Gigabyte Ep45-UD3P SATA/IDE Bios Configuration for Windows XP x64

[fcastro]

Hi all,

I am new to the gigabyte motherboard world (previously a long time abit user RIP). Here are my current specs:

Gigabyte Ep45-UD3P Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9300
8gb PC2-8500 (DDR2-1066) OCZ Reaper Memory
500gb Seagate SATA Hard Drive (plugged into yellow sata on board not purple)
20x LG SATA Dvd Burner
Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS Sound Card

Ok now here is my question In the bios I have a few options that deal with sata and ahci. I installed windows xp x64 in the default states but now that everything is installed I thought I would change all my bios settings and enable AHCI because I have read that is more advances the traditional IDE mode etc. When I enable the settings in the bios and reboot I see the XP logo and boom it crashes and reboots. A few days ago I also installed Vista 64 and it worked fine with the AHCI options etc from what I recall but not the same case with XPx64.

Here are the options I have tried turning on in different combinations without any luck:
SATA RAID/AHCI Mode: AHCI
SATA Port0-3 Native Mode: Enabled
Onboard SATA/IDE Device: Enabled
Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode: AHCI

Could someone shed some light?

[Lsdmeasap]

You need to do a clean install using the AHCI Drivers or try this method, which is more involved and experimental >>>
The compiled FAQ & guide thread. - MSFN Forums

Enabling AHCI after Windows install - XtremeSystems Forums

HOWTO: enable AHCI mode after installing Windows - PC Perspective Forums

As for your settings >>>>

These Below are for the Intel (Yellow) ports and you would need to use the Intel AHCI Driver at install

SATA RAID/AHCI Mode: AHCI
SATA Port0-3 Native Mode: Enabled Or disabled, both will work

These below are for if you have your Disk Plugged into the Gigabyte/J.Micron Purple Ports, and would need the Gigabyte AHCI Driver (Use Intel Ports)
Onboard SATA/IDE Device: Enabled
Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode: AHCI

[fcastro]

Lsdmeasap thanks for the links and pointing me into the right direction

I followed your links and did some more research after the tutorial didn't quite work for me. This lead me to this link (this one installs the ICH10R perfectly)

Blah blah!? - IT-How to enable AHCI-mode after having installed Windows XP

Below are the instructions from the link incase the link should ever fail (thanks to blah-blah.ch) Note that my install of the drivers was instantaneous as opposed to 10 minutes or so it took the poster.

=================================================
Steps:

• FIRST OF ALL, check under "Start => Settings => Control Panel => System => System Restore", that the option Turn off system Restore on all drives is not active, and that the drive where your Windows resides is being monitored. This will allow to undo the changes by pressing F8 when Windows reboots, if anything goes wrong.
• If you are able to start up Windows and don't have AHCI enabled you probably have in your BIOS the IDE-mode enabled, right? If not, enable it and start up Windows as usual.
• Now start by downloading the drivers from the Intel homepage - they're called Intel Matrix Storage Manager and can be found here.
• Now that you have the drivers, e.g. in "C:\temp", create in there a new directory, e.g. "C:\temp\unpacked".
• Open up a MSDOS-shell and unpack the drivers into the new directory by using the "-A -P" flags, so in my case it would be... iata82_enu.exe -A -P C:\temp\unpacked
• Where you unpacked the files you should now see that there are files called "IaStor.sys", "iastor.inf" and "iaAHCI.inf".
• Now, this probably is not needed and it won't do anything at all, but as I did it (while I was still experimenting) and everything is now working, you should do it as well - you never know: rightclick on "iaAHCI.inf" and choose "Install". Do the same with the "iastor.inf"-file. Nothing should happen - the system should act as if nothing has happened.
• Now the real fun starts: go to "Start => Settings => Control Pnel => System => Hardware => Device Manager", search in the list for "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" and in there you should see a couple of entries including your IDE controllers - something like "Intel ICH10 family....serial ATA controller". It might be that you see two such entries.
• Select one of the "Intel ICH10 family....serial ATA controller"-entries, click with the right-mouse button and select "Update driver".
• Answer "No, not this time", then "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)", then "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install.", then "Have a disk".
• A new window should appear asking you where the drivers are. Click on "Browse" and select the directory where the "IaStor.sys" & Co. were unpacked.
• You should now see a list (or at least 1 entry) of different AHCI-ICH-controllers including the one you have - if not, deselect the checkbox which makes the system list only the compatible drivers.
• Search for your ICH-controller. Have a look at the manual of your motherboard if you're not sure which one it is.
• Once you found & highlighted your AHCI-controller ("Intel(R) ICH10R SATA AHCI Controller" in my case), click on "Next". At this stage Windows a message box will pop up showing a warning about not being able to verify the compatibility of those drivers. Just smile and continue the installation.
• Now the system will install the drivers and it might take a looong time. Have a beer in the meanwhile as in my case I had to wait for about 20 minutes.
• Once the driver has been installed, go back the the device manager, select (if you have it) the second "Intel ICH10 family....serial ATA controller"-entry and do again exactly the same. In my case the installation of the driver finished this time immediately.
• After the drivers have been installed, reboot the machine, go into your BIOS, change the settings for your HDD-controller from "IDE" to "AHCI" and start up Windows again.
• If your Windows XP manages to boot then it means you did everything right - if the installation of the AHCI-drivers wouldn't have been successful your PC would now hang or reboot continously. If this happens go back to your BIOS, change AHCI back to IDE and boot Windows. If Windows still doesn't want to wake up, keep the key "F8" pressed at the very beginning when the OS boots to bring up a menu and choose the "Last good known configuration" to undo the changes described above.
• Not finished yet: once Windows is up you should see in the taskbar that something is being installed - you might get the bubbles saying that some new HDDs have been found. Additionally if you look in the Device Manager at the "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" you should see that all you have listed in there is just a "PCI device". Again, be patient and have one more beer.
• Again after ~10 to ~20 minutes Windows should tell you that it found new hardware, the AHCI-controller. Still wait until Windows asks you if you want to restart the PC.
• Accept to restart it and after the reboot everthing should be ready. Under "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers" you should now see your AHCI controller ready.

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[Lsdmeasap]

Nice to see you got it! Clean install it much easier for sure though.

Thanks for posting back, and adding that info for others as many often ask

For Google and me to find this easy again >>>

Lsdmesap AHCI after XP install ICH10R Tweaktown Working Latest

[fcastro]

Lsdmeasap any chance you have a link on how to do this with a fresh install? I am taking a look at nlite right now and was thinking I could jam the drivers into a boot cd.

[Lsdmeasap]

How to do what with a fresh install? Fresh install of XP with AHCI Drivers is easy, load the drivers and install, so I assume that is not what you meant so I have to ask...

What did you mean?

[fcastro]

Lsdmeasap, yup that is was I mean't. I think i originally tried f6 on startup to add the ahci drivers but the windows x64 installer wanted them on a floppy disk.

Also did some reading on nlite and making my own custom install but I might not go this route as it seems somewhat time consuming. I did figure out how to add the intel inf's to an nlite install.

[Lsdmeasap]

Ahh, ok! Yeah they would have to be on a Floppy or you will have to slipstream them to a ISO and create a new XP Install Disk

Nlite is very easy, and quick to use. Not time consuming at all and that would be the fastest way to slipstream. That's how I do it for XP, Vlite for Vista

Here is a Guide about it incase you need some tips >>>
maxEasyGuide: A) Slipstreaming SATA driver into WinXp boot cd using nLite

Here is the actual Nlite forum if you have any specific questions or issues >>
MSFN Forums -> nLite

[fcastro]

Lsdmeasap thanks for the links again :)

Doesn't Vista already have the AHCI drivers on it?

[Lsdmeasap]

Yes, it sure does. Sorry I Musta thought you meant XP, and hey you musta since you said floppy and F6 method. What gives here then?

If you are using vista then I would still update them in device manger once you are installed with the latest drivers from Intel instead of keeping the vista generic ones installed