topic Re: Help Intel x25m installation in Archive

Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Sun, 09 May 2010 11:12:15 GMT

Hi,

So I've searched a lot around the community but I can't find the exact answer I was looking for, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I've installed win 7 onto my intel ssd without updating the firmware or setting the ssd to AHCI mode. Since I like to do this properly, I would like to reinstall the OS AFTER updating the frimware (to get TRIM support) and setting ssd to AHCI. How do I go about performing a fresh new win 7 install without messing up the ssd?

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:01:18 GMT

Are you thinking you will erase the firmware in your Win7 fresh install??? Nope.... Simply update the firware and then install fresh if thats your plan.

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:28:49 GMT

Thanks for the reply "Flamenko1". No, I want to do a reinstall because I've installed the os in IDE mode and I want to redo it with AHCI mode to get better performance. I wanted to know the recommended procedure for reinstalling an os onto an SSD. I've heard something about using a program called HDD erase to securely erase ALL data from the SSD before new install, as windows fromatting won't do the job properly because TRIM command isn't enabled.

I've also heard a workaround without reinstalling OS but let's ignore that for this one...

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

mmokk — Sun, 09 May 2010 15:18:41 GMT

the 'workaround' involves changing just one registry value (hklm\system\currentcontrolset\services\msahci, start=0) and takes at most 10 seconds. thereafter, you can switch from ide to ahci and vice versa to your heart's content and windows 7 will work fine. you're more likely to mess up your ssd with a botched hdderase than changing a single registry value.

but if you insist on doing things the longer riskier way:

- update the firmware

- hdderase the drive

- change to ahci mode in bios

- reinstall windows

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Sun, 09 May 2010 15:31:36 GMT

I always wondered why Microsoft did not enable this as default.

But then again, I am also always complaining about all the stuff I need to disable...

Guess I can't have it both ways.

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Sun, 09 May 2010 15:46:30 GMT

That's fine but I've heard people saying that you should update the firmware of the SSD prior to installing the OS as it prevents some 'problems' people have been experiencing. However this way is easier as you just explained and will probabily be the way to go in my case: change registry value and set to AHCI mode then update the firmware. Right?

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

mmokk — Sun, 09 May 2010 18:46:51 GMT

i don't know what problems you're referring to, but the only issue i can think of arising from updating the firmware from non-trim to trim capable without reinstalling the operating system is that there will be 'untrimmed' (i.e. invalid/dirty) data on the drive. running the manual trim procedure from the intel ssd toolbox should in theory take care of it.

merely changing from ide to ahci mode does not require a reinstallation of windows 7, just the changing of the registry value.

it's possible you may run into problems with the firmware updater finding the drive with the sata controller in ahci mode, in which case use ide mode to flash. i personally have never had any issues updating firmware in ide mode.

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:16:12 GMT

There is no need to reinstall Win 7, unless you really want to.

Modify the registry to enable AHCI.

Use the Win 7 system image to create a disk image.

Wipe the disk with hdderase.

Update the firmware

Enable AHCI in the BIOS

Restore the image

Job done

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:04:28 GMT

I was just about to modify registry to enable AHCI, when I suddenly said to myself - before I do all these steps, lets check and see if TRIM is enabled because maybe my ssd came in a batch that has already factory updated the firmware.

I logged in as administrator an ran command prompt.

In command prompt I wrote:

fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify

I got this from the PC:

DisableDeleteNotify = 0

Which, if I'm not mistaking, means TRIM IS ENABLED/TURNED ON!

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:36:29 GMT

Wrong. That only tells you that the command is being sent by the OS. (Which it does by default). It does not tell you if anything is actually being done with the signal.

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:00:01 GMT

Wierd, I've seen lots of threads asking how to check if TRIM is enabled and this was the way to go. If I had received = 1 then it would mean that TRIM is disabled.

Anyhow, is it imperative to create a mirror image or can I just go:

-edit registry to enable AHCI

-update firmware

-enable AHCI in BIOS

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:15:11 GMT

The firmware update is non destructive, however it is always recommended to back up just in case.

If you are not worried about backup you could just switch to AHCI. Depending on your mobo you may need to run the firmware update in IDE compatible mode and then switch to AHCI.

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:39:54 GMT

I'm not worried about backing up because the OS is the only thing stored which can be reinstalled if something happens.

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7.

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

mmokk — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:16:04 GMT

Inteli7 wrote:

Wierd, I've seen lots of threads asking how to check if TRIM is enabled and this was the way to go. If I had received = 1 then it would mean that TRIM is disabled.

yes, that's correct. however, that setting has nothing to do with whether or not the storage devices you have support trim, just whether or not windows is issuing trim commands. trim is enabled (disabledeletenotify=0) by default on windows 7, even if you install to a conventional hard drive. it stays 0 even if you install an ssd that doesn't support trim. it is always 0 by default. disabledeletenotify does not change to reflect hardware, it only ever changes if you change it.

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

idata — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:37:40 GMT

I've managed to change to AHCI mode but I wasn't able to complete the ssd firmware update. The update works fine up until the updater asks me if I want to continiue, to which I have to type: Y and then ENTER. It simply freezes there, the dvd rom stops spinning and I'm unable to type. The keyboard is responding (I know because the reciever blinks) but letters do not appear on the screen. I've tried in IDE and AHCI mode - what do I do?

Re: Help Intel x25m installation

RGiff — Thu, 20 May 2010 08:46:03 GMT

You Can change from IDE to AHCI without doing a reinstall, But this is very you have to do a regEdit first than change to AHCI and reboot. Read Microsoft article ( KB-922976 ) But Be careful in regEdit you can't miss a step or you will get Blue screen, .