AHCI and RAID on HP Elite 8100 Business PCs

A sample command line is:

pkgmgr.exe /o:"C:\;C:\Windows" /n:"C:\AddAHCI\HP-AHCI.xml"

Where C:\AddAHCI\HP-AHCI.xml contains:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>

<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3" xmlns:wcm="http://

schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State">

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE"

processorArchitecture="x86"

publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral"

versionScope="nonSxS">

<Path>C:\AddAHCI</Path>

</PathAndCredentials>

</DriverPaths>

</component>

</settings>

</unattend>

3. Reboot the computer.

4. Enter F10 Setup and change SATA Emulation mode to AHCI.

5. Reboot the computer into the OS.

An existing Vista or Windows 7 image using the native AHCI driver can be updated to use the Intel AHCI

driver (iastor.sys). The driver can be downloaded from www.hp.com.

NOTE: Be careful when moving an image to computer with a different chipset. The Device ID of the AHCI

controller must match what is in the INF or the AHCI driver will fail and the computer will not boot.

Enhancing existing Windows XP images from IDE Mode

Corporate IT may be able to update an existing Windows XP image to be AHCI-compatible that was cre-

ated in IDE mode. The process requires inserting the AHCI drivers into the image in a pre-installation envi-

ronment. Once that is done, the system can be switched to AHCI mode safely.

Required software to insert the AHCI driver:

• Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) CD

• Windows OPK (OEM Preinstallation Kit) CD

• MSDINST.EXE (Mass Storage Device Installer)

The OPK CD is not available for general download. It must be obtained through a Microsoft authorized

distributor. MSDINST.EXE is a tool designed to insert mass storage drivers into an offline Microsoft Win-

dows XP image.

For more information and instructions about OPK or MSDINST.EXE go to http://www.microsoft.com.