Windows 7 with SATA hard disk - Setup in IDE mode HD is not recogised?

unidentified2010

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Windows 7 with SATA hard disk - in IDE mode HD is not recogised?

As the title suggests, I want to install Windows 7 to a new SATA Hard Disk.

In the BIOS have set SATA mode to IDE.



However, when booting the Windows 7 setup disc, it cannot find the hard disk at all.



If I switched to AHCI mode in BIOS however, it sees the HD no problem, but I don't want to use AHCI mode (want to dual boot with XP later, no problem with this I know how to do it).



How can make the Windows 7 boot disc see my SATA HD (Western Digital) in IDE mode?

Do I need a driver and if so can someone point me in the correct direction?
 

unidentified2010

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using a HDD in ACHI pose no problem for XP if you are going to dual boot, XP first and 7 after

I am aware of this, previously created a dual boot with Windows 7 and XP on AHCI and know this is possible.

XP will boot in either IDE or AHCI mode.


However, Windows 7 will only boot in AHCI mode - trying to boot in IDE would give a BSOD.


So wiped everything and decided to try again, but as post title, Windows 7 does not recognise SATA hard disk set as IDE :(


What mobo do you have.
Mine has 8 ports and only 4 of them can be configured as ide.
look in bios, should let you know if thats the problem.

Chipset is: Mobile Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset

Windows XP uses drivers for AHCI: Intel ICH7 series



What driver(s) should I be searching for Windows 7? Chipset? AHCI? Mass storage?
 

unidentified2010

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why do you want to use IDE, it's slower

Compatibility. Will allow me to switch between IDE and AHCI for both Operating Systems whenever necessary.

I can already do it with Windows XP, so why not with Win 7?

So is it a driver I need and if so which/what driver?

Which driver is it that in Windows XP is naturally recognising the SATA drive in IDE mode? Is it some kind of SATA to IDE bridge?

Also, I don't think I remember this problem in Windows 7 Beta, so something must have been taken out?
 

number13

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Actually the issue is in XP,(except for some Laptops-Toshiba for one, when I installed XP on a machine that had Vista preinstalled, I had to N-lite to add the ACHI drivers), 7 has the drivers native, but enlighten me, compatability?, I do not understand your logic
I found this in an older forum here
If you installed your OS with your SATA configured as Standard IDE, you will not be able to get into OS if SATA HDD is re-configured as AHCI in BIOS. You must install your OS with your SATA HDD configured as AHCI
So do you want Apples and Ice Cream, or Ice Cream and Apples
 

unidentified2010

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Actually the issue is in XP,(except for some Laptops-Toshiba for one, when I installed XP on a machine that had Vista preinstalled, I had to N-lite to add the ACHI drivers), 7 has the drivers native, but enlighten me, compatability?, I do not understand your logic

Yes I had to N-Lite to add my drivers also to Win XP, but it's not the problem.

The problem is Win 7 doesn't recognise the drive in IDE mode.

Something is amiss here, because the Beta did with no problems.
 

unidentified2010

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I can understand some of your thinking, but it does not change the fact that once you install the OS, if you change the BIOS setting to access the drive- no information, or am I mistaken

Doesn't seem to be the case with XP, can change between IDE and AHCI quite easily with no problems?

Don't see why this wouldn't be the same with Win 7 unless I'm assuming too much?
 

number13

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I found this in an older forum here
If you installed your OS with your SATA configured as Standard IDE, you will not be able to get into OS if SATA HDD is re-configured as AHCI in BIOS. You must install your OS with your SATA HDD configured as AHCI

Is this wrong
 

unidentified2010

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I found this in an older forum here
If you installed your OS with your SATA configured as Standard IDE, you will not be able to get into OS if SATA HDD is re-configured as AHCI in BIOS. You must install your OS with your SATA HDD configured as AHCI

I can't confirm this with Windows 7, as I can't get IDE mode working to confirm.

As for Windows XP, I seem to have no problem switching between the 2 after AHCI has been installed for XP.

I remember there were problems regarding switching between modes in the past but maybe they updated this?

Since it works in XP, can't see why the same wouldn't be true for Windows 7.

Still have the same original problem though, Windows 7 won't recognize my drive in IDE mode - what can I do to solve this one?
 

unidentified2010

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seems like a unnecessary feature, but you did not answer my question:
"but enlighten me, compatability?, I do not understand your logic"

Not really, it's personal. But in the end my original question is still unanswered which is the main issue.

Compatibility - AHCI can have some issues with low latency audio so I want the option to be able switch at will.

Preferably I would even just install Win 7 in IDE mode and forget AHCI totally but my original question is still unanswered so I cannot.
 

number13

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yes, it would appear tht the choice to install Win 7 in IDE mode is not going to happen, maybe it was capable iin the RC, but not the retail version, but if the desire is no complications with low latency audio, dual boot Win 7 and XP-SP2 or SP3, no problems then
BTW, I just tried to reboot my computer in ACHI mode( during install of 7, I never looked in BIOS and it used IDE mode(GigaByte GA-MA-770-US3), after about 15min of attempting repairs it decided that repairs were not possible, so how the RC was able to boot from ACHI after installation in IDE mode is a quandry
 

Scott2010au

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Well, if you boot up in Safe Mode and search the registry for the GUID of the volume(s) affected, then snip here and paste there and install the drivers (it should just autodetect but you'll need to use Safe Mode, or similar, at least once to get it to 'click' for Windows 7).

I am doing exactly what you want to be doing right now and I didn't do anything special. (That is, I am running Windows 7 x86 Home Premium on an Intel P965 chipset with ICH8/ICH8R southbridge).

Gigabyte have configured it so that the BIOS remaps the SATA ports over the IDE Primary Master.


PS: You might actually notice erratum with your motherboard manual on this subject, a few of them seam to be wrong. (As if there was a reprint, etc).
 

Scott2010au

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Oh, and I want to be doing the opposite - I want AHCI with NCQ goodness, just not enough to really worry about it to much as the BIOS can still force Native SATA mode when it remaps.

I have the RAID controller disabled though. ('Both' of them).
 

Scott2010au

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"so how the RC was able to boot from ACHI after installation in IDE mode is a quandry"

It is because Windows assigned GUID's to the volumes, it can self recover from certain issues. (Such as a drive controller changing - RAID or not).
 

unidentified2010

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yes, it would appear tht the choice to install Win 7 in IDE mode is not going to happen, maybe it was capable iin the RC, but not the retail version, but if the desire is no complications with low latency audio, dual boot Win 7 and XP-SP2 or SP3, no problems then

Maybe a silly question, but in Windows XP, the user can install in IDE, then install the drivers for AHCI afterwards.

Is this possible in Windows 7 somehow? ie. If Windows 7 is installed in AHCI mode and then booted in to IDE, it will BSOD everytime.

What if trying to boot into Safe Mode of Windows 7 with IDE enabled and then allow it to self-detect the correct driver for IDE? Does this work or does it still BSOD?


Well, if you boot up in Safe Mode and search the registry for the GUID of the volume(s) affected, then snip here and paste there and install the drivers (it should just autodetect but you'll need to use Safe Mode, or similar, at least once to get it to 'click' for Windows 7).

This is as above, but how do I do what is mentioned above if I don't know in the end which correct driver to install?


I would have assumed the Chipset drivers would be the logical conclusion, but when I try to feed those to the Windows 7 setup it doesn't like them (well, it will take them, but still doesn't see the hard disk).


BTW, I just tried to reboot my computer in ACHI mode( during install of 7, I never looked in BIOS and it used IDE mode(GigaByte GA-MA-770-US3), after about 15min of attempting repairs it decided that repairs were not possible, so how the RC was able to boot from ACHI after installation in IDE mode is a quandry

So your system didn't like using IDE mode at all?

With the RC, I completed installation in IDE mode and happily used Win 7 as normal.

Once this was completed I later installed the AHCI drivers and rebooted, never any problems switching between the two.

Thought it would be as easy in the Retail but can't even get off the ground with it.
 

unidentified2010

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Spoke too soon, am back to the beginning again with a blank hard disk.

Installed Windows 7 on AHCI, no problem.

Left it as AHCI, installed my Win XP as dual boot.

Tried switching to IDE, arrrrggggh, no go - have to install XP again in IDE mode.


I wonder if I updated the hard disk firmware would this make any difference in helping this situation?
 

unidentified2010

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Western Digital here, only thing I'm thinking is that it may help Windows 7 recognize it in IDE mode?

Only guessing though.

Will probably look back on this thread in a year or so and Microshaft will have fixed all these problems.
 

maninoz

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