AHCI boot mode unavailable in BIOS/UEFI

[vaibhav_dukare]

I am looking forward to replace my hdd with ssd and have been researching about the whole process. Meanwhile, I checked my BIOS/UEFI (Insyde H20 version F.23) for a setting named SATA MODE  but couldn't find it. I then updated my BIOS/UEFI to latest version available for my model (Insyde H20 F.55 revision 5.0) from HP website, but it was absent still. Is AHCI mode enabled by default in HP products? If not, then is there any way to switch to AHCI mode prior to OS installation on the SSD? Thank you.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

AHCI is enabled by default.

You can find the Intel SATA AHCI controller listed in the device manager under the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers device manager category.

[vaibhav_dukare]

Thanks a lot for replying this fast! I have got one more question related to fresh reinstallation of windows 10 on the new SSD.

When are we supposed to remove the usb drive/installation media? Since it is given a boot priority over that of the new SSD, will it arise any bootloop issues?

Thanks again.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

If you use the HP cloud recovery tool to make a bootable USB recovery drive, it will notify you when to remove it.

Here is an info link for how to use that utility...

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool (Windows 10, 7) | HP® Customer Support

If you use the media creation tool to install W10, then it is hard to say.

I have installed W10 from a USB flash drive and sometimes I get it right, and sometimes I don't.

I try to remove it just as the PC is turned off and hasn't restarted yet.

But you would remove it on the first restart of W10, because by then it has installed all of the files onto the hard drive.

Once I was involved in something else while I was trying to install W10 on another PC with a USB flash drive, and I couldn't understand why it was taking so long to install, and why it was still on the Install Now screen.

Then I realized the PC had restarted and reloaded the installation files, and brought me back to square one.