Menu
homeYandex

What is ahci in bios. AHCI or IDE which is better? Windows Safe Mode



If you are looking at this article, then most likely you need help in choosing the correct mode for your hard drive, the installation of which can optimize the operation of your computer. Below we will look at what to vote for: ACHI or IDE.

First of all, let's try to understand what AHCI and IDE are.

IDE

The IDE connector is an outdated 40-pin connector that was used to connect disk drives and other devices that support a similar connector. Today this connector is not used on computers, and on older ones it needs to be replaced.

SATA

To understand the main task of ACHI, it is necessary to mention the SATA connector, which replaced IDE. SATA is superior to IDE primarily due to increased speed and .

ACHI

Now we have come to the third point. AHCI is an operating mode for SATA devices that ensures normal operation.

What to choose: IDE or ACHI?

It's simple: choose AHCI. You should choose IDE only if SATA drivers are not built into your OS. Considering that all more or less modern computers support SATA, in fact, by choosing IDE, the computer will emulate it, and this will not lead to any increase in performance.

Hello everyone, I would like to tell you which mode to choose for your hard drive so that it works as it should.

Most likely, this article is suitable for medium-sized computers that may have the wrong option selected. But just in case, check. Before that, I also somehow didn’t think about it until my director told me.

In general, closer to the point) First you need to go into the BIOS of your computer. Different BIOS versions have different login buttons, usually del on computers and F2 on laptops. When the computer boots, it usually says press F2 (Del) for bios. Just in case, here's a hint:

How to enter BIOS in different versions:

On the computer:

On a laptop:

Once you have logged in, you need to look for the Sata Configuration parameter. In it you need to select AHCI mode.

At the same time, I’ll tell you what these modes are:

There are IDE and SATA connection methods:

IDE mode

The IDE (Integrated Development Environment) connector is an outdated connector (developed in the 80s), as can be seen in the picture, it was previously used to connect hard drives, floppy drives, CD-ROMs, etc. which supported such connectors. In those days, of course, this connector was incredibly popular, but now, of course, all that remains is to remember it and change it on old computers.

In addition to all this, even the cords themselves are more convenient and take up less space. The sat connectors support HotSwap and HotPlug i.e. hot replacement, which is convenient in servers. No need to reboot or shutdown.

AHCI is a mode for connecting SATA devices, so I came to the solution to all the articles. Thanks to this mode sata devices work properly.

In order for all your devices to work well, you need to select it (of course, if you have not already selected it).

But first you need to select the achi mode in windows, otherwise you won’t be able to start Windows! Of course you can try, but most likely... Therefore, I will show you how to install achi mode on Windows 7.

How to enable ACHI mode?

This is done using the registry.

Press start – run (or WIN+R).

Type regedit and press enter.

The Registry Editor will appear. In it we follow the path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci


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 became more or less affordable for home use.

We will not disclose all the technical details about how the AHCI mode works. It will be enough for an ordinary user to know that with AHCI enabled, the speed of working with the disk and its service life increase. But to experience all the beauty of its work, an SSD drive with a SATA 6Gbit interface must be installed in your computer.

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 install Windows. Usually enable AHCI it is possible through the BIOS in the section on working with storage devices Storage Configuration.

On different models of 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 types of errors.

These errors are caused by the absence of the required hard disk controller driver when loading the OS. That is why, before changing the 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 works and is suitable for all versions of Windows 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.

Today we will learn a simple thing - how to change the SATA mode from IDE to AHCI in the BIOS with Windows 7 already running. After all, those who have already tried to change this mode were able to see the blue screen of death the first time they tried to boot Windows. And the solution would be to make changes to the Windows registry, which is what we will do now.

A very brief note: In the era of Windows XP and earlier, the IDE or PATA interface was widespread, which in modern motherboards is left only for compatibility with older devices and systems. Today the standard is SATA, different revisions of which differ in bandwidth.

Yesterday I visited one of my clients and on one of the computers I had the opportunity to put this method into practice. Windows 7 was just standing there and sad in ide mode. I decided to transfer it to AHCI without reinstalling it, and at the same time improve performance.

So let's get started.

Press Win+R and write regedit, click OK, the Registry Editor opens.

If you have, for example, RAID mode, then you may need this address in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\IastorV

You should see something similar to the one in the screenshot. We need the Start parameter, for me it has a value of 3. Double click on the parameter name.

When you double-click on the name, an editing window will open. Here you need to change the number to 0 (zero).

To look like this. Click OK and save.

After our manipulations, the final value looks like this:

The finishing touches remain. Now you need to restart Windows and go into the BIOS, change the mode there to the desired one.

When the computer starts to restart, do not miss entering the BIOS. This is usually the Del key. Laptops may have F2, F10, or F12 keys.

On my client’s motherboard, the item looks like Storage configuration, with a SATA configuration (compatible or enhanced) subitem inside.

Select the sub-item Configure SATA as, which is in the value and press Enter. Select the AHCI value

Ultimately, the item now looks like Configure SATA as. Press F10 to save the BIOS settings, then Enter and the computer reboots again.

And now comes the moment of truth!)

Windows 7 should boot normally and upon boot it will detect new devices for which it will begin vigorously searching and installing drivers. It may then ask you to reboot. Reboot, make Windows pleasant.

This method worked in my case and even visually the computer began to run faster.

Hard drive manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to speed up 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 developers invented a completely new type of SATA interface, which allowed access to the latest types of hard drive acceleration.

The main innovations were the following 3 functions:

  1. NCQ (Native Command Queuing) - built-in support for command execution order. This function is designed to speed up the operation of the HDD. But significant performance is achieved on SSD (Solid State Drive) type hard drives, which are known for their high performance due to fast processing of command execution sequences.
  2. Hot Plug - translated from English means “hot plug”, which should be understood as replacing the hard drive without turning off the computer. You just need to disconnect the disk using software (like a flash drive). This function 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.
  3. TRIM - translated from English as “trim”, that is, this function allows you to delete files or format your hard drive without causing harm. As you know, during such operations the disk wears out faster. This technology is relevant for modern SSD media, as it was created in order to be competitive with conventional HDDs. 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 by Intel, which is designed to replace the interface of the 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 resolved by updating the BIOS firmware. In addition, you can try to update the BIOS with 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. It was possible to eliminate the blue screen only by undoing 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 an already running Windows 7, you need to shut down all applications and launch the Run command by simultaneously pressing the Win + R keys (the Win key is usually indicated by the 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 your motherboard or laptop. If everything is done correctly, Windows will detect the new hardware and install it.

Along with the above features, you will get full SATA III bandwidth, 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 check the “Safe Mode” item, while selecting the “Minimal” option. After this, the system will boot into the desired mode and install the AHCI drivers.