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AHCI to RAID mode, P55, how?

T

Thomas Andersson

Flightless Bird
Hi!

I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to create
a RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the BIOS option
from AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to bluescreen on load (I
thought RAID mode was still AHCI).
Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without reinstalling?
I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack, maybe
this can be solved the same way?

TIA
Thomas
 
Z

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Flightless Bird
"Thomas Andersson" <thomas@tifozi.net> wrote in message
news:8ghs3qFiskU1@mid.individual.net...
> Hi!
>
> I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
> optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to
> create a RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the
> BIOS option from AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to
> bluescreen on load (I thought RAID mode was still AHCI).
> Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without
> reinstalling?
> I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack,
> maybe this can be solved the same way?
>


On a different Intel based board I went from RAID to AHCI by copying
the iaahci.cat, iaahci.inf, and iaahci.pnf to
c:/windows\system32\drivers and merging a registry file. It took a bit
of work to figure out the correct registry settings, and I had the
advantage of an identical machine already running in AHCI mode. I
imagine it could be done the other way, but is likely a fair bit of
work. If done correctly, you can then change to any drive mode in the
BIOS without causing Windows to bluescreen. Lots of posts about it if
you search - sure seems like Intel should get their act together and
have their driver install package handle it so that any drive mode
change would just work - if I can do it, surely they can!

--
Zaphod

Arthur: All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's
something big and sinister going on in the world.
Slartibartfast: No, that's perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the
universe gets that.
 
T

Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]

Flightless Bird
>Hi!
>
>I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
>optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to create
>a RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the BIOS option
>from AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to bluescreen on load (I
>thought RAID mode was still AHCI).
>Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without reinstalling?
>I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack, maybe
>this can be solved the same way?
>
>TIA
>Thomas


The analogy here is you asking why your unicycle can't work as a
bicycle, tricycle, or 4-wheeler. AHCI is SATA's native operating mode
for a single physical disk. RAID is RAID but on motherboards with SATA
it uses the AHCI interface for the hardware control defined in the
AHCI specification. You have to build a RAID set first and reinstall
your OS.

- Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]
 
P

Paul

Flightless Bird
Zaphod Beeblebrox wrote:
> "Thomas Andersson" <thomas@tifozi.net> wrote in message
> news:8ghs3qFiskU1@mid.individual.net...
>> Hi!
>>
>> I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
>> optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to
>> create a RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the
>> BIOS option from AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to
>> bluescreen on load (I thought RAID mode was still AHCI).
>> Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without
>> reinstalling?
>> I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack,
>> maybe this can be solved the same way?
>>

>
> On a different Intel based board I went from RAID to AHCI by copying
> the iaahci.cat, iaahci.inf, and iaahci.pnf to
> c:/windows\system32\drivers and merging a registry file. It took a bit
> of work to figure out the correct registry settings, and I had the
> advantage of an identical machine already running in AHCI mode. I
> imagine it could be done the other way, but is likely a fair bit of
> work. If done correctly, you can then change to any drive mode in the
> BIOS without causing Windows to bluescreen. Lots of posts about it if
> you search - sure seems like Intel should get their act together and
> have their driver install package handle it so that any drive mode
> change would just work - if I can do it, surely they can!
>


"Intel should get their act together"

Um, yes, they should. Was just reading these...

"Random drive fails with new Matrix Storage Manager 8.9"
http://communities.intel.com/thread/5036?start=510&tstart=0

"Random drive fails with new Rapid Storage Technology 9.6 ?"
http://communities.intel.com/thread/8139?start=105&tstart=0

So in addition to working out a recipe, you also have to find a good version :-(

The second thread, at the end, mentions this:

"Setting to 0 parameters

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStor\Parameters\Port[port number0-6]\LPMDSTATE."

so LPMDSTATE might be a good search term.

I had no idea that Intel stuff had problems.

That doesn't solve Thomas's migration problem, but it's something
to worry about if he gets there.

Paul
 
R

Rob

Flightless Bird
"Thomas Andersson" <thomas@tifozi.net> wrote in message
news:8ghs3qFiskU1@mid.individual.net...
> Hi!
>
> I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
> optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to create a
> RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the BIOS option from
> AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to bluescreen on load (I thought
> RAID mode was still AHCI).
> Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without reinstalling?
> I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack, maybe
> this can be solved the same way?


In general, a RAID array needs to be created first, then the OS installed.
In your case, what *may* work is to install the RAID drivers to your current
installation, then image that (eg using Acronis True Image or similar.)
Now create your RAID array and restore the image you created onto it.
There are too many unknowns (eg what level RAID?) to give much more
help than this.
If you want to create a 2-disk RAID1 (mirror) array, for example, things may
be slightly easier depending on the firmware in your RAID controller.
Because so much is specific to your particular motherboard, a good place
to ask would be the ASUS VIP forums - if someone has done this before
with that board, the answer will usually be there.

HTH,
--
Rob
 
P

Paul

Flightless Bird
Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP] wrote:
>> Hi!
>>
>> I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
>> optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to create
>> a RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the BIOS option
>>from AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to bluescreen on load (I
>> thought RAID mode was still AHCI).
>> Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without reinstalling?
>> I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack, maybe
>> this can be solved the same way?
>>
>> TIA
>> Thomas

>
> The analogy here is you asking why your unicycle can't work as a
> bicycle, tricycle, or 4-wheeler. AHCI is SATA's native operating mode
> for a single physical disk. RAID is RAID but on motherboards with SATA
> it uses the AHCI interface for the hardware control defined in the
> AHCI specification. You have to build a RAID set first and reinstall
> your OS.
>
> - Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]


I thought the idea was, you could convert single drive AHCI to
single drive RAID, then do an online migration to a RAID array ?

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-029274.htm

Paul
 
T

Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]

Flightless Bird
>Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP] wrote:
>>> Hi!
>>>
>>> I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
>>> optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to create
>>> a RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the BIOS option
>>>from AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to bluescreen on load (I
>>> thought RAID mode was still AHCI).
>>> Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without reinstalling?
>>> I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack, maybe
>>> this can be solved the same way?
>>>
>>> TIA
>>> Thomas

>>
>> The analogy here is you asking why your unicycle can't work as a
>> bicycle, tricycle, or 4-wheeler. AHCI is SATA's native operating mode
>> for a single physical disk. RAID is RAID but on motherboards with SATA
>> it uses the AHCI interface for the hardware control defined in the
>> AHCI specification. You have to build a RAID set first and reinstall
>> your OS.
>>
>> - Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]

>
>I thought the idea was, you could convert single drive AHCI to
>single drive RAID, then do an online migration to a RAID array ?
>
>http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-029274.htm
>
> Paul


No, you did not read it correctly:

"The RAID migration feature in Intel® Rapid Storage Technology enables
you to convert a RAID-Ready system into a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, or
RAID 10 configuration. The RAID migration feature also enables the
user to migrate from a RAID 0, RAID 1, or RAID 10 volume to a RAID 5
volume."

Did you see the statement RAID-Ready? It did not say AHCI-Ready. That
means the RAID set is already built and OS install was done to a RAID
set. It's fairly trivial to go from RAID X to RAID Y. In fact, I have
gone from RAID 0 to RAID 5 just by imaging from and old and then to
the new RAID set. It's that you cannot go from a machine that was
installed, for example, with the BIOS set to AHCI but not RAID/AHCI.
They are apples and oranges. It's all or nothing. The hardware
abstraction layer falls over basically. If you suddenly swapped out
your gasoline engine with a diesel, would you expect it to work?

- Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]
 
V

vortch

Flightless Bird
On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:07:56 +0200, Thomas Andersson
<thomas@tifozi.net> wrote:

>Hi!
>
>I have a P55 based board with Win 7 Ultimate 64x on a SSD disk, to
>optimize for the SSd it was installed in AHCI mode. Now I need to create
>a RAID on the machine but to do that I need to switch the BIOS option
>from AHCI to RAID, doing this causes Windows to bluescreen on load (I
>thought RAID mode was still AHCI).
>Is there any way to fix this (I assume driver issue) without reinstalling?
>I know you can enable AHCI after install through a registry hack, maybe
>this can be solved the same way?
>
>TIA
>Thomas


I did it on both my x86 and x64 systems without reinstalling the OS.
I first found the registry settings for the chipset on my motherboard
(mine was ICH9 but ICH10 is also available), these are posted in a few
places, google for them.
After importing these settings, change the bios to RAID and reboot
(now there is no bsod).
Now upgrade the RAID drivers in Windows.
With another reboot everything works as it should.
This is unsupported and unrecomended as importing the wrong registry
settings will possibly cause your system to turn to garbage, at which
point you'd have to reinstall your OS anyway.
I figured it was worth a try, and it worked.
 
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