Installing Win XP THEN the AHCI driver.

[Icewall]

I've been struggling to find out what to do with the issue of getting my Win XP installed on my Inspiron 1545 laptop.

Instead of going through the long painful process wasting discs to make a working slipstream CD, because following step by step instructions are never enough, I was wondering if I could do this instead:

1. Switch SATA operation in BIOS to ATA (I can switch between Disable, ATA or AHCI).

2. Start up with Win XP disc, format hard drive and install the op.

3. Inside Windows install AHCI driver.

4. Reboot and change settings in BIOS to AHCI and reboot. Woalah! Just like that! :-D

[xeryus]

Good information and hello all.

Have a question, was SP3 included on the Windows XP disk?

[Icewall]

Nope, SP2. Don't ask me why I haven't upgraded to SP3 yet. Maybe I'll do that sometime. I just want to know if the above is possible. So far I have tested that I can load the Windows installation fine without BSOD.

[xeryus]

Thanks, I think SP2 also supports this too.

Because I have one XP Pro without any SPs and this switching to ATA/IDE in BIOS will not solve my problem.

Edited November 9, 2010 by xeryus

[jaclaz]

.... because following step by step instructions are never enough, I was wondering if I could do this instead:

..

If you don't mind following some instructions :

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444&st=589

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

jaclaz

[Icewall]

Thanks for the pointer, but maybe it really isn't worth it?

It is not necessary...

There are LOTS of "bla-bla's" about AHCI being great, but ultimately most opinions rely to the FALSE silllogism New=Always Better.

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Serial_ATA

The main advantages of AHCI over SATA (read IDE emulation) are:

* hot-plug <-not needed for a system internal HD

* NCQ <- Native Command Queueing <- this CAN make a BIG difference, IF the actual HD drive supports it:

http://en.wikipedia....command_queuing

* staggered spin-up of drives <-normally pointless in a portable with just one internal HD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin-up

I don't think newer is always better either. It's usually not.

My laptop is just for personal use. I'm not going to have it in a LAN or business. I have no idea if my hard drive supports NCQ.

Edited November 10, 2010 by Icewall

[Messerschmitt]

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

jaclaz

Very nice find. I always thought if you installed windows on ATA, then you have to keep it on ATA unless you install it on SATA.

I mean I remember on my desktop that, after windows, I could've switched to AHCI from ATA, it would work, but I think it would still use ATA. I wouldn't get the sata "loading" screen (see paragraph below)

Only when I installed it under AHCI with drivers in windows using nlite it actually worked. And I mean the only way I would've known is that after the post boot, you get that "loading" screen saying SATA only supports HDD and DVD's, and you get the dots appearing as loading, then it shows you the drives/DVD that are connected via SATA.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Messerschmitt

[jaclaz]

And I mean the only way I would've known is that after the post boot, you get that "loading" screen saying SATA only supports HDD and DVD's, and you get the dots appearing as loading, then it shows you the drives/DVD that are connected via SATA.

That must be some kind of "peculiar" controller driver that "adds" that listing things, I don't seem to remember ever seeing something like what you describe.

The general idea is quite easy.

If you set in BIOS the SATA device as "IDE emulation" or "ATA emulation", the BIOS will "tell" Windows that there is an IDE controller (and one or more devices attached to it) connected to the motherboard and uses the "generic" IDE driver. (with a given PCI\VEN&DEV #)

If you set in BIOS the SATA device as "SATA" or "AHCI", the BIOS will "tell" Windows that there is a SATA controller (and one or more devices attached to it) connected to the motherboard and uses the "specific chipset" SATA/AHCI driver.(with another given PCI\VEN&DEV #)

Point is, if you are in another situation, i.e. you add a PCI card with a SATA controller on it to a "normal" IDE installed XP, what happens?

You simply add the driver in the booted XP and next time you boot it will be loaded automatically.

The "trick" is simply that of installing the "specific" SATA/AHCI driver whilst the device is NOT connected (since it is booted with IDE/ATA emulation) AND make sure the driver has the right "group" and "start type" to be able to load at next boot.

Problem is, or might be, some controllers that use the SAME PCI\VEN.

Another possible option (again to be checked for the specific setup) is to install UNIATA:

http://alter.org.ua/soft/win/uni_ata/

and then "switch" to the "proper" driver.

As always happens with this kind of things, your actual mileage may vary.

jaclaz

Edited November 20, 2010 by jaclaz