How to Install AHCI Support for ATI SB600 SATA Controllers on Existing Windows Installations

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Back up your critical data

   There are lots of programs out there to do it.
   
   Hopefully you won't have to use your backup, and the procedure is pretty safe, but consider yourself warned anyway.
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   Step 2: and especially your registry.

   If it's enabled and you can boot into windows, you don't need this walkthrough. ,,,,, This will list, in great detail, all of your PCI devices and their properties.
   
   Your AHCI controller will be in there somewhere, and its subsystem and device number will be listed.
   
   Edit the registry file as necessary. ,, If you don't, it is likely that your changes will be lost and you'll have to install the .reg file again.
   
   Reboot, go into the BIOS and enable AHCI.
   
   Then squint, pray, and let Windows boot. , If it does fail, tweak the registry file a little and try again. , and let the official driver install on the computer. ,
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   Step 3: Make sure AHCI is disabled in the BIOS.

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   Step 4: Download the drivers for the M3A/ATI SB600 from here: http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=M3A

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   Step 5: Extract the zip file.

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   Step 6: Copy the appropriate .sys (in my case

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   Step 7: ahcix64.sys) to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\.

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   Step 8: Copy the following text

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   Step 9: paste it into Notepad

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    Step 10: and save it to a .reg file (for instance

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    Step 11: ahci.reg): Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 "Service"="ahcix64" "ClassGUID"="{4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}" "Type"=dword:00000001 "Start"=dword:00000000 "Group"="SCSI miniport" "ErrorControl"=dword:00000001 "ImagePath"="system32\\drivers\\ahcix64.sys" "tag"=dword:00000019 "DisplayName"="ATI AHCI Compatible RAID Controller" "5"=dword:0x00000001 "EnableALPEDisableHotplug"=dword:0 "EnableCCC"=dword:1 "CCCTimeoutValue"=dword:10 "CCCCompletionValue"=dword:32 "NCQEnableDiskIDBits"=dword:0 "EnableHIPM"=dword:0 "EnableDIPM"=dword:0 "0"="PCI\\VEN_1002&DEV_4380&SUBSYS_82311043\\3&13c0b0c5&0&FA" "Count"=dword:00000001 "NextInstance"=dword:00000001

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    Step 12: Download a handy Linux-based live CD (or even better

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    Step 13: dual-boot with Linux)

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    Step 14: boot it

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    Step 15: and run something to the effect ofsudo lspci -vvnn | lessto make sure that the device and subsystem numbers are correct.

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    Step 16: Double-click on the registry file to add its entries to your registry.

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    Step 17: *After modifying the registry

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    Step 18: you must do this on the next boot.

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    Step 19: Disable AHCI in the BIOS

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    Step 20: if Windows bluescreens and reboots your system.

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    Step 21: Replace the ugly hack job of a driver "installation" with a true installation by running AsusSetup.exe (or the like) from the driver zip.

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    Step 22: Reboot the computer

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    Step 23: to have the driver take effect.

Detailed Guide

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