[Guide] Integration of Intels AHCI/RAID drivers into a WinXP/W2k3/W2k CD

@ azdave:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum and thanks for your report!

The device with the DeviceID DEV_8CA2 is the Intel 9-Series SMBus Controller and has nothing to do with the Intel 9-Series Chipset SATA AHCI/RAID Controller of your Z97 mainboard. The suitable information file for this device is named Chipset_SMBus.inf and part of the Intel Chipset Device Software v10.0.xx. Since I found this INF file within the Windows\INF directory of my Z97 system, I have attached it.
So it seems to me, that you installed Windows XP in IDE mode with the consequence, that no Intel textmode (AHCI/RAID) driver has been required for the XP installation.
Please look into the "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" section of the XP Device Manager for the listed SATA Controller(s) and check the SATA driver, which is used by it/them (right click onto the Controller > Properties" > "Driver" > "Driver Details"). I bet, that it is the generic MS IDE driver named PCIIDE.SYS.

Regards
Fernando

EDIT:
Since I just found the INF and CAT file of the latest Intel 9-Series Chipset SMBus "driver" v10.0.22, I have removed the previously attached INF file v10.0.20 and replaced it by the complete ensemble of the newest Intel 9-Series Chipset SMBus files v10.0.22 WHQL dated 08/06/2014.
By the way:
The Intel 9-series SMBus INF file is neither a driver nor needed at all. The only task of the INF file is to "tell" the OS Device Manager, that such driver doesn’t exist and that the yellow "missing driver" mark can be removed.
When you open the INF file, you can read on top the following abstract of its function: Assigns the null driver to SMBus devices for yellow-bang removal.

Intel 9-Series SMBus INF file v10.0.22 WHQL.rar (9.71 KB)

Thank you for the quick reply, and also the explanation. Last night after a little more messing around, and before seeing your post, I also came to the conclusion (however not 100% sure) that the 8CA2 Device was not the SATA controller.

With your info I now have confirmation.

I attempted almost everything to obtain the .inf for the intel X97 chipset, every avenue led me to executable (not compressed) .exe installation files. Do you mind if I ask how did you find the actual .inf and other driver files for the x97 chipset?

On the actual IDE/SATA controller, I will have to take a look tonight…currently, after fixing the nv4_disp.dll BSOD error, the machine is up and running at what can only be described as Blazingly Fast…seriously…its able to open ACAD 2002 drawings in less than 1 second from a dead start (as in not preloaded and not loaded since previous boot), including all my LISP and compiled menus…in contrast, ACAD 2014 with the EXACT same set of LISP and Menu files takes over 1 full minute to load on my Win 7 64-bit i5 8GB at work.

If Im understanding correctly, I should be able to find the IDE/SATA in the devices with the corresponding DEV 8CXX and the update to one of yours?

As a side note, the XP was originally installed on a ATA66 or 133 controller, but SATA drivers were incorporated when it went to the last P4 MB, thats also when I moved the install from the old ATA to the new SATA HD that its currently on, so the correct SATA and chipset drivers were installed for the old socket 775 board…that entire install actually went without a hicup…its only the new stuff that MS and other MFGR’s are purposely trying make NOT work on XP that seem to have issues…guess they need to waste their time on that rather than writing Efficient Code…why only use 5GB space on code when you have 1TB boot drives and you can instead use 50GB of “BloatCode”…haha

What gains, performance or otherwise, will I gain with that over the driver that is currently working (and working rather fast)?

Again, your thread and your help is awesome,

No problem, this is the way I found the Intel 9-Series SMBus INF and CAT file (pre-condition: the Intel Chipset Device Software v10.0.xx has already been installed by running the SetupChipset.exe):

  1. As first step I opened the Windows\Inf folder and searched for the .inf files of the drivers, which I had installed. They all are stored within that folder, but renamed by the OS to oem0.inf, oem1.inf, oem2.inf and so on. Then I opened them - one after the other - with the Editor (notepad.exe) and read the first lines of the text.
    At least I found the INF file I was searching for. It showed a content like this:


    As you can see, the INF file contains a lot of interesting informations like the original file name ("Chipset_SMBus.inf"), the version and date of its release, the name of the associated .CAT file ("Chipset.cat"), the supported HardwareIDs etc.

  2. The search for the associated .cat file, which contains the digital signature for the inf file, was very easy. I just searched within the C:\Windows directory for the file named "Chipset.cat" and found it within a subfolder of the Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository folder.
  3. Within the subfolder named "chipset_smbus.inf_amd64_fd2cb94656beecdb" I found both original INF and CAP files, which I had attached to my last post.

No, you cannot simply update an IDE driver to an AHCI driver. If you do it nevertheless, you will get a BSOD at next reboot.
If you want to run Windows XP in AHCI mode, I recommend to
a) create a Windows XP CD with integrated 32bit "Universally modded" Intel RST driver v11.2.0.1006 according to my guide (= start post of this thread),
b) enter the BIOS and set the Intel SATA Controller to "AHCI" mode and
c) to boot off the XP CD with integrated Intel AHCI driver, delete the existing XP partition, create a new oneand do a fresh install of Windows XP.

A fresh XP installation in AHCI mode will give you the best possible XP performance and stability and additionally the option to create a dual boot system with a newer Windows OS (Win7/Win8.1/Win9).

that explains it, I did not attempt installing the .exe file because my system was running so good I didnt want to risk a BSOD. I will attempt to install the exe today after setting a restore point.

Back on-topic…I fully understand the slipstreaming of the AHCI drivers into a fresh XP install;

However, I have So Many programs and settings loaded onto my XP system which relate to my drafting and engineering work that the re-setup of a fresh Install literally takes days to set-up and test to make sure my system works for my work and projects I do (I have a Very large amount of custom programming piggy-backed onto Acad and other Cad programs, as well as supporting programs and set-ups such as Adobe printers with the proper .pc3 setup files) This is why Ive kept my existing install of XP for so long…and its why I have a spare Hard Drive sitting in the computer able to be cold-swapped at any time and I can resume working as if no failure ever happened. All my files are kept on a 3rd hard drive and a USB back up.

That all being said…why does a fresh install with the slip-streamed drivers work, but going into the device manager and updating the generic driver not work? I had read several pages in the thread where people were doing just that, updating the driver to the .inf and .cat & .sys files with the modified drivers to work on XP…or am I missing something from those posts??

Right now I do have the BOIS set to IDE, but it also booted when set up with AHCI…strange no?

Thank you again.

A clean OS install in AHCI mode is the safest and best way to switch the on-board SATA Controller from IDE to AHCI mode.
Nevertheless you can try to change the SATA mode from within a running Windows XP by forcing the installation of an AHCI driver, which is not suitable for the actually working SATA Controller, and switching the SATA mode from "IDE" to "AHCI" within the BIOS while rebooting.

Yes, if you really should be able to boot into Windows XP after having set the SATA mode to AHCI.
Things are totally different with post-XP Operating Systems, because Vista, Win7 and Win8 have a generic MS AHCI driver on-board. Windows XP natively doesn’t have an AHCI driver, which is able to detect and to manage a SATA drive, which is running in AHCI mode.

So I finally got to check the ATA IDE devices running on my computer right now. They are listing as 8C80 and 8C88.

None of the .inf files have those…so Im wondering…how is it that my SATA drive is even communicating and running/booting at all?

Looking at the fernandos .inf file, I was expecting to see a 8C82 or 8C83 device…im not seeing at all…

but as for CAD and the stuff i need to run…its running circles around my old system. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: and regardless, this forum rocks!!!

These are the DeviceIDs of the following Intel SATA Controllers:

  • DEV_8C08="LynxPoint SATA Controller 2 (Non-AHCI/Non-RAID (ports 4,5)) - 8C08"
  • DEV_8C88="LynxPoint-LP SATA Controller 2 (Non-AHCI/Non-RAID (ports 4,5)) - 8C88"

The related Intel INF file, which supports both DeviceIDs DEV_8C80 and DEV_8C88, is named "LxPtID2.inf" and part of older v9.x.x.xxxx series Intel Chipset Device Software packages. I have attached the INF and CAT file for you.
Note: This LxPtID2.inf file does nothing else than to give the Intel SATA Controller of your system, which is running XP in IDE mode, a name. It has nothing to do with the Chipset_SMBus.inf I posted yesterday.

In which of "my" .inf files did you search for them? DEV_8C82 and DEV_8C83 are the DeviceIDs of Intel 9-Series Chipset SATA Controllers, which are running in AHCI mode. You can find the DeviceIDs DEV_8C82 and DEV_8C83 within the file named iaAHCI.inf, which is part of my "Universal 32bit Intel RST AHCI & RAID driver v11.2.0.1006 mod by Fernando".

LynxPoint_INF.rar (6.62 KB)

Thank you for that .inf

The other inf files I looked at are the download links on page 1, post one of this thread:

>Universal 32bit Intel MSM textmode driver v8.9.8.1005 mod by Fernando<

>Universal 32bit Intel RST textmode driver v11.2.0.1006 mod by Fernando (corrected at 08/26/2014)< (This is the one I thought was for my setup)

Right now, I think my system is performing really good…the thing is, someday however Im going to be forced to "upgrade" to Windows 7 for application compatibility issues beyond my control…in which case I will prob doa dual boot, which is why I think these other drivers are needed.

edit: Oh yes, I understand the two different inf are for the different controllers, much appreciation. How are things over in Germany?

I was successful in using the device manager and Updating Device using that .inf.

After updating and rebooting, both devices now show up as:LynxPoint-LP SATA Controller 1 (Non-AHCI/Non-RAID) & LynxPoint-LP SATA Controller 2 (Non-AHCI/Non-RAID).

When I ried setting BIOS to AHCI is BSOD’d on me, so I reset to IDE mode.

Question is: How does one get them to be AHCI so one can Dual Boot when installing Windows 7? - Or is that only possible via a fresh XP install and slipstreaming?

What im actually considering doing is installing Win 7 64 on a completely separate SATA or SS drive and just booting to the device I want upon startup…I dont really need to have both OS’s on one HD.

Im probably going to have to go that route anyway - Ive got 16GB of ram, and XP 32 obviously can only access under 4 of it…add to that my 2GB graphics card and there is insult to injury.

XP is so nice and fast…not looking forward to its eventual death at all. Your help has given me a while longer however!!! :slight_smile: Thank you!

These Intel Chipset Device INF files are no drivers and are not able to switch the SATA mode of the related Intel IDE Controller.

The usual (and safest) way to get Windows XP installed onto a HDD/SSD running in AHCI mode is to set the Intel SATA Controller within the BIOS to "AHCI" before starting the XP installation and then booting off a Windows XP CD with integrated Intel AHCI driver (example: v11.2.0.1006). Nevertheless it is possible (but may end with an unbootable system) to switch the SATA mode from IDE to AHCI from within a running XP.

This is the way how to do it:

  1. Download the "Universal 32bit Intel RST textmode driver v11.2.0.1006 mod by Fernando" (you find it within the start post of this thread) and unzip it into a separate folder of your PC.
  2. Boot into Windows XP in IDE mode.
  3. Open the "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" section of the Device Manager and search for the Intel SATA Controller, where your system drive is connected (may be actually named "LynxPoint-LP SATA Controller" or "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller").
  4. Right click onto the Intel SATA Controller, which is managing your XP system drive, and chose the following options: "Update Driver Software" > "Browse my Computer…" > "Let me pick…" > "Have Disk".
  5. Navigate into the folder containing the unzipped modded "Universal 32bit Intel RST textmode Driver v11.2.0.1006", click onto the file named iaAHCI.inf and choose the device named "Intel(R) 9 Series Chipset Family SATA AHCI Controller DEV_8C82 (added by Fernando)".
  6. Disregard all warnings you get and install the driver.
  7. Enter the BIOS while rebooting, set the Intel SATA Controller to "AHCI" and save this new setting.
  8. Reboot.
  9. If you are lucky, you will now boot into Windows XP running in AHCI mode.

OK, That is kinda the directions I was thinking…especially the “Might boot” (hehe). That being said…I happen to have a brand new SATA drive which I really would like to use rather than my 3-1/2 yr old 300GB SATA drive.

At this point, the .inf’s i updated have put my devices into the LynxPoint position…with no true differences (that I can ascertain) from the “Standard Dual” device drivers.

it wont be tomorrow, but…I will attempt this approach.

Now…again, off topic, 4GB RAM for 32 Bit - makes sense…18EB (18 Billion GB) Ram access addresses for 64 Bit buses…total scam. why are we not given 36, 38, 40…Buses…?? Kind of like how Pentiums were given 20 and 24B buses prior to the true 32B bus?

I mean…the math would say…if we really want true 64B, then hard drives must be able to handle pagefiles BILLIONS of times bigger than 32B buses…as well as the processor needing to be able to process that same info…

16B = 64K of memory…20B = 1MB, 24B = 16MB, 30B = 1.1GB 32B = 4GB…64B = 18B GB (like 18Billion 1GB cards…its like a city block of 1GB ram modules)

Why have they done this to us? Why not a simple memory bus increase of 100X (34B) or 10,000 (36B) ? Its at least physically manageable…64B…its not possible without true quantum/atomic processing…not enough physical space nor processes per second to even search more than 1% of the available bandwidth…

and now I understand why my 32B applications of same exact version run multiples faster than the 64B versions…we were capped at 4G memory…we just needed a multiple of 10… (of 33B buses) to take us to 40GB, or 34B to 400G…but instead they took us 18 Billion times beyond…without even the means to “read the ma” literally.

sorry…

and thank you for your help…i was once a owner of a decent sized ISP in Portland Or…sold it…kind of floated with the wind…and now am back “into it” so o speak…

You cannot see or feel any differences, because the related Intel ATA Controller uses the same diver as before (the on-board MS SATA driver named PCIIDE.SYS). The LynxPoint INF file just gives the "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller" another name, but doesn’t touch its function.

OK, makes perfect sense.

On the other issue, of rying to force the AHCA driver…if I set a restore point before I do that, even if it BSOD’s wont I be able to boot back to last known good setup? Or can it even screw that up?

May I ask you whats your take on the real issue at hand here: is your goal to keep XP going as long as possible, or more of just a hobbie?

Usually that will work, but you have to redo the previous Intel SATA Controller settings (> "IDE") within the BIOS, before you are able to boot into the last known good configuration.

For me it would be more like a hobbie.

I went to do a paypal donation, but its in Euros and Im in US…will it work, or will the bank get more $$$ in conversion fees than its worth?

You can do a PayPal donation in every currency. It will be converted automaticly into Euro. The conversion fee is moderate.

Haven’t been here for a while, but I would like to share a solution that fixed my problem. Integrating the proper SATA drivers with nLite brought no luck (BSOD with the 07 error). I think that something was wrong with the XP image I used :frowning: I googled up a different solution - enabling AHCI after the installation of Windows, described on http://www.blah-blah.ch/it/how-to-s/enable-ahci/. The author did this for an ICH-10 chipset, but it worked for mine (Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family SATA AHCI Controller).

1. FIRST OF ALL, check under “Start => Settings => Control Panel => System => System Restore”, that the option Turn off system Restore on all drives is not active, and that the drive where your Windows resides is being monitored. This will allow to undo the changes by pressing F8 when Windows reboots, if anything goes wrong.
2. If you are able to start up Windows and don’t have AHCI enabled you probably have in your BIOS the IDE-mode enabled, right? If not, enable it and start up Windows as usual.
3. Now start by downloading the drivers from the Intel homepage - they’re called Intel Matrix Storage Manager and can be found here.
4. Now that you have the drivers, e.g. in “C:\temp”, create in there a new directory, e.g. “C:\temp\unpacked”.
5. Open up a MSDOS-shell and unpack the drivers into the new directory by using the “-A -P” flags, so in my case it would be…
iata82_enu.exe -A -PC:\temp\unpacked
6. Where you unpacked the files you should now see that there are files called “IaStor.sys”, “iastor.inf” and “iaAHCI.inf”.
7. Now, this probably is not needed and it won’t do anything at all, but as I did it (while I was still experimenting) and everything is now working, you should do it as well - you never know: rightclick on “iaAHCI.inf” and choose “Install”. Do the same with the “iastor.inf”-file. Nothing should happen - the system should act as if nothing has happened.
8. Now the real fun starts: go to “Start => Settings => Control Panel => System => Hardware => Device Manager”, search in the list for “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers” and in there you should see a couple of entries including your IDE controllers - something like “Intel ICH10 family…serial ATA controller”. It might be that you see two such entries.
9. Select one of the “Intel ICH10 family…serial ATA controller”-entries, click with the right-mouse button and select “Update driver”.
10. Answer “No, not this time”, then “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)”, then “Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install.”, then “Have a disk”.
11. A new window should appear asking you where the drivers are. Click on “Browse” and select the directory where the “IaStor.sys” & Co. were unpacked.
12. You should now see a list (or at least 1 entry) of different AHCI-ICH-controllers including the one you have - if not, deselect the checkbox which makes the system list only the compatible drivers.
13. Search for your ICH-controller. Have a look at the manual of your motherboard if you’re not sure which one it is.
14. Once you found & highlighted your AHCI-controller (“Intel(R) ICH10R SATA AHCI Controller” in my case), click on “Next”. At this stage Windows a message box will pop up showing a warning about not being able to verify the compatibility of those drivers. Just smile and continue the installation.
15. Now the system will install the drivers and it might take a looong time. Have a beer in the meanwhile as in my case I had to wait for about 20 minutes.
16. Once the driver has been installed, go back the the device manager, select (if you have it) the second “Intel ICH10 family…serial ATA controller”-entry and do again exactly the same. In my case the installation of the driver finished this time immediately.
17. After the drivers have been installed, reboot the machine, go into your BIOS, change the settings for your HDD-controller from “IDE” to “AHCI” and start up Windows again.
18. If your Windows XP manages to boot then it means you did everything right - if the installation of the AHCI-drivers wouldn’t have been successful your PC would now hang or reboot continously. If this happens go back to your BIOS, change AHCI back to IDE and boot Windows. If Windows still doesn’t want to wake up, keep the key “F8” pressed at the very beginning when the OS boots to bring up a menu and choose the “Last good known configuration” to undo the changes described above.
19. Not finished yet: once Windows is up you should see in the taskbar that something is being installed - you might get the bubbles saying that some new HDDs have been found. Additionally if you look in the Device Manager at the “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers” you should see that all you have listed in there is just a “PCI device”. Again, be patient and have one more beer.
20. Again after ~10 to ~20 minutes Windows should tell you that it found new hardware, the AHCI-controller. Still wait until Windows asks you if you want to restart the PC.
21. Accept to restart it and after the reboot everthing should be ready. Under “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers” you should now see your AHCI controller ready.

@ Mulder:

Thank you for your contribution, although the content is something else than the title promises.
Although I generally do not recommend to switch the SATA mode from within a running Operating System, this is the easiest way to get Windows XP running in AHCI mode:

  1. Install Windows XP in IDE mode.
  2. Open the “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers” section of the Device Manager and search for the Intel SATA Controllers (VEN_8086).
  3. Right click onto it > “Update Driver Software” > “Browse my Computer…” > “Let me pick…”.
  4. Press “Have Disk”, navigate to the suitable Intel AHCI driver (example: “Universal 32bit Intel RST textmode driver v11.2.0.1006 mod by Fernando”) and hit the file named iaAHCI.inf.
  5. Choose the suitable Intel SATA AHCI Controller of your special system (easy to find, if you know the DeviceID of it) and ignore all warnings. Let the OS install the “wrong” driver.
    If there are more than 1 Intel SATA Controller listed within the “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers” section, repeat the same procedure with the other Controllers (don’t reboot before you have “updated” all of them).
  6. Reboot, enter the BIOS while rebooting and set the Intel SATA Controller to “AHCI”.
  7. Reboot and enjoy Windows XP running in AHCI mode.

I have problem instaling windows xp to my new PC. When windows setup loading finish, emerges lberfdc. sys is corrupted. How do to fix it?

EDIT by Fernando: Post title customized

@ viliusgti:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum!

Usually this message indicates, that you have tried to load/integrate a 64bit textmode driver into a 32bit OS. Another possibility is a bad (already previously processed) or corrupt XP source.
These are my tips to prevent such message:
1. Use an absolute clean (untouched) XP SP3 CD as source.
2. Don’t integrate anything else than the suitable 32bit AHCI/RAID driver.

Regards
Fernando