Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2M160G2R5 160Gb ?

[idata]

I have just put the SSD in the computer a Gateway FX6801, formatted the drive, and with the cloning software supplied with the SSD I transfered the Win7 installation from the original Hatachi hard drive to the SSD. The bios is set to AHIC, the computer boots from the SSD and everything works fine. The load time hasn't improved, 1 min 20 sec which I feel is long and the main reason I changed to SSD. The Win 7 performance for the drive is 5.9 which is the same as the original Hatachi drive. I'd posted this at another forum I am a member of and two replies I recieved were I should Install Win 7 rather than clone. The recovery software for the computer will only install on the original hard drive so I'd have to buy Win 7 and then try to install the drivers that want to install on the Hatachi drive. Also I am not sure what firmware the disk has, pretty sure I saw it some where in the computer but I can't find it again.

Carl2

[idata]

Restarted the computer hundreds of times it seems. At this time I have device manager- Ide ATA/ATAPI controllers: ATA channel 0, ATA channel 0, ATA channel 1, ATA channel 1, ATA channel 1, ATA channel 2, ATA channel 3, ATA channel 4, ATA channel 5: I have Intel ICH10 Family 6 port Sata AHIC controller; The drivers are: atapi.sys, ataport.sys, msachi.sys, and pcidex.sys. The Standard AHCI is shown below. I just tried to uninstall the Intel controller again and it continues to show up. At this time the drivers in the Intel controller are the same as the drivers in the Standard controller.

Kept trying to install the Toolbox without sucess.

Carl2

[idata]

After you click uninstall, I assume you restarted the computer. Did you get any message popping up after clicking uninstall?

What port is your SSD in?

Seems like your cloning caused the issue and the solution is to reinstall Windows 7 on a "clean" SSD.

[idata]

At this time I have both the Intel and the standard controller, both show four drivers including the msahci.sys. The Hatachi, DVD, and SSD are using the Intel controller. Uninstall, Confirm Device uninstall, OK, restart, yes. Computer restarts, gets to win screen, message: You must restart to apply changes. Restart now. Computer restarts again, win screen message You must restart to apply changes. Restart now, Computer shuts down, restarts, use F2 bios Advanced bios features: reset Configuration data, no changed to yes.Save and exit. Windows screen, Device mgnr. Intel Controller still there.

I was just able to install the Hatachi, SSD and the DVD to the Standard controller. The Device Manager shows 2 Standard AHCI Serial ATA controllers whith the four drivers. The toolbox will still not install.

Carl

[idata]

At this point I see only three options:

1. Contact Gateway and find out why that Intel SATA AHCI will not uninstall.

2. Do a fresh Windows 7 installation, not a clone, on the SSD.

3. Contact Intel and ask for support, but this option seems awkward in that you cloned Windows 7 from a mechanical drive with a setup for your Hitachi HDD.

[idata]

A possible reason for having an extra Sata controller is that many motherboards with ICH10 controllers include an additional non-intel 2-port controller. This controller provides E-Sata ports, or a separate 2-drive Raid solution. If the second controler is Marvell, then Windows will install the standard AHCI driver. Other brands usually need their own driver. This controller can be disabled in the bios, if it causes confusion.

The best way to figure this out is to look at Device Manager with devices shown by connection. Then expand everything on the PCI bus. This will tie drives to controllers, and provide a clearer view of what is going on. Here is a sample--

This pic is from a non-Raid system. You can see a 2-port controller (an add-in card with no drives connected) near the top, and an ACHI controller at he bottom. If channel 0 had been expanded (sorry, old pic), it would have shown a single SSD connected.

Here is a pic from a different system with the same add-in controller, but with a Raid controller and a Raid array--

You see the Sata Raid controller (the driver is iaStor.sys) with connected items Optiarc (DVD), SSD (Raid array), and WDC (single HDD). It is possible to change the Raid controller driver to another Intel Raid controller driver, but not to an AHCI driver.

We do not know the current state of the Carl2 system. If a similar Device Manager pic can be posted by Carl2, then diagnosis will be greatly simplified. To do this, set up Device Manager with devices shown by connection, expand everything on the PCI bus (except the LPC device--too much unrelated stuff), move the image around untill everything related to Sata is displayed in the DM window, press Alt-PrintScrn, open Paint, press Ctrl-V, save the resulting image as a PNG file, then click the camera icon above in the forum message window and upload the PNG file.

I am not certain of this, but I believe that the Intel SSD Toolbar should install even if there is no SSD installed in a system, and regardless of whether the main Sata controller is in Raid mode. So I think the failure to install is related to something else. Did you try to use the "Run as Administrator" method?