Enable and configure AHCI mode is worth it for every user who wants to improve and expand the capabilities of the computer when working with hard drives SATA and especially SSD.

The mode allows you to increase the speed of your computer due to the increased speed of data access, and to activate it you only need to perform a few simple steps.

Before considering options for enabling the mode, you should first familiarize yourself with its features and operating principle.

What is AHCI

The interface of modern SATA hard drives, supporting data transfer rates from 1.5 Gbit/s to 6 Gbit/s, is capable of operating in two modes:

1. AHCI.

The first ensures compatibility with older devices (drives manufactured in 2000). The speed of even the most powerful disks in this mode is not much different from those of the most outdated models. The more modern AHCI mode allows you to fully enjoy all the advantages of the SATA interface. For example, by disconnecting and connecting drives to the motherboard on the fly, without turning off the computer, or with the ability to minimally move the drive heads to increase operating speed.

By activating the mode, the user speeds up the launch of files, reading and writing information on disks and increases the overall performance of the computer. And, although the increase may not be so significant (within 20%), for some tasks such an improvement may be important. If you have SSD drives with the SATA form factor, this option is the only option for efficient operation of the device.

IMPORTANT: Should you enable AHCI on an SSD?

When using AHCI mode on an SSD, you will only get results if you have a SATA II/III interface; in other cases there will be no improvement in performance.

How to check if the mode is enabled

If you are going to enable AHCI mode, make sure that it is not already used on the computer. If you don't run high-performance applications, you have powerful processor and a sufficient amount of memory, you may simply not notice what mode you are working in.

You can check whether AHCI is enabled or not enabled in this way:

1. First, go to the computer properties (Start menu, Computer item, Properties sub-item in the context menu);
2. Open device manager;
3. Open the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers section;
4. If there is a device here that has AHCI in its name, the mode works. If such a drive is not in the list (and you do not have an outdated IDE hard drive, but a more modern one), you will have to enable the mode yourself.

The second way to check the operation of AHCI is to restart the computer and go to the BIOS menu (using one of the available options - it differs slightly for different motherboards and laptops, although most often it involves pressing the function keys - from Esc to F12).

After entering the BIOS (or UEFI), make sure what mode SATA is operating in by finding the SATA Mode or SATA Configuration item.

Tip: If IDE mode is installed, do not immediately switch it to AHCI and save it - especially if you have Windows 7.

How to enable AHCI mode

Enabling this mode on your computer can be done directly from the BIOS.

At the same time, if you have Windows 7, after trying to boot the system, a message like 0x0000007B INACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE will most likely appear on the screen, indicating the impossibility of working with the disk. Sometimes the same situation occurs with Windows 8 and 10, but the likelihood of a message appearing is less - most often the computer starts up or begins to reboot constantly.

The situation will be completely different if you select AHCI mode before installing the system. This will give an opportunity software With installation disk recognize the HDD or SSD parameters when launching the installer, and there will be no problems starting the mode.

Difficulties begin only if the system is already installed on the drive, and the user is going to change the IDE parameter to SATA and enable NCQ (Native Command Queuing, an extension of the SATA protocol, which significantly increases the speed of working with information by optimizing the order in which commands are received). In this case, you will have to use either the registry editor or safe mode, depending on the operating system. If none of these actions provide the required result, all that remains is to enable AHCI and reinstall the system.

For Windows 7

One of the currently most popular operating systems, Windows 7, requires the use of the registry or a special utility to switch to AHCI mode. The first option includes the following steps:

1. Launch the Registry Editor (Win + R to open the Run menu, enter the regedit command and confirm the changes);

1. Go to section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci;
2. Go to the Start item, whose default value is 3, and change it to zero;

1. Go to the same subsection from msahci to IastorV and search for the Start parameter;
2. Changing three to zero;
3. Closing the editor.

Now all that remains is to restart the computer and turn on desired mode AHCI in the BIOS menu. After the system boots, Windows 7 will begin to automatically install drivers for all drives connected to the motherboard, and then require another reboot to make changes. The last stage of setting up the mode is to check whether write caching mode is enabled in the disk properties. If it is not enabled, the function should be launched.

Another option is the Microsoft Fix it utility, which allows you to get rid of errors after enabling the new mode (you can download it from the official Microsoft website). Once you launch and select the appropriate troubleshooting action, the application will automatically make any necessary changes and the error message will no longer appear.

For Windows 8 and 8.1

If Windows 8 or 8.1 is already installed on your computer, you can use Safe Mode to configure AHCI mode. To do this, if an error occurs:

1. Return IDE mode to BIOS;
2. to restart a computer;
3. Launch command line on behalf of the administrator (“Start” / “All Programs” / “Accessories”);
4. Enter the command bcdedit /set (current) safeboot minimal

1. Press the enter button;
2. Restart the PC and enter the BIOS;
3. Enable AHCI mode;
4. Run the command line again;
5. Enter the command bcdedit /deletevalue (current) safeboot;
6. Reboot the system again, after which Windows should stop displaying the error message.

If your system runs on an Intel processor, there is an additional option to enable AHCI using a utility from this manufacturer (this method does not work for AMD).

To use it you should:

1. Download the f6flpy file (mode driver) from the official Intel website, selecting the appropriate version (x32 or x64);
2. Download the SetupRST.exe file from the same resource;
3. Open device manager and install manually in the properties of your hard drive new driver f6 AHCI instead of SATA;
4. Restart the PC and enable AHCI in the BIOS (UEFI);
5. Run the SetupRST.exe file, which should automatically resolve the problem.

For Windows 10

Windows 10 also allows you to use a utility to fix errors when switching modes. Intel processors, reinstalling the system and safe mode. But the most effective option is to use the Registry Editor, which is slightly different from the similar method in Windows 7.

To use this method you need:

1. Log in as administrator;
2. Launch Registry Editor using one of available ways(the easiest way is through the Run window and the regedit command);
3. Go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStorV section and find its Start parameter, changing its value to 0;
4. Find in the adjacent subsection Services\iaStorAV\StartOverride a parameter named 0, setting a zero value for it as well;
5. Go to the Services\storahci subsection, reset the Start parameter;
6. In the Services\storahci\StartOverride subsection, set the value zero for parameter 0.
7. Close the editor and restart the computer;
8. Enter the BIOS during system boot and enable AHCI mode.

Tip: It is recommended to do the first Windows startup 10 in safe mode, for which this option is enabled using the “Run” menu (Win + R) and entering the msconfig command to display the system configuration window. Here you need to select the “Download” tab and check the box safe mode, specifying the “Minimal” option.

Fig.9. Switching mode in the UEFI interface

For the standard BIOS interface, you can go to its settings by clicking the corresponding button when booting function key. For example, F2 or F12, depending on the motherboard or laptop model, if the settings are made for it.

After the first boot, Windows 10 will install all the necessary drivers to work with AHCI, and will not produce any errors in the future. At the same time, the speed of working with data should increase - especially if the drive has a SATA III interface.

Other mode features

For outdated Windows XP there is no option to install AHCI mode. This option was not even contemplated during its development. If you really want it, required driver easy to find on the web and integrate into the system. Instructions for the process can also be found on the Internet, but we do not recommend performing such actions. First of all, because the processor and the entire computer, which only supports Windows system XP, setting the AHCI mode is unlikely to significantly speed up the speed. Secondly, significant differences between drivers increase the likelihood of an error, after which data from the disk may be lost.

For Windows Vista, the process of enabling the mode is the same as for the 7th version of the system - that is, using the registry or utility. And Windows NT can be configured similarly to the recommendations for XP. There are driver options for other systems - from Unix to MacOS, since SSD drives and SATA are gaining popularity among users of any system.

conclusions

In most cases, after performing the appropriate actions on the system, AHCI mode starts working normally and the system runs a little faster. If you cannot achieve any results, you can try to reinstall the system after changing the mode - this may take more time, but it guarantees results.

This is a new SATA mode to work with devices memory type. Only in it can a computer fully use all SATA capabilities, or rather:

1. Quick replacement hard drive. And in more detail, this means that it can be changed without turning off the computer. When working with servers it is very comfortable.
2. NCQ– thanks to this technology, the number of movements of the heads that perform reading is reduced significantly. Thereby speed hard drive usage increases when it is used by several programs at once.

If activate Achi, then you will quickly access files that are stored on ROM, and the computer will also work much better faster. Of course, the increase will not be noticeable on a regular home PC. However, if support this option is available, it will be better if you turn it on.

IDE mode - what is it?

This is too much outdated technology that was popular in the nineties and early two thousand. It was introduced in the IBM PC - the first computers. In it, data transfer took place on speed 150 Mbit per second. Many popular technologies didn't support. For example, without rebooting the PC it was impossible to remove HDD or CD drive. Then these features were added, but not every computer could use them. However, it is still in use today.

How to enable ACHI/IDE mode

Switching between ACHI and IDE occurs through BIOS. Done before Windows installation, in the following way:

In Windows 10 you can instantly switch on Achi, for this:

Which mode is better

Of course, it's best to choose ACHI. And this can be understood by comparing the two modes. IDE should be chosen if on your system no drivers to SATA. All modern PCs support SATA, that is, if you select IDE, it will occur emulation, and this will not give any increase in performance, which is not what we need.

Almost all modern HDDs operate via the SATA (Serial ATA) interface. This controller present in most relatively new motherboards and allows you to work in several modes, each of which has its own characteristics. The most innovative this moment is AHCI. We will tell you more about it further.

The potential of the SATA interface is fully revealed when using AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface). It interacts correctly only in latest versions OS, for example, in Windows XP the technology is not supported. The main advantage of the add-on in question is the increase in the speed of reading and writing files. Let's dwell on the advantages and talk about them in more detail.

Advantages of AHCI mode

There are factors that make AHCI better than IDE or RAID. We would like to highlight several main points:

1. As mentioned above, the speed of reading and writing files increases. This improves the overall performance of your computer. Sometimes the increase is not very noticeable, but for certain processes even minor changes increase the speed of task completion.
2. Best work with new HDD models. The IDE mode does not allow you to fully unleash the potential of modern drives, since the technology is quite old and you may not even feel the difference when using a low-end and a top-end hard drive. AHCI is developed specifically to interact with recent models.
3. Efficient SSD operation with the SATA form factor is only achieved with the AHCI add-on activated. However, it is worth noting that solid state drives with another interface are not associated with the technology in question, so activating it will have no effect at all.
4. In addition, the Advanced Host Controller Interface allows you to connect and disconnect hard disks or SSD on the motherboard without first turning off the PC.

Other AHCI Features

In addition to the advantages, the technology in question has its own characteristics, which sometimes cause problems for some users. Among all, the following can be highlighted:

1. We have already mentioned that AHCI is not compatible with operating system Windows system XP, however, on the Internet you can often find third-party drivers that allow you to activate the technology. Even if the switch is successful after installation, you are unlikely to notice an increase in disk speed. In addition, errors often occur that lead to the deletion of information from storage devices.
2. Switch add-ons in others Windows versions It’s also not an easy task, especially if the OS is already installed on the PC. Then you need to launch a special utility, activate the driver, or manually edit the registry. We will talk about this in more detail below.

Before you start searching and thoroughly studying information on how to enable AHCI in Windows 10, it is important to understand what AHCI is, why you need to connect such a technology, and whether all users, regardless of any other circumstances, need to subject their PC to such manipulations.

AHCI allows you to reorganize disk space to improve performance

Take the time and read a little theoretical information regarding the emergence of such a new mode as AHCI in the computer environment.

The specified theoretical knowledge will allow you to correctly make a responsible decision related to the inclusion this mode on your personal computer.

Focus of new technologies

If you are a prominent representative of PC users who cannot imagine performing work tasks without computer equipment, if you are trying to find time in the evening to “wander” around world wide web and get acquainted with the latest news, play cool games, you have certainly heard that over the past years, developers have been directing their efforts to modernize disk space.

AHCI mode allows you to increase hardware performance

Over time, the hard drive has grown in size, so it was very important to find ways to increase the performance of the disk subsystem.

Only after he appeared new interface and the SATA standard, the user was offered three unique technologies.

The first “Hot Plug” technology allows the PC user to instantly perform actions with the drive, including turning it off without turning off the electronic computer itself.

Yes, this technology is only useful to those who have several hard drives installed on their computer. New technology significantly saves time on performing these tasks.

The second technology “NCQ” is responsible for the order of execution of service tasks. It is this that helps increase the performance of hard drives. This technology also speeds up SSD, which also helps to quickly solve problems associated with an incredibly huge queue of incoming commands.

The third technology “TRIM” is focused only on modern SSD drives. It contributes to significant acceleration, as well as an increase in the service life of SSDs.

But specifically AHCI is aimed at using the capabilities of SSD, SATA and HDD. To experience the incredible speed increase, it is important that the SATA controller operates in AHCI mode.

Checking for AHCI Availability

Having plunged headlong into a theoretical vacuum, convinced that AHCI mode for Windows 10 is important, many will express a desire to enable it as soon as possible.

It is important to understand that new computer equipment on which Windows 7 or 10 is installed is already accompanied not only automatic connection mode, but also by automatic installation of drivers. If you still have doubts as to whether the specified mode is supported, whether it is installed on your PC or not, you can use useful tips and find the answer to this question yourself.

Mode checking algorithm

Checking AHCI mode in Windows 7 or 10 is easy. Initially, you need to open the “Device Manager”, there are two ways to do this.

First of all, click on the “Start” menu and go to the “Control Panel” menu. In the window that opens, in the first rows of the general list there will be the important “Device Manager” for you.

You can also open it by entering the phrase “Device Manager” in the search bar.

In the “Device Manager” that opens, you can easily find the line IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Click on it so that this section opens and displays its contents.

If the AHCI mode in Windows 7 or 10 is installed, and the corresponding drivers are installed at the same time, in the sublist that opens you can find something resembling one of the entries:

• Standard AHCI1.0 Serial ATA Controller;
• Intel(R)5 Series6 Port SATA AHCI Controller.

Note that the key in both of these entries is the presence of the word "AHCI" itself. Unfortunately, the absence of this word indicates that this mode is disabled and not installed.

In particular, if the word “IDE” flashes in this line, it means that you can confirm that the desired mode is not installed; you will have to work hard to remove “IDE” and install AHCI.

If you really want to change everything, then direct your efforts to familiarize yourself with how to enable AHCI mode in Windows 7 or 10.

Enabling the mode

If your smart machine already has Windows installed, you will have to make important changes to the registry of the system itself. By following the recommendations of experienced users, you will definitely succeed and be crowned with great success.

The main thing is not to make your own fantasy adjustments, especially in cases where you are little familiar with this kind of manipulation.

Mode connection algorithm

First of all, you must understand that the AHCI mode must be enabled before installing the operating system, otherwise the operating system simply will not boot upon a subsequent reboot.

Launch registry editor, you can also type “regedit” in the search bar.

In the registry that opens, you will have to carefully review all available branches to find “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci”.

On the right side of the open window you can find the “Start” key, which you will have to edit; accordingly, click on the “Modify” parameter.

A new window will open in front of you again, in which you will need to set a numeric parameter. Most often, by default, when the mode is disabled, you will be able to find the number 3 there, and you should change it to 0.

This completes the work with the registry, close all windows and restart your PC.

When the operating system starts, call BIOS. This needs to be done to make some changes to enable AHCI on the motherboard.

It’s not difficult to figure out how to change the BIOS IDE to AHCI. Right after BIOS boot go to the “Advanced” tab, and then in the list that opens, find the line “SATA Configuration”, click on it. A small window will immediately pop up with only two options to choose from: IDE and AHCI. Select the second option.

If you have done everything as prescribed by the algorithm, then when you start the operating system will detect new equipment and carry out automatic installation drivers.

There are times when the user has to do the opposite, look for ways to disable AHCI in the BIOS.

It’s easy to guess that to implement your plan, you will have to go the same way as described above, only in reverse order. It is advisable to start by switching the new mode to IDE in the BIOS, and then making all the changes to the registry. So, you can easily figure out how to disable AHCI even on your own.

So, the desire to enable AHCI mode is justified by the emergence of new successful opportunities and technologies. It is not difficult to carry out these actions if you have patience, attention and the appropriate algorithm for how to do it all.

Now to connect drives ( hard drives and CD, DVD, Blue-Ray drives) information to the computer, one interface is predominantly used - SATA (Serial ATA), operating on the basis of the AHCI. However, some PCs still use a different interface - ATA, which works based on the IDE engine. Actually, even with this information, we can conclude that AHCI or IDE is better. But still, let's look at these two technologies so that all questions finally disappear.

IDE– this is the mechanism according to which equipment connected via the ATA interface operates. This is an old technology that found widespread use in the 90s. The first mass-produced devices to use the IDE were the IBM PC (popular computers at that time).

The maximum data transfer speed over this interface was 150 megabits per second. In addition, it did not support some useful technologies, such as hot-swapping devices (disconnecting one device and connecting another without having to reboot the system). However, later engineers nevertheless introduced the necessary technologies, but not all computers received their support

Until about 2005-2006, Parallel ATA interfaces were actively used in many computers, but then they were replaced by more advanced Serial ATA.

AHCI mode - what is it?

AHCI– this is a mode designed for the modern SATA interface, support for which is present on absolutely all modern motherboards. It provides both high-speed data transfer between devices and has support for all modern technologies.

All current operating systems provide drivers for devices that use this protocol.

Which mode (IDE or AHCI) to choose in the BIOS settings

Which is better AHCI or IDE? Many motherboards (including the newest ones) have the ability to change the AHCI mode to IDE and vice versa in the BIOS. Moreover, by default it is always AHCI (there may be exceptions, but they are rare).

If one of the following is installed on the user's computer current versions operating system (for example, Windows 10, Windows 7, Ubuntu 16.04, etc.), then AHCI must be specified in the settings. This is due to the fact that if his PC can ensure stable operation of these systems, then, with a 99% probability, the hard drive and other drives are connected via SATA.

On the other hand, if your computer has an old system installed (for example, Windows XP), then you should definitely select IDE, even if the hard drive is connected via SATA. The point is that in this Windows versions There are no drivers provided to ensure the functioning of this interface.

As a result, if AHCI mode is enabled in the BIOS, then, for example, when you try to boot the system, blue screen of death. Yes, you can download software from the Internet that will enable Serial ATA support in XP, however, it is much easier to enable backwards compatible, which will allow you to use new equipment on the old system without any problems. I hope you have figured out which AHCI or IDE mode is better for your PC.

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