SATA AHCI Problem

[thug]

I'm running Win7 64-bit on a Gigabyte P55-UD3R motherboard. SATA drive runs great in IDE mode, won't boot when AHCI is selected in BIOS.

NOTE: I have already changed the registry keys per the zillion posts on the 'Net about enabling AHCI on a Win7 installation. This has not helped.

When I boot w/ AHCI, the machine reports the following on a black screen:

Loading operating system...
Error loading operating system

Then it just sits there until I reset it. Not a very descriptive message, is it?

Anyone else encounter this issue?

 

[rwpritchett]

I believe the GA-P55-UD3R motherboard has two separate controllers. I suggest you attach your boot drive to one controller (GSATA2_0/1) while it is set to IDE and configure the controller that is not being used (SATA2_0/1/2/3/4/5) to AHCI. You should be able to boot just fine with your drive plugged into the controller set to IDE. After you successfully boot to windows, install the AHCI drivers for the controller that is set to AHCI. Shutdown. Now, attach your boot drive to the controller that you set to AHCI and boot.

I've done the controller switcheroo on my Gigabyte board to switch from IDE to AHCI with success. Hopefully it works for you to.

 

[Shadow703793]

^ This. I too have run in to the same issue in the past with the X58-UD3R and this fixed my problems.

Also make sure your boot order is correct.

 

[thug]

Thanks Pritchett & Shadow! That did the trick (mostly).

I can now boot AHCI from the GSATA2 ports but not from the SATA ports. I can only boot from the SATA ports when they are set to IDE.

 

[rwpritchett]

Did you install the AHCI driver for the main SATA ports while you are connected to the GSATA ports?

What happens when you have both set to AHCI and you boot from GSATA?

 

[thug]

I'll investigate that at some point, right now the system is working and I'd rather let sleeping dogs lie.

I'm booting a Hackintosh install from SATA AHCI, then using Chameleon to boot the Win7 drive from the GSATA as AHCI with no problems.