Sata hard drive operating modes. What is AHCI mode, how to configure it

Computer security

Every owner of a laptop or desktop computer tries in every possible way to increase the productivity of his machine. It is possible to achieve an increase in the power of components by overclocking hardware using special software or by optimizing the system settings provided by the manufacturer itself.


However, regardless of the method of increasing the level of productivity, which users prefer, it is necessary to have a detailed understanding of how this or that device works, and also take into account all possible nuances that may arise during the overclocking process. In our today's article, we will focus on computer hard drives, in particular, on increasing their performance.

Classification of hard drives

Modern HDDs are divided into several types, which differ in the principle of the device. One of the most common types of hard disks is a standard 3.5-inch HDD based on an outdated spindle system. They have earned their demand due to the low cost of production, however, they work much slower than their more expensive counterparts - solid state drives.
Therefore, most laptops and desktop systems have standard hard drives installed.

Thus, a significant loss of speed is obtained, because rAM capable of transferring about 20 thousand megabits per second, the throughput of the processor bus is even higher, and hard drives can barely transfer up to 100 Mb / s. It is because of this that most laptop manufacturers use two types of HDDs in their devices, one of which is a solid-state drive and is intended for installation operating system... However, it should be noted that hard drives can operate in two modes - AHCI and IDE, which affect the speed of the storage device. So which is the best regimen?

Standards

The joint work of the hard drive and other devices is carried out thanks to a special controller, which acts as a kind of command converter. Previous models of hard drives supported only the IDE protocol, which was born simultaneously with the first HDD operating on the IDE interface. However, with the invention of the faster Sata port, a more modern aHCI mode, capable of operating in a faster mode, supporting hardware command sequencing and having the function instant shutdown... Thus, the AHCI hard drive operating mode is an improved version of its predecessor, in which more modern technologies and new opportunities.

Opportunities and prospects

Both standards are interchangeable and modern models of hard drives with Sata-interface support both modes of operation, therefore, in the system bIOS settings implemented the ability to switch between them.

Thus, by adjusting the operating mode of the hard drive, you can control the speed of its operation. However, it should be noted right away that both modes are supported only by those bIOS versionsthat are installed on motherboards with Sata connectors on board. All modern motherboards have this interface, so there will be no special problems when switching modes. However, this category also includes those motherboardsin which both Pata and Sata are implemented.

To understand which of the two modes work hard disks are best used, you need to be aware of the fundamental difference between them. If we compare between IDE and AHCI, then the second one has:

1. Higher speed of data exchange between the hard drive and other devices. For instance, latest versions HDDs supporting AHCI mode are capable of transferring up to 6 thousand megabits per second, depending on the interface version, against 100 Mb / s, which are inherent in the first generations of hard drives.

2. Integrated hardware command sequencing technology that allows the storage device to independently control the processing flow and command execution to improve efficiency and speed.

3. Ability to replace a component without first shutting down the computer.

4. Simultaneous operation of several hard drives in parallel.

Given all of the above advantages that AHCI has, all doubts about which of the two modes is better simply disappear. However, these days there are still those few users who turn off the system to replace the hard drive.

Theory and practice

Does the declared data transfer rate correspond to that in practice? Despite the presence of some innovative technologies in modern hard drives, as well as more innovative production technology, in reality, it is hardly possible to notice a large increase in the speed of work. The thing is that, despite the higher throughput, the rotation speed magnetic drives in different hard drives is the same and is 7200 rpm.

Thus, the data reading technology remained without any changes and improvements. This is confirmed by the results of numerous tests, during which even 200 megabits per second were not recorded, and 6 thousand were out of the question. Thus, real performance gains can only be achieved when using SSDs. And if installed in a portable or desktop computer, then in this case you can immediately set the AHCI operating mode in the system settings.

In many thematic computer forums, you can often find arguments in favor of a more modern regime due to its support for the NCQ protocol. In practice, it is really useful, because when working simultaneously with a large number of programs, hDD lays out the queue so that hardware resources are used most efficiently. However, in our daily life, users very rarely work with a large number of utilities at once, so it doesn't make much sense to talk about a significant increase in the speed of work either. In addition, the full potential of this technology is only unleashed when multiple storage devices are used in a computer that operate in parallel.

The seventh version of Windows OS and higher, with the activated AHCI mode, allows you to connect and disconnect hard drives with a Sata connection interface without turning off the computer. However, this function makes sense for server systems, and in the case of home and office machines, it is not of particular interest, since inside system unit the average user does not check in very often.

Thus, in practice, the use of a more modern AHCI mode makes almost no sense, since it will not affect the speed of the computer in any way, and it will be possible to achieve a real increase in the speed of data exchange, which will really be noticeable during operation, only when using solid-state drives.

Possible problems when switching HDD operation modes

If you nevertheless decide to change the protocol of the hard drive in system settings BIOS, then it is necessary to take into account some of the nuances that the user may encounter. For example, if in the process windows installations the AHCI mode was activated, then when the IDE protocol is activated, the operating system may stop loading. A similar situation does not always arise, however, in rare cases precedents do occur. Therefore, when installing the OS, it is necessary to install the necessary protocol in advance, with which the further operation of the computer is planned.

Besides, previous versions Windows OS do not have integrated driver packages, so the user will have to additionally look for compatible drivers for some devices. But the seven and later windows versions perfectly adapted to work with the AHCI protocol, and its activation occurs in just a few seconds via the BIOS.

Quite often there are questions arising in connection with connecting and configuring hard drives different types... Especially often - when installing an operating system on an SSD drive.

Basically, the difficulty of users arises when choosing a mode work hard disk - AHCI, RAID or IDE. Since the RAID parameter for regular user is not interesting, since it implies the creation of a software or physical array of disks and is intended mainly for servers, then we will not consider it, but restrict ourselves to parameters AHCI mode or IDE mode.

First of all, you need to remember that the AHCI mode can not be turned on at all motherboards and not with all discs. Therefore, before connecting it is necessary to carefully study the operating instructions of the respective devices.

IDE MODE

IDE mode is almost always enabled by default and provides compatibility with all types of computer hardware. This is one of the oldest methods of communication of any type of storage device with motherboard - even a drive optical discs, though hard. The IDE bus connection is made with an 80-wire ribbon cable. A big advantage of using the IDE interface is the ability to parallel connect two devices to one interface, for example, hard disk and CD or DVD ROM. In this case, a 4-pin molex connector is used to power the device.

Important: when using IDE disk or IDE cable (via an adapter) when connecting a hard disk, AHCI mode will not work! Attempting to switch will result in an error and a "screen of death"!

AHCI MODE

AHCI mode is designed to work only with hard drives connected using the SATA interface, regardless of its implementation. Designed for higher data rates and hot swappable and hot swappable connect hard disk.

Higher speed of disk access is provided using NCQ technology, which allows rebuilding the order of reading files from the hard disk surface depending on their location. For a simpler understanding, the process can be described as follows: first, data that are closer in location are read, and then the read head moves to files that are more distant on the surface of the hard disk. Moreover, the order of receipt of commands for reading is ignored by the system. It is also worth noting that the performance gain is noticeable very well when running resource-intensive applications (for example, games), and for more efficient work, the hard disk must have a good cache.

Hot plugging or replacement hard disk is a definite plus of using the AHCI mode. When sATA connection disk with AHCI mode activated in BIOS, the drive is detected instantly by the system and is ready for operation after power on. Almost the same way as a USB flash drive is detected.

The first thing to note is the use of solid state drives (SSD) to install the operating system - in this case, there are no options for choosing a connection mode - only AHCI.

If the hard disk used in the system is connected using the SATA interface, and the motherboard has the ability to switch to AHCI mode, then its activation is preferable, since it will increase the performance of the system as a whole.

The only condition for activating the AHCI mode when already installed system Windows - the need to install drivers and make changes to the registry.

How to switch ahci to ide in bios?

To switch the mode in the BIOS, you need to find the "Controller Mode" or similar item, in which you can select the IDE, AHCI, RAID or Compatibility mode. Although, depending on the BIOS manufacturer, this parameter can be found in various menus.

Switching between ahci and ide modes - Option 1

Switching between ahci and ide modes - Option 2

Switching between ahci and ide modes - Option 3

Switching between ahci and ide modes - Option 4

Switching between ahci and ide modes - Option 5

As you can see from everything described above, AHCI mode is preferable for working with disks connected using the SATA interface and having sufficient cache. A big plus is the use of this mode when replacing or testing hard disks - no constant reboot required. It is good practice to set the default AHCI mode to gaming computers and using resource-intensive applications for work.

IDE mode does not require any special manipulations with connection or settings, and the speed of accessing the hard disk when using a computer to perform standard tasks is quite sufficient, despite the outdated protocol.


If you turn to system administrator and ask the question, what is the weakest link in a computer? - you will get the answer that this is exactly the HDD, because it is practically the only mechanical element of the system that slows down the entire computer. In this regard, many manufacturers were looking for a way out, at least some opportunity to speed it up, also with SSD. The way out became visible when using AHCI.

AHCI disk mode includes several main differences (there are 3 of them), which make it a priority for everyone to use. disk drivesapart from legacy IDEs. The main features of the mode:

  • Hot Plug - allows you to hot swap computer components (disks). Thus, there is no need to turn off and disconnect the PC, you can change HDD, SSD directly in the operating mode. This is important for server stations, where disconnection is unacceptable and is simply convenient for everyone who uses multiple disks;
  • NCQ - support for "deep" sequence of commands, that is, it is able to set up a more efficient trajectory of movement of the head in mechanical and significantly increases the output in SSD;
  • TRIM is primarily applicable to SSDs, as it guarantees a significant increase in speed.

AHCI mode allows you to take advantage of all these benefits, and most likely you have the option to turn it on. If you are using an SSD, then you probably need to enable it to see the proper speed of its operation, applicable to both SATA II and SATA III, except for outdated IDE drives. Therefore, if you are in doubt about which ide or AHCI mode to choose, the latter is definitely an advantage.

How to check if AHCI mode is enabled?

First of all, you need to find out whether it is worth taking further switching, perhaps you already have it active. There are several places that show necessary information: Device Manager and BIOS.

  • Click Start, where RMB on "Computer" and click on "Properties";
  • Now select "Device Manager";
  • Next expand the section "IDE ATA / ATAPI controllers";
  • Check for a section titled AHCI.

In the absence of such an item, you can find out that it is inactive. Also consider another option via BIOS (UEFI):

  • Go to BIOS by pressing Del or F2 (possibly other keys) when starting the computer;
  • You should go to the section called SATA or Storage in different variants until you find SATA Mode / Configuration, where the mode will be shown.

At this stage, do not change the connection mode, as this is fraught with system errors. It is best to enable AHCI mode in BIOS and install software new windows, which guarantees normal processing of the mode, but this is quite radical.

How to enable AHCI mode in Windows 7?

The most relevant and common system in which we will perform actions. It should also be noted that if you install new discthen you can freely switch the AHCI mode without any consequences. There are also several options for activating AHCI: through the registry and through the utility. A more correct option would be through the registry in order to prepare the system for further changes, the latter method will simply help to solve overdue errors in the computer.

  • Press Win + R and enter regedit;
  • Follow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \\ SYSTEM \\ CurrentControlSet \\ services \\ msahci;
  • Change the Start option to 0;
  • Find the lastorV section here;
  • Also replace Start with 0.

Now you can enable AHCI mode in BIOS and Windows will correctly detect it by installing the necessary drivers. Alternative way involves changing the mode initially and then simply fixing the error. To do this, use the official Microsoft Fix it utility. After installation, run a check and the failures will be eliminated, you may need to run from safe mode.

How to enable Windows 10 AHCI mode?

In general, the actions are not significantly different, let's consider the differences in editing the registry.

  • In the same section, as in Windows 7, you need to change the Start parameters in the iaStorV and storahci folders to 0;
  • Expand each of the above sections and go to the StartOverride subsections, where parameter 0, set the value to 0.

We managed to enable Windows AHCI mode, but it is worth noting that it is better to run the first launch in safe mode in order to avoid unnecessary problems. During the initial power-up, the AHCI operating mode will set required drivers automatically.

You should make a reservation about distinctive featuresHow to enable AHCI mode in Windows XP and other legacy versions.

Although XP support this regime not at all, there are drivers that extend these capabilities, although this is not safe.

You should also think about whether it is worth it, because if the computer is very weak for more modern systems, then the speed gain will be insignificant. Also, the AHCI controller mode in Vista is included in the same way as the "seven".

So, the AHCI sata mode is easy to enable, and the system will reward you for your efforts with a speed boost. Usually, there are no problems with changing the controller, but if you encounter them, then just run the Microsoft Fix it utility. AHCI is mandatory for use SSD diskotherwise you won't be using its full speed.

If you still have questions on the topic "What is AHCI mode and how to configure it?", You can ask them in the comments


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It is worth enabling and configuring the AHCI mode for every user who wants to improve and expand the capabilities of the computer in working with SATA hard drives and, especially, SSDs.

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

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

What is AHCI

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

  1. AHCI.

The first provides compatibility with older devices (drives manufactured in 2000). The speed of even the most productive disks in this mode is not much different from those of the very outdated models. The more modern AHCI mode allows you to take full advantage of the SATA interface. For example, disconnecting and connecting drives to the motherboard "on the fly", without shutting down the computer, or with the possibility of minimal movement of the drive heads to increase the 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 as significant (within 20%), for some tasks, such an improvement may be important. If you have SATA SSD drives in your work, this option is the only option for efficient operation of the device.

IMPORTANT: Should you enable AHCI on your SSD?

When using AHCI mode on an SSD, you will only get the result if you have sATA interface II / III, in other cases there will be no improvement.

How to check if the mode is on

If you are planning to enable AHCI mode, make sure that it is not already in use on your computer. If you are not running high-performance applications, you have powerful processor and a sufficient amount of memory, you may simply not notice in which mode you are working.

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

  1. First, go to the properties of the computer (the "Start" menu, the "Computer" item, the "Properties" sub-item in the context menu);
  2. Open the device manager;
  3. Open the IDE ATA / ATAPI controllers section;
  4. If there is a device with AHCI in its name, the mode works. If there is no such disk in the list (and you have not an outdated IDE hard drive, but a more modern one), you will have to enable the mode yourself.

The second way to check if AHCI is working 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 consists in pressing the function keys - from Esc to F12).

Going into BIOS (or UEFI), make sure in which mode SATA works by finding the item SATA Mode or SATA Configuration.

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

How to enable AHCI mode

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

In this case, if you have Windows 7, after trying to boot the system on the screen, most likely, an inscription like 0x0000007B INACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE will appear, indicating the impossibility of working with the disk. Sometimes the same situation happens with Windows 8 and 10, but the probability of the message appearing is less - most often the computer starts up or starts to reboot constantly.

A completely different situation will be if you select AHCI mode before installing the system. This will enable software from installation disk to recognize the parameters of the HDD or SSD during the launch of the installer, and there will be no problems with 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 desired result, all that remains is to enable AHCI and reinstall the system.

For Windows 7

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

  1. Launch the registry editor (Win + R to call the Run menu, enter the regedit command and confirm the changes);
  1. Go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \\ SYSTEM \\ CurrentControlSet \\ services \\ msahci section;
  2. Go to the Start item, whose default value is 3, and change it to zero;
  1. Going in the same subsection from msahci to IastorV and searching for the Start parameter;
  2. Change of three to zero;
  3. Closing the editor.

Now it remains to restart the computer and enable the desired AHCI mode in the BIOS menu. After loading windows systems 7 will start automatically installing drivers for all drives connected to the motherboard, and then will require another reboot to make changes. The last step in configuring the mode is to check if the write caching mode is enabled in the disk properties. If it is not enabled, the function should be started.

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

  1. Return IDE mode to BIOS;
  2. to restart a computer;
  3. Run command line on behalf of the administrator ("Start" / "All programs" / "Standard");
  4. Enter the command bcdedit / set (current) safeboot minimal
  1. Press the enter button;
  2. Reboot the PC and enter BIOS;
  3. Enable AHCI mode;
  4. Run the command line again;
  5. Enter the bcdedit / deletevalue (current) safeboot command;
  6. Reboot the system again, after which Windows should stop giving an error message.

If your system is running on an Intel processor, it is possible additional option enabling AHCI using a utility from this manufacturer (for AMD, this method does not work).

To use it you should:

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

For Windows 10

Windows 10 to fix an error when switching modes also allows you to use a utility to intel processors, reinstalling the system and safe mode. But the most effective option would be to use a registry editor, which is slightly different from the analogous method in Windows 7.

In order to use this method you need:

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

Tip: It is recommended to complete 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 put a tick on the safe mode item, indicating the "Minimum" option.

Fig. 9. Switching the mode in the UEFI interface

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

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

Other features of the mode

For the outdated Windows XP OS, there is no option to set the AHCI mode. During its development, such an option was not even assumed. If you really want to, required driver easy to find on the web and integrate into the system. Process instructions can also be found online, but we do not recommend doing this. First of all, because the processor and the whole computer, which only supports windows system XP, setting the AHCI mode is unlikely to significantly help speed up. Second, 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 action on the system, the AHCI mode starts working normally, and the system runs a little faster. If no results are achieved, you can try reinstalling the system after changing the mode - this may take longer, but it guarantees the result.

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

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

The maximum data transfer rate on this interface was 150 megabits per second. In addition, it did not support some useful technologies, for example, hot swapping devices (disconnecting one device and connecting another without having to restart the system). However, later the engineers nevertheless implemented 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 Is a mode designed for modern interface SATA, support for which is present in 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 using this protocol.

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

What is better AHCI or IDE? In many motherboards (including the newest ones), the BIOS has the ability to change the AHCI mode to IDE and vice versa. At the same time, AHCI is always listed there by default (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 provide stable work of these systems, then, with a probability of 99%, the hard drive and other drives are connected via SATA.

On the other hand, if an old system is installed on the computer (for example, Windows XP), then you should definitely choose IDE, even if the hard drive is connected via SATA. The fact is that this version of Windows does not provide drivers for the operation of this interface.

As a result, if the AHCI mode is enabled in the BIOS, then, for example, when trying to boot the system, the monitor will display 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 backward compatibility, which will allow you to easily use new hardware on old system... I hope you figured out which of the AHCI or IDE modes is best for your PC.

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