Hello everybody!
This video will show you how to enable AHCI mode for a computer where an operating system
has already been installed.
The SATA interface can operate in two modes, IDE and AHCI:
• IDE – a compatibility mode for older equipment and software.
In fact, in this mode SATA capacity is no different from its predecessor, ATA (or PATA)
interface; • AHCI – a new mode for memory devices,
where a computer can use all SATA advantages, primarily higher speed of data exchange with
SSD and HDD as well as hot swapping of hard disks.
When you activate AHCI mode, it increases the speed of access to files in memory devices
and improves overall performance of your computer.
It is quite possible that AHCI mode is already enabled in your PC.
It can be checked in several ways: Method one.
• Go to Device Manager • Open the section “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.”
• If there is a device containing “AHCI” in its name as in our case, it means that
AHCI mode is used in this computer.
Method two.
• Go to BIOS or UEFI.
Watch another video on our channel to see how to enter BIOS or UEFI in your PC or laptop
(find the link in the description).
• Find an item with the name “Storage options,” “SATA Mode,” “SATA Emulation”
or anything similar.
• If the value of such item is “AHCI” then AHCI mode is already enabled.
• If the value says “IDE,” don’t hurry to change it into “AHCI.”
The matter is that if you just enable AHCI mode after Windows installation, you
• will face a BSOD error, INACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE (which is known as “blue screen of death”)
• or your system will refuse to boot, getting stuck in a series of restarts.
That is why it is recommended to enable AHCI before installing Windows.
Please take note, that in some computers, there is no BIOS option to change to AHCI
mode.
In this case, the problem can sometimes be fixed by updating the BIOS.
Watch one of the videos in our channel to learn how to update BIOS.
Find the link in the description.
There are several ways to enable AHCI mode for SATA on a computer where Windows is already
installed, and Windows will work normally after this operation:
Method one: • Run Registry Editor.
• To do it, press Win + R and type in the command “regedit.”
• Go to the section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ iaStorV
• double-click on Start element and set its value to 0 (zero).
• In the next section, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ iaStorAV\
StartOverride set the zero value for the element 0.
• In the section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ storahci set
the value to 0 (zero) for Start element.
• In the subsection, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ storahci\
StartOverride set the zero value for the element 0.
In our case, there is nothing to see, but you will see it, if AHCI has not been enabled
yet.
• Close Registry Editor.
• Restart the computer and go to UEFI or BIOS.
For the first time after the restart, it is better to boot Windows in safe mode.
All methods to boot Windows in safe mode are described in detail in this video by our channel.
You will find the link in the description.
• In UEFI or BIOS, find SATA settings to select the mode for memory devices.
Switch them to AHCI, save settings and restart the computer.
• After the restart, Windows will start installation of SATA drivers, and when it
is over, it will ask you for another restart.
Do it, and AHCI mode in Windows will be enabled.
If the first method didn’t work for some reason, here is another way to do it.
To begin with, if you have problems with booting Windows in AHCI mode, go back to IDE and restart
the computer.
After that: • Launch the Command prompt as Administrator.
• Type in the command prompt: “bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal” and press
Enter.
• After you see a message that the operation is successful, restart the computer.
• Before booting your PC, enable AHCI in BIOS or UEFI using the method we have already
described, and save the settings.
• The computer will boot in safe mode and install all necessary drivers.
• Launch the Command prompt as Administrator again and type in
bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot.
• After the command is executed, restart the computer again.
This time, Windows should boot with AHCI enabled and without any problems.
As you can see, these actions can theoretically result in unwanted consequences such as inability
to start the operating system.
That is why you should do it only if you know why you do it, if you can enter BIOS or UEFI,
and if you are ready to fix unforeseen consequences if anything happens.
For example, you may have to reinstall Windows in AHCI mode.
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We’ll be glad to answer any questions in comments.
Thank you for watching and good luck!