EggXpert

I built a new system and was positive I switched the "PCH SATA Control Mode" on my Gigabyte GA-Z68-UD3-BS motherboard to AHCI before loading Windows onto a Crucial M4 SSD. But, checked after all was running and saw it said IDE.  I changed it to AHCI and Windows will not load.  Black screen with "Loading Operating System" which stays there forever.  Same thing if you set it to RAID,   I heard that Windows could be installed with IDE and not AHCI (I never saw that option) but that it could be changed by changing the start value from "3" to "0" in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\System\CurrentControlSet\servi ces\msachi.  Did that.  No change.  My system will not work with AHCI selected.  What is wrong and how I can get to AHCI? 

As an aside, I noticed this in the BIOS after plugging in and connecting a new mechanical hard drive.  The drive was not recognized in Windows, my boot order was all screwed up, and then I noticed the IDE for the SSD.  I disconnected the mechanical drive, as that is another matter to deal with later.

- Phil

Some people do get away with it by doing a registry hack, but that's not an ideal way to do it anyway.  You should reinstall.

My best guess,  your mobo seems to have two separate SATA controllers.  One is Intel Z68 chipset and the other is probably made by another company like Marvell.  You probably hooked up the SSD to a SATA header under the Intel's controller but set the Marvell or whatever the other one to AHCI, OR the other way around like your SSD 's hooked up to Marvell and you set Intel's controller to AHCI.  That's why the SSD is running in IDE mode.

 p,s

Yup, you have 6 SATA headers that belong to Intel's controller and 2 headers that belong to Marvell.

Chipset:

1. 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (SATA3_0~SATA3_1) supporting up to 2 SATA 6Gb/s devices
2. 4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (SATA2_2~SATA2_5) supporting up to 4 SATA 3Gb/s devices
3. Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10
   * When a RAID set is built across the SATA 6Gb/s and SATA 3Gb/s channels, the system performance of the RAID set may vary depending on the devices being connected.

1 x Marvell 88SE9172 chip:

1. 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (GSATA3_6, GSATA3_7) supporting up to 2 SATA 6Gb/s devices
2. Support for SATA RAID 0 and RAID 1

 

IF YOU WANT TO USE THE SSD AS A STAND-ALONE BOOT DRIVE (NOT AS A CACHE SPACE FOR SMART RESPONSE).

Reset the CMOS first.

Connect both the SSD and HDD to the main SATA controller (Intel's 6Gb/s headers) of your mobo. The mobo manual should have a diagram of some sort indicating which headers on the mobo is under the control of the Intel controller.

Read your mobo manual VEEEEEEEEERRRY carefully and make sure to set that controller to AHCI

Boot from Windows disc.

Choose clean install (advanced)

When asked where you want to install Windows, click on Drive Options, and delete everything on the SSD and HDD.

Go ahead and install Windows on the SSD.

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IF YOU INTEND T USE THE SSD FOR SSD CACHING / INTEL SMART RESPONSE TECHNOLOGY,

the SATA controller setting should be RAID instead of AHCI, plus you should install the OS on the HDD, not the SSD.

Hello:

I have just read the post on the SSD issue, and I want to say that it was the most precise and clearly worded post that I have read in a long time.  I am considering going SSD, but I did not know where to start.  Your post answered a lot of my questions.  Thanks.

Chas07

Products You are surely reading my new MB manual. I too could not install W7 on my new SSD. Mine said "can't install windows to GPT partition". I read up on that and the things that you posted in the above post. Your post is "Right On" and as I said it could have been right out of my manual. My only regret is that I bought a 64 GB and not a 128 GB SSD.

I agree with Chas07. Thanks for the precise post. I wish I had seen it earlier.