Solved Changed SATA mode from IDE to AHCI, some OS utilities broke

[Gun eeu]

I replaced the hard drive on my Gateway NV5909h (variation of NV59) laptop with a 750 GB Hitachi HTS547575A9E384. With some Gateway Recovery DVDs I'd made earlier, and with SATA mode being IDE, I restored the laptop's original Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit onto that hard drive.

After allowing Windows Update to install all the latest OS updates (including Service Pack 1), I tried following the steps at AHCI : Enable in Windows 7 / Vista, editing theiastorv and msahci registry entries, to allow changing SATA mode from IDE to AHCI.

I was able to boot into the OS in AHCI mode after making that change in the BIOS, and the Driver Software Installation window popped up, and all the AHCI-related drivers seemed to all install correctly.

However, after using my laptop for a few days, using both IDE and AHCI modes, I noticed at least 2 issues in AHCI mode that didn't occur in IDE mode:

• Windows Update doesn't work in AHCI mode, but works without noticeable issues in IDE mode. In AHCI mode, when I click "Check for updates" at the main Windows Update screen, I get a message saying, "Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer." Restarting seems to do nothing.
• Any troubleshooter doesn't work in AHCI mode. For example, when I right-click on my network taskbar icon and click "Troubleshoot problems", I see the message, "An problem is preventing the troubleshooter from starting.", with an error code of 0x8E5E0247.

Other notes:

• I couldn't successfully install the OS when I ran the installation while in AHCI mode; the installation process would always run into issues.
• I recall that at some point after installation and switching to AHCI mode afterward, running an installer for app would result in an error and the app not being installed; however, that seems to have resolved itself.
• Not sure if this is relevant, but about 20% of the time, when I try to boot in IDE mode (hasn't yet happened when booting in AHCI), I get a black screen with a blinking white underscore in the top-left corner, instead of the "Starting Windows" screen. Whenever this happens, I have to reboot, go into the BIOS and then exit (I don't even have to make any BIOS changes), to boot into Windows successfully.

 

[MeOnMine]

Hello and welcome to Seven Forums.

It is never a good idea to load Windows in either mode and then switch from one to the other.
If the OS was loaded in IDE then that is what it is now configured for.
Most machines will not even boot if it is switched in BIOS after.
If you want to run without issues you should install the OS after switching to AHCI.
As said, you are lucky it even boots so some issues I am not surprised.
Yes, AHCI is the better mode and also load Win7 in BIOS legacy not UEFI that is CSM to "Legacy Oprom Only" and Secure Boot to "Other OS'

 

[Ranger4]

Hi Gun eeu, welcome to the Forum.

This website might help you get the settings right as you need to make a Registry change.

Switch from IDE to AHCI after installing Windows 7 or Windows 8 - Winaero

Once you get it running properly in AHCI mode you may need to reset Windows Updates as shown in this Forum tutorial.

Windows Update - Reset - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Gun eeu]

Thanks for your replies and your welcomes.

For MeOnMine:

It is never a good idea to load Windows in either mode and then switch from one to the other.
If the OS was loaded in IDE then that is what it is now configured for.
Most machines will not even boot if it is switched in BIOS after.
...
As said, you are lucky it even boots so some issues I am not surprised.

Interesting that something that's "never a good idea" has its own tutorial right here on the Windows 7 Help Forums:

After allowing Windows Update to install all the latest OS updates (including Service Pack 1), I tried following the steps at AHCI : Enable in Windows 7 / Vista, editing theiastorv and msahci registry entries, to allow changing SATA mode from IDE to AHCI.

If you want to run without issues you should install the OS after switching to AHCI.

Already mentioned having tried that, and it didn't work:

I couldn't successfully install the OS when I ran the installation while in AHCI mode; the installation process would always run into issues.

For Ranger4:

This website might help you get the settings right as you need to make a Registry change.

Switch from IDE to AHCI after installing Windows 7 or Windows 8 - Winaero

Those steps appear to be almost exactly the same steps in the Windows 7 Help Forums tutorial I mentioned I'd already tried:

After allowing Windows Update to install all the latest OS updates (including Service Pack 1), I tried following the steps at AHCI : Enable in Windows 7 / Vista, editing theiastorv and msahci registry entries, to allow changing SATA mode from IDE to AHCI.

However, one difference was that the tutorial you posted only mentions changing a registry entry named "msahci", whereas the Windows 7 Help Forums tutorial mentions changing that entry and also the "iastorv" entry. What's the effective difference between changing just "msahci", and changing both entries?

Once you get it running properly in AHCI mode you may need to reset Windows Updates as shown in this Forum tutorial.

Windows Update - Reset - Windows 7 Help Forums

I tried OPTION TWO from that tutorial because I have no need to clear my update history, but it didn't solve my issue after step 6. I then tried following the steps at the How do I reset Windows Update components? link; but at step 11, installing the latest Windows Update Agent, the installation failed with error code 0x8000FFFF. After restarting, my issue was still there.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/971058/how-do-i-reset-windows-update-components

 

[torchwood]

Hi

The original error code relates to a bad set of intel drivers, IRST, (Iastorv)

This error does STOP windows updates from working.

UNFORTUNATELY in your case as you keep swapping between the 2 modes

You need to make a choice and stick to it
WHY
The INTEL drivers are different for each, i believe 1 is also configured for a RAID set-up

You can easily check this by running this tool
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=52012

It will, if im right, produce a specific set of errors
File mismatch(4) and tampered entries( approx 20), and turns the system non-genuine incorrectly.

Roy

 

[Megahertz07]

Try to install the HM55 chipset drivers
Downloads for Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset

 

[Gun eeu]

Thanks for your replies. I've decided to go with IDE mode instead of AHCI for now, as nothing seems to be getting AHCI working; as far as I can tell, IDE is working perfectly and I'm not personally observing any major disadvantages compared to IDE (despite hearing that AHCI was potentially faster). However, I'll leave the thread open for any further suggestions if anyone happens to have them.

UNFORTUNATELY in your case as you keep swapping between the 2 modes

You need to make a choice and stick to it
WHY
The INTEL drivers are different for each, i believe 1 is also configured for a RAID set-up

You can easily check this by running this tool
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=52012

It will, if im right, produce a specific set of errors
File mismatch(4) and tampered entries( approx 20), and turns the system non-genuine incorrectly

I had been trying to stick to AHCI, only switching to IDE when trying to verify if anything broken under AHCI did work under IDE. I ran the tool; I got 12 tampered files, and the tool appeared to modify a few system files (including explorer.exe and regedit.exe).

Try to install the HM55 chipset drivers
Downloads for Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset

Tried it, didn't work.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Gun eeu,

try these, you need the set at the bottom

Download Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST)

.enu

Rerun the tool, the tampered files should be gone

you could copy/paste it and i'll see if anything else is blocking your updates.
It's only a report it does NOT change anything

Roy

 

[Gun eeu]

Hi Gun eeu,

try these, you need the set at the bottom

Download Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST)

.enu

Rerun the tool, the tampered files should be gone

you could copy/paste it and i'll see if anything else is blocking your updates.
It's only a report it does NOT change anything

Roy

Thank you kindly.

I did a few malware scans in response to my system files changing (it had been Avira that had originally picked it up), and they seem to be ok now (apparently it now thinks CCleaner is malware). I installed iata_enu.exe, and after a couple of reboots, both Windows Update and troubleshooters are working. I'd say my main issue is solved.

I ran Genuine Advantage again afterward, and now there seem to be no file tampering issues. Log attached for reference.