. Please note: if AHCI was activated without performing the preliminary steps in the system registry described above, these methods may not work. The solution is either to restore the system using removable media, or complete reinstallation Windows. So be careful. However, I would like to hope that it will not come to this (of course, provided that the entire sequence was completed exactly in the order that was given in the description).

When repeating or clearing, you can initially enable this mode in the BIOS, so that later you don’t have to rush around looking for a solution to activate it or troubleshoot problems and malfunctions in your computer or laptop.

Instead of a total

In conclusion, it remains to add that inexperienced users, not familiar with the intricacies of setting up the primary BIOS system and operating Windows systems, you should not activate this mode unless absolutely necessary. Still on modern computers With powerful processors and large volumes RAM The performance gain will not be particularly noticeable. On old terminals or laptops there is no point in using this mode at all. Basically, as already mentioned, such settings are more suitable for servers when hard drive several dozen child terminals are accessed on the local network.