Trying to enable AHCI on existing install of Vista

[solomongrundy]

I'm fixing one of my relative's computer -bloody thing was filled with spyware and viruses. It's some crappy Gateway DX4300 desktop with an AMD780G chipset.

I don't have a lot of experience with AMD chipsets. Gateway, being a piece of shit that they are, have enabled IDE mode for all the attached drives by default. I want to enable AHCI but when I do, I get an expected BSOD. I've changed the registry setting to allow for AHCI switching already (HKLM/..../CurrentCOntrolSet/MSAHCI/Start value 0, etc...and I still get a BSOD. It just says ...00007B stop error. This error pops up at the scrolling bar at Windows Vista bootup.  

Trying to get into safe mode does the same thing. It will load the usual bunch of files but when it gets to crcdisk.sys -bsod.

 

Suggestions?

[Sarcasm]

There's a driver you need to install to get AHCI going. It would normally be automatically installed if Windows detects it in AHCI when first installed, but if you retrofit you need the driver.

[solomongrundy]

There's a driver you need to install to get AHCI going. It would normally be automatically installed if Windows detects it in AHCI when first installed, but if you retrofit you need the driver.

I've have also tried this already.  i installed the latest AMD chipset drivers,which include the AHCI drivers in the release notes, but since the hard drive is in IDE mode i have a feeling it doesn't install it's own AHCI drivers. 

[Sarcasm]

I've have also tried this already.  i installed the latest AMD chipset drivers,which include the AHCI drivers in the release notes, but since the hard drive is in IDE mode i have a feeling it doesn't install it's own AHCI drivers. 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

 

Mark this as solved when you're done.

[solomongrundy]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

 

Mark this as solved when you're done.

thanks for you help, but this was a no go either.

I've a feeling that there are some core components related to AHCI missing from this worthless install of OEM Vista. I'm reminded again why I hate these OEMs (Gateway, HP, etc) and vowed never to buy from them for any of my personal computers. I'm just going to leave it as it is. I've cleaned the gunk and viruses out of it, it's good to go.

[amintha1992]

thanks for you help, but this was a no go either.

I've a feeling that there are some core components related to AHCI missing from this worthless install of OEM Vista. I'm reminded again why I hate these OEMs (Gateway, HP, etc) and vowed never to buy from them for any of my personal computers. I'm just going to leave it as it is. I've cleaned the gunk and viruses out of it, it's good to go.

if its a HDD and not a SSD whic i dont think it is... AHCI is not going to be a huge benefit. just forget about it. 

[solomongrundy]

if its a HDD and not a SSD whic i dont think it is... AHCI is not going to be a huge benefit. just forget about it. 

it's an old pc with a HDD. To be honest, i was surprised to even see a setting to enable AHCI as it's usually missing it on these types of pcs with their crippled bios.

I just wanted to enable it to get the max out of the pc, however small of a boost it may have been.

[amintha1992]

it's an old pc with a HDD. To be honest, i was surprised to even see a setting to enable AHCI as it's usually missing it on these types of pcs with their crippled bios.

I just wanted to enable it to get the max out of the pc, however small of a boost it may have been.

you are better off spending time on other stuff like virus and malware than tryin to do this