AHCI Implementation

[Ken]

I implemented AHCI on a Vista Ultimate system with three SATA drives
(changed the registry to load the MSAHCI service). I think I ended up with
two arrays - one containing all the partitions on the boot drive and a
second array for the other two drives. I used Vista to recreate the
partitions on the second array and everything seemed to function normally -
except the Intel Matrix Storage Console 8.5 said that NCQ was not
implemented on the non-boot drives. I can go back and forth between IDE and
AHCI and Vista does not have a problem with the partitions on the boot drive
but the other two drives are a problem. I have given up on AHCI unless
someone can point me to some good technical information on how it works. I
have another system with the almost exact same configuration running Raid0
and wth two arrays it works just fine with NCQ turned on for both arrays. I
know, stick with IDE or Raid but AHCI has become a personal thing!! Also, I
was hoping I could find a way to go to a true Raid0 configuration on the
AHCI system without having to reinstall Vista. Help would be welcome.

 

[DL]

Raid 0 is a stripe set, the set has to be created then win installed on it
Raid 1 on the other hand can usually be created using two disks, one of
which has data or win allready installed.

 

[Ken]

What does that have to do with AHCI? I know a little about Raid since I
have it running it on other systems for several years. I have been running
this system in IDE mode because when I was Overclocking it a few months back
I lost the Raid array for some reason had to reload the drives. I read
somewhere that AHCI was better than IDE since it used all the features of
the new SATA drives. So.... I'm still looking for information on AHCI under
Vista and why it does what it does. Like I said, Vista seems to handle the
system drive in AHCI mode ok but does strange things with other drives.

 

[DL]

It was a responce to the point that he wanted to impliment raid 0 without
reinstalling Vista, which if you had read the post you would have seen.

 

[Phillips]

Use Acronis to make an image of your Vista installation, make a Raid0 array
and restore the Vista image on it; you might have some Raid drivers
issues... repair Vista from the installed image.
Michael

 

[Ian D]

I implemented AHCI on a Vista Ultimate system with three SATA drives
(changed the registry to load the MSAHCI service). I think I ended up
with
two arrays - one containing all the partitions on the boot drive and a
second array for the other two drives. I used Vista to recreate the
partitions on the second array and everything seemed to function
normally -
except the Intel Matrix Storage Console 8.5 said that NCQ was not
implemented on the non-boot drives. I can go back and forth between IDE
and
AHCI and Vista does not have a problem with the partitions on the boot
drive
but the other two drives are a problem. I have given up on AHCI unless
someone can point me to some good technical information on how it works.
I
have another system with the almost exact same configuration running Raid0
and wth two arrays it works just fine with NCQ turned on for both arrays.
I
know, stick with IDE or Raid but AHCI has become a personal thing!! Also,
I
was hoping I could find a way to go to a true Raid0 configuration on the
AHCI system without having to reinstall Vista. Help would be welcome.

This may depend on the particular MB BIOS. On my Asus P5B Dlx there
are three settings for SATA drives, the default use as IDE, AHCI for
single drives or drives not in a RAID setting, and RAID for setting up
RAID 0,1,5,or 10, or using the Intel Matrix Storage Tecchnology option
ROM to set up advanced RAID.

 

[Ken]

Sorry about that - I need to read my own questions closer! I guess I am
obsessed with the ACHI part! I have tried to restore an IDE VISTA system
partition to a new Raid0 array using Acronis and it don't work. VISTA
comes up with all kinds of exception messages. As I recall, I used to be
able to do that using Ghost 2003 and Windows XP Professional - assuming XP
had the Raid Drivers previously installed. I was half hoping AHCI would
provide a bridge to trick VISA into accepting a restore to a Raid0
enviornment.

 

[Ken]

Been there done that and it did not work for me at least.

 

[Ken]

Yes, I have all the same stuff on my P5B Deluxe MB and my two abit IP35 Pro
motherboards. I have used the IDE and Raid settings with no problems or
issues. My main question was/is does anybody out there know how AHCI works
under VISTA or at least point me to some technical information on what the
heck it is really doing/trying to do in a multi disk situation.

 

[Phillips]

Just go to Microsoft website and search for "vista AHCI implementation" or
such. There are some .doc and power point files you might comb through.
Michael

 

[xfile]

My main question was/is does anybody out there know how AHCI works under

VISTA or at least point me to some technical information on what the heck
it is really doing/trying to do in a multi disk situation.

You can search the net using key words including chipset name (or controller
name) + Vista + AHCI or any combination of those keywords and you will get
plenty of information.

Hope this give you some directions.

 

[Ken]

I must be real stupid because all I ever come up in my searches is a bunch
of people discussing their various BIOSRegistry 101 problems with AHCI and a
few other sites telling me how great it is. Let me ask the question another
way - Does anybody out there actually use VISTA with the BIOS set for AHCI
mode with multiple SATA drives? If so, please discuss with me.

 

[xfile]

The following is one of the links that I came up with using suggested search
criterions for my upgraded XP system a few months ago and I did see a few
for Vista but since I don't use Vista anymore, so I didn't keep it.

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=444831

Sorry it didn't help you.

 

[Ken]

Over the last couple of months I think I have read most of the AHCI stuff on
the web and actuallly did find a few helpful links for VISTA. However, I
have yet to find anything that explains what the heck VISTA ia doing and why
when it has to deal with multiple drives. Oh well, it's IDE or Raid for
now. Thanks for the interest.