Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

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timg11
Posts: 262
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:31 pm

Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by timg11 »

I found a couple of articles that show how to convert a Windows install from RAID to AHCI.
https://support.thinkcritical.com/kb/ar ... de-to-ahci
https://askubuntu.com/questions/963087/ ... nd-raid-on

Unfortunately they don't work. After running the bcedit command in Windows and changing the BIOS SATA setting to AHCI, windows will not boot at all (will not boot into safe mode). It fails with stop code: INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE. After changing the BIOS back to RAID, it will eventually boot back into Safe mode (after a few feeble attempts at "repair").

So I'm back to understanding the "osdtool.tbs install the standard drivers" process.
I'm still not sure how this is supposed to work. I thought I could run this to add the drivers.
I tried running OSDTOOL selected the Windows installation, and chose "Install default IDE and AHCI drivers"

However the system is still unable to boot with the BIOS set to AHCI - It fails with stop code: INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE.

I tried running it before setting the bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal and changing the bios. It failed to boot.
So I ran OSDTOOL again and loaded the drivers and tried to boot Windows. Still no.

I'm thinking that maybe the "default IDE and AHCI drivers" in TBOSDT are not compatible. Since I can boot Windows while the BIOS is in RAID Mode, I'm thinking I could copy the needed drivers. Is there a KB on how to locate and identify the correct driver if I want to try the "Install a specific driver" option in TBOSDT? I found this page <https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/howto ... dt-dos.htm> but it assumes the driver files are known and available.
Eric
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: France

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by Eric »

True, if the default AHCI drivers is not enough, you will have to find the correct one. It may already be listed in the option to install drivers provided by Windows (an option in osdtool), but which one?
Do you have a Windows working on your computer? We can study the SYSTEM registry of a working system, compare it to the system you want to boot, that will give the ID of the missing driver, and then search for the driver containing that ID.
However, the missing driver may be available in the WebSite of the manufacturer of your computer. It can then be installed by osdtool. Have you already look at it?
TeraByte Support(PP)
Posts: 1643
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:51 am

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by TeraByte Support(PP) »

Intel drivers are usually available on their site too and may be packaged differently.
timg11
Posts: 262
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:31 pm

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by timg11 »

Using guidance from the manual tbosdt.pdf from v2.02, I followed this procedure:

1) Boot into Windows. Change to Safe Mode with MSCONFIG. Noted the storage drivers used from Device Manager as iaStorAC.sys, iaStorAfs.sys, iaStorAfsNative.exe, iaStorAfsService.exe, Optane.dll.

2) Download Dell storage drivers for this specific computer "Intel-Chipset-Device-Software_HMDR4_WIN_10.1.1.38_A05_06.EXE" and "Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Driver-and-Management_2PMT8_WIN_16.8.3.1004_A06.EXE". Extract them to a temp directory.

3) Enter BIOS and change SATA mode to AHCI.

4) Boot into IFL 3.43, run OSDTOOL. select Windows partition, select "Install Drivers", "Specific Driver", navigate in Windows partition to temp directory and down to Win10/64 drivers. Select iaStorAC.inf. Select "Critical" Output from script ends with "INF:[INTEL.NTamd64.6.2] Operation Successful"
Note that drivers for iaStorAfs.sys, iaStorAfsNative.exe, iaStorAfsService.exe, Optane.dll are not available in the temp folder from the Dell drivers set.

5) Reboot from IFL and boot into Windows Boot Manager. Boot process is very slow and eventually fails with stop code INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE. Attempt Restart several times with same result.

6) Change BIOS back to SATA RAID mode. Reboot succeeds back into Windows.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3596
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by TeraByte Support »

if you're actually using something like RAID 0 you'll have to backup and then restore after disabling the RAID. It it's not actually a RAID configuration (JBOD), then you should just be able to add the driver needed. Also what are the partition types, if special ones for an accelerated setup, that has to stay RAID mode as well.
timg11
Posts: 262
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:31 pm

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by timg11 »

The computer has a single SATA drive - ATA Micron 1100 SATA.
My understanding is RAID 0 applies to >1 drives, so in this case that would be impossible. There must be some reason why Dell enables RAID mode by default, though.


partition work shows these partitions:

ESP 500 MiB EFI System
Microsoft Reserved Partition 128 MiB Microsoft Reserved
OS 242567 MiB NTFS/Exfat....
WinRETOOLS 990 MiB Windows RE
12 MiB Free Space



This article <https://www.dell.com/community/Laptops- ... -p/5072571> talks about this topic:
"RAID ON mode: enables the port remapping hardware in the Intel CPU. The remapping hardware is necessary for the Intel RST driver to load the NVMe controller provided by the SSD against the Intel AHCI controller in the CPU. This is required for the Intel RST driver to enumerate NVMe SSD. Also enables support for RAID 0/1/5/10 ( RAID level availability varies by system model )."

On the other hand, if all this is going on in Windows with special drivers, then how does IFL and TBOSDT access the Windows partition to navigate the file system and load drivers? TBOSDT can see the Windows NTFS partition just fine with the BIOS in AHCI mode.
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Brian K
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Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:11 am
Location: NSW, Australia

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by Brian K »

Does Dell have the iaAHCIC drivers?
timg11
Posts: 262
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:31 pm

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by timg11 »

From OSDtool (running from IFL after BIOS change over to AHCI Mode)

I installed "iaAHCIC.inf" It succeeded. (below bottom)
I then installed "iaStorAC.inf" It failed (below on top)
"Unsupported DirID 13, error code 76"


If you want to see the entire process of BIOS setting, TBOSDT loading drivers, and trying to load Windows with the boot failure, I captured it in a 6 minute video here: http://synthify.com/39477281/9186875654 ... 170812.mp4. Maybe you can tell me where I'm going wrong.
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Brian K
Posts: 2213
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:11 am
Location: NSW, Australia

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by Brian K »

Apologies if I misunderstood what you did but did you install the ACHI drivers after you restored the Windows image?
timg11
Posts: 262
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:31 pm

Re: Using TBOSDT to change Windows from RAID to AHCI

Post by timg11 »

@BrianK - maybe I'm misunderstanding. Windows will only boot in RAID mode. In that mode, when booted, there is no device without drivers where I could install the AHCI drivers. When in RAID mode, it won't boot, so I can't install drivers. I was trying to use TBOSDT to install the AHCI drivers in the "pre-booted" state.
Is there another way to "force install" AHCI drivers into Windows when it is running in RAID mode?

For further clarification, I did install the Dell driver packages for this specific computer and service tag (Intel-Chipset-Device-Software_HMDR4_WIN_10.1.1.38_A05_06.EXE and Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Driver-and-Management_2PMT8_WIN_16.8.3.1004_A06.EXE). Those do contain AHCI drivers, so presumably they are available on the disk somewhere. But Windows seems unable to make the change to use them in the AHCI mode and can't boot to safe mode, or successfully "repair"

I see there is a fixboot.tbs option in TBOSDT, but when I select it, I get "script not found, find manually".
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