Where can I get ACHI drivers for my EVGA H55 motherboard?

bamim2

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Hello,
Where can I get ACHI drivers for my EVGA H55 motherboard? I've looked on my DVD that came with the board. I've tried their website & I've tried the JMicron site, but I can't find them or I don't know them when I see them? I really could use some actual HELP.
 

bamim2

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Thank you. I've downloaded it & decompressed it, but it looks like it wants to install itself. I've tried copying it to a USB drive & using it for the installation, but that's not working either. Would you (or anyone?) know? Should I just install Windows 7 Pro with the SATA controller set to IDE in the BIOS? THEN install this program once Windows is up & running, THEN go back into the BIOS & set the SATA controller to ACHI & boot'er back up? I can't seem to find a way to install Windows with ACHI set. Again thank you for your help.
 

bamim2

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All I can figure is it's the ACHI setting. Because I set the BIOS to ACHI & Windoze 7 asks me to load a driver. I reboot the system & changed the BIOS setting to IDE & I'm off & running. I did NOT find ANY resolution. I was just asking IF that would work. What I've done is still up in the air. I only HOPE it works. If not, I'm sending the motherboard back. It looks VERY slick. Has lots of great features, but the BIOS is just junk. AMIBIOS. I guess I get what I pay for. I always go for the cheap stuff & don't get the features.
 

verbalizer

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so you set it to AHCI in the BIOS and make sure you SAVE and EXIT, not just EXIT WITHOUT SAVING.?
not trying to be a smart-ass, it's just sometimes people don't really pay attention.
no offense.

what exact motherboard is this and did the disk come with.?
 

bamim2

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I totally understand what you're doing, but thanks for "softening the blow". I spent 10 years in Tech Support myself. I've even made the mistake of not plugging something in & then wondering why it wasn't working. PLEASE, ask away!

To answer your question, I did do all of that MANY times. I've saved it & saved it. I don't know what's up with this board. I did use the disc that came with it & I just don't understand WHY the ACHI drivers for Windows aren't on the disc if it needs them. The exact board is: 123-CD-E635-EVGA H55.

The people on the EVGA site say that there's no need for a driver for ACHI, but I get stopped by Windows when I set that. Maybe there's something wrong with the board?

Almost forgot. I tried to install the software from the link no that I have W77 installed without ACHI & it says that my board doesn't meet the minimum requirements. I guess that means it's the wrong software?

Again thank you for your help.
 

verbalizer

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OK.
what SSD are you trying to use, I take it's an SSD because that's the only reason for AHCI in the first place. (almost)
because if using standard HDD and not SSD then you simply configure BIOS for SATA / IDE.
and RAID has it's on set-up with drivers.
 

bamim2

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First of all, let me apologize for being a bonehead & calling AHCI ACHI. Thanks for not calling me a bonehead! Sorry...

While I'm new "in town" & new to AHCI, this is the first I've heard that AHCI is only for SSD drives. I've done a bunch of searching & I can't find anything that supports that. Could you please point me to some info on that or better yet give me the "nickel tour" or why that's the case?
 

verbalizer

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but is that what your trying to do, use SSD.?
 

verbalizer

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and that's the reason why.....
mechanical HDD is not an AHCI (advanced host controller interface) therefore your motherboard does not detect and enable such a function.

^
my best and first guess, I will look into it and verify fact or not.
 

bamim2

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Sorry, but if you go the Intel site & read the tech specs here:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/io/serial-ata/serial-ata-ahci-spec-rev1_3.html

You'll see that SDD has nothing to do with AHCI. It's simply what it sounds like, a controller interface for SATA drives. The spec has NO mention of SDD anywhere, so it would appear that it's not a requirement.

The main Intel section on SATA & ACHI is here:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/io/serial-ata/ahci.html

Please read about it & let me know if I am incorrect. It certainly wouldn't be the first time (as my wife would gladly point out...). I'm dyslexic so I may not be reading it correctly, although I am actually an Electronics Engineer, so I have experience with these things.

Thank you for hanging in there with me on this. Please do take the time to look at this & see if you agree.
 

bamim2

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I was contacted by the EVGA people & they said that Windows 7 supplies its own AHCI drivers as part of the installation & that it can ONLY be set at install time. Their guy said that if I try to set AHCI in the BIOS & then boot W7, it'll BSOD & cause LA to drop into the Pacific... OK. I made that last part up...

Thanks to all for trying to help me.
 

bamim2

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Retail.
 

bamim2

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While I WAS tempted to just pour gas on this baby & torch it, I decided to look a bit further. I found this article (thanks to the folks at TonyMacx86.com) about hot to get AHCI working on a Windows 7 system even after installing it without it being enabled. Amazingly, that's actually the name of the article too:

http://www.ithinkdiff.com/how-to-enable-ahci-in-windows-7-rc-after-installation/

It provides step by step instructions & even a .Reg file to just click on & have IT change the registry. It works great, although I don't actually know how to check it make sure Windows is using AHCI.