This question is part of a larger list of things I'll need to do before installing a new SSD drive, but I think it deserves its own question.
Current setup: A dual-boot machine with Windows XP installed on a SATA 6Gbps HDD. BIOS has always been configured in IDE mode. Because of this, if I try to change to AHCI in BIOS, as Windows doesn't have AHCI drivers, it won't boot.
I already know that I can achieve this reinstalling the whole OS. But if possible, I'd like to enable AHCI without reinstalling again.
Would it be possible to change the driver to the AHCI one while in Windows? (using the Device Manager, for instance). If it where possible, will the OS crash at the moment the driver is changed while still being BIOS in IDE mode?
If not, is there a way to install it doing a partial repair using Windows disk? If such a method exists, will my current settings and applications remain unchanged?
Thanks in advance.
UPDATE
My South Bridge is an Intel(r) ICH10R. I already have the correct drivers which are located in my motherboard disc. Notice that the drivers are different for 32bit and 64bit OSes, so it is important to pick the correct ones. The files are called "iaStor.inf" and "iaAHCI.inf".
iaStor.sys
. Why don't you tell us which motherboard model you have, and we can tell you which driver to use. In short, Windows XP does not have a AHCI/RAID driver, you must install a third party one. The most common is Intel, because the most common controller is Intel.