Vista and intel AHCI disk controller problems.

[ofbarea]

I was looking for a board with on-board firewire and additional free slots for expansion. My chosen board was an Abit IP35 mobo. It has one 16x PCIe video slot, a couple of 1x PCIe and 3 standard PCI slots. It also has a Ethernet port, firewire400, several USB, PS2 keyboard/mouse, floppy internal controller… No Serial, no parallel port…

It has 6 SATA ports (thanks to the ICH9R southbridge) and one PATA that I’m using with my burners. My boot disk is a 150 MB Raptor.

So far everything was fine. With only the video card and floppy drive installed, I booted to DOS and flashed the BIOS to the latest version…
At this point I configures the SATA ports as standard IDE in BIOS, I connected the burners and the hard disks and I started installing Vista x64 ultimate and eventually failed. I attempted installing Vista x86 and it failed.
I repeated the whole with the SATA ports configured to AHCI mode and it failed.
Then I changed the BIOS to raid and attempted to re-install and it failed.

I change the SATA ports back to AHCI and attempted to re-install with Vista drivers bundled. It failed…

It looks like this is happening to several people using recent Intel chipsets in Vista and several brands of hard disks. It appears that WD Raptors are the most affected ones (like in my case), but a lot of other brands\models are also affected.

At least Intel has some recommendations on this regard: http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-025783.htm

Microsoft is also reporting some problems related to Intel chipsets SATA controller, Vista and some applications: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=932094

There are several forums talking about this problem, this one is the most complete I found so far: http://www.flyingnerd.com/intel-raid-problem-under-windows-vista

I posted this in here so other with similar issues will have an idea on what do do next.

In my case I was not able to install Vista to my Raptor 150. Luckily I found an old Silicon Image PCI to SATA. This card was not supported out of the box by Vista, but I did find updated x64 drivers in their web site.

With this card I installed installed Vista x64. Then I installed intel chipset and SATA drivers, then I downloaded all available Vista updates.

Finally I replaced my Raptor to the SATA port in the mobo and every worked.


Vista boot disk experience is 5.9 while with the PCI old SATA card it was 4.5.

Good luck

[Ghostface Killah]

I am running into the exact same problem myself with the Abit IP35. My plan was to take a 74GB Raptor drive (WD740GD), I got another 74GB Raptor (WD740ADGD?) and I was going to use a RAID 0. Well, after much headaches, I gave up on the RAID 0 configuration and just tried to install it as a JBOD. Keeping the SATA controllers configuration RAID, I figured the AHCI would pass the HD info over to Vista. Wrong, unlike the RAID configuration, I cannot get the drive to show up. I changed the controller configuration to IDE, still can't get either drive to show (and I installed every additional drive available for the chipset during install). I tried this with both Vista 32 and 64 OS install CD's. Sometimes its gets further than others, but it all ends with the system shutting down.

It has been a complete headache. Now I can't get anywhere as near as far as I was originally with the RAID setup (Vista would get to "Installing Configuration" and then restart, complaining that the installation didn't finish. Now, I can't get it past the initial loading of files (something quick pops on the screen at the end of that sequence, mentioning the registry, however the system shuts off before you can read the whole thing. It's not a BSOD, it comes up looking like a Vista GUI pop-up).

I'm almost at my wits ends with this thing. I've literally worked on hundreds of computers, built over 30 machines, and never had any difficulty like this. I'm going to do my last round of trials and tests tonight (following some of the tips here) before i start sending parts back. Anyone else dealing with this problem and has been able to get buy it, please detail your experiences (HD models, Motherboard models, configuration, OS, etc). Maybe we can get a good collection of information going.

[Ghostface Killah]

Forgot to check notify on reply.

[ofbarea]

These things are a pain, but still will affect some of us while doing a clean installation of the system.

If none of the tips worked (like in my case ) and if you do not have a spare PCI IDE/SATA card around, you could try to install Vista in another drive. Remove your Raptos, configure your BIOS as raid and install Vista to that drive.

Once you have a fully functional system, install latest Intel chipset drivers (http://support.intel.com/).
Then remove your install disk, install your Raptors and create and array whit them and install your boot disk in another SATA port.

Make sure your BIOS see your array and your single device and then using Ghost or a similar tool, move your Vista partition to your Raptor array.

For Abit IP35 upgrade your BIOS to v12. Avoid v13 BIOS as it is too buggy. You may go to v14 Beta 05 as it works fine, or wait in V12 until v14 final is released. Check http://forum.uabit.com/showthread.php?p=890253 for more info.

My configuration at the time of the problem:

OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x64
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 not overclocked
HD: 150 WD Raptor
Memory: 2 GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 CAS5 (2 sticks)
Video: eVGA GeForce 8800 Ultra
Mobo: Abit IP35 BIOS v12
Audio: Disabled in BIOS
DVD: BenQ DW1650 (PATA master)
PSU: Antec TruePower Trio 650

[Troyboy101]

Hello. I have a concern. I have presumed that this is my issue as well. I have the Intel motherboard D915PBL and ever since I installed the Windows Vista Ultimate on my Maxtor SATA II 7200 hard drive, I have been getting the BSOD with error stop 8086. I have been to Experts-Exchange with this issue and submitted several HijackThis files (after each 8086 BSOD incident, averaging one per night) to the experts to determine my issues. They have arrived to the fact that it is my iastor.sys file that seems to be causing the problems. I WISH, WISH, WISH, I could just get the latest Version 7.5 of the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Intel has and install it on Vista Ultimate and be done!!! It states it has the fix regarding this issue. However, I cannot and I am stuck! With this motherboard, I have the ICH6R Intel Storage Controller Hub (specifically, Intel 82801 FR I/O Controller Hub using the ACHI non-RAID controller). The last driver update Intel has released for this controller was version 7.0.0.1020 this past May. Therefore I am screwed trying to fix this problem with Windows Vista on this motherboard. Intel no longer supports this motherboard and considers it "mature". It is like I am caught in the middle and now Intel has let me go. To end this problem, I have downgraded back to Windows XP and so far had only one BSOD error right after I installed the OS. I used the F6 process with the old floppy drive Intel Application Accelerator during installation. I selected the driver ACHI from the options to install during the F6 process. Then after that BSOD 8086 (after XP was installed), I immediately installed version 7.0.0.1020 and things are now fine. It appears that this latest driver took care of Windows XP, but cannnot fix Vista. Any suggestions? I have read websites indicating that the 8086 error is somehow related to this Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Link Power Management (LPM) registry settings as Intel has published. Yes, they provide that fix in an update that I cannot install with my ICH6R. I am not a computer genius, but could someone please CLEARLY DETAIL THE STEPS with the registry tweak the Flying Nerd has shown at: http://www.flyingnerd.com/intel-raid-problem-under-windows-vista/. I feel I have to try alternatives now. Maybe by changing the registry in Windows Vista, I will be able to fix this 8086 error. Some people have had success with it. Maybe I can too. Please clearly detail in a comment the appropriate registry fix steps for me with Vista. Also, any suggestions are much appreciated too. PLEASE REPLY! THANK YOU!

[ofbarea]

I think your mobo it is supported:

Chipsets supported by Intel® Matrix Storage Manager

The Intel® Matrix Storage Manager supports the following Intel® chipsets:

* Intel® X38 Express Chipset
* Intel® Q33 Express Chipset
* Intel® Q35 Express Chipset
* Intel® G31 Express Chipset
* Intel® G33 Express Chipset
* Intel® G35 Express Chipset
* Intel® P31 Express Chipset
* Intel® P35 Express Chipset
* Mobile Intel® GM965 Express Chipset
* Mobile Intel® PM965 Express Chipset
* Intel® G965 Express Chipset
* Intel® P965 Express Chipset
* Intel® Q963 Express Chipset
* Intel® Q965 Express Chipset
* Intel® 5000P Chipset
* Intel® 5000V Chipset
* Intel® 5000X Chipset
* Intel® 975X Express Chipset
* Intel® 955X Express Chipset
* Intel® 945 Express Chipset family
* Mobile Intel® 945 Express Chipset family
* Intel® E7230 Chipset
* Mobile Intel® 915 Express Chipset family
* Mobile Intel® 910GML Express Chipset

The chipset must be using one of the following controllers:

* Intel® 82801IR/IO controller hub (ICH9R) - RAID and AHCI
* Intel® 82801HEM I/O controller hub (ICH8M-E) - RAID and AHCI
* Intel® 82801HBM I/O controller hub (ICH8M) - AHCI only
* Intel® 82801HR/HH/HO I/O controller hub (ICH8R) - RAID and AHCI
* Intel® 631xESB/632xESB I/O Controller Hub - RAID and AHCI
* Intel® 82801GHM I/O Controller Hub (ICH7MDH) - RAID only
* Intel® 82801GBM I/O Controller Hub (ICH7M) - AHCI only
* Intel® 82801GR I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R) - RAID and AHCI
* Intel® 82801GH I/O Controller Hub (ICH7DH) - RAID and AHCI
* Intel® 82801FBM I/O Controller Hub (ICH6M) - AHCI only

Just go here: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=2101

Download the Vista version and try to install it. Perhaps it will not install the latest driver, but it could apply whatever registry fix that vista seem to be needing.

[Troyboy101]

Hello, thanks for your response. Yes, your right, my motherboard chipset is part of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager to date, but not part of the latest controllers any longer that provides updates (the Intel 82801 FR I/O Controller Hub (ICH6R)). That terminated in May with Intel updates for the ICH6R. Read the release notes for version: 7.0.0.1020 (the last update), you will see that it states that the ICH6R ACHI id the last update. This IS JUST BEFORE the fix. Yes, I am screwed! Intel will not help me any longer. I guess they see it that my controller is too old now. I have tried to install the latest Intel Matrix Storage Manager posted a few weeks ago for the neck of it and it will not install, I get an error message during installation that it is not compatible which makes sense to their release notes. I am between a rock and a hard place with this LPM glitch with Vista. Yes, I am part of the motherboard chipsets that are having a problem, but too old to update my controller. That is why I am trying to find alternate courses. ...or due to Intel, I may not be able to use Vista with this motherboard. If it comes right down to it, I will never again buy an Intel or Intel related motherboard!!! Any suggestions???

[ofbarea]

Have you attempted the registry fixes listed in the Intel RAID problem under Windows Vista post?

Roy Sonnega Says:
7 Apr 2007 at 0:05 (Sydney)

If I read the intel website correctly, the advice to only use port 3,4 or 5, is only for those who cant install or boot Windows Vista correctly. For me, this is not the case. Im using port 0, 2 and 3, and I dont have any problems whatsoever.

So, to summarize the Intel solution:

– Delete the registry key ‘parameter’ in both ‘iastor’ and ‘iastorV’ keys if you have timeout (event 9) problems.
– Only use port 3, 4 or 5 if you have problems installing or booting into vista.

I think thats about it…

[Troyboy101]

Again, thanks. This is what I am looking for -- that registry change/fix. I just delete the Vista parameter in both iastor and iastorV keys. I guess I am blind... ...I should of read the comments more carefully in the Flying Nerd website. I would of found what keys to delete. Thank you! Yes, I will do that. But before I do, I will (of course) back them up onto a floppy or hard disk just to have them in case I need them. I don't have event 9 problems however, but I will keep an eye and see if the 8086 BSOD stop errors finally go away. Lets hope they do! In terms of using, the SATA ports on my motherboard, I will wait and see if this alone (registry deletion) will fix my problem. If it does, great! I will leave the Maxtor on that same port. If not, I will switch to another port. I have to say that I have only 4 SATA I ports on this ICH6R hub. I see the newer ICH7R, ICH8R, and ICH9R have more ports and port choices. That is nice to know. I have ports 0,1,2,and 3 only. Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Again, thank you!