If you want to enable SATA Native Mode on your computer AFTER installing Windows XP, then read on. It's a bit of a long read because of step-by-step instructions, but worth it.
I did this on a Compaq nx9420, it seems like the basic strategy should work on other systems.
For whatever reason, you may have installed Windows XP on your new laptop with SATA Native Mode disabled in the BIOS. Once XP is installed, enabling it in the BIOS will result in a BSOD upon loading Windows because XP doesn't have the correct drivers.
I read that enabling SATA native mode will give you a slight performance inrease and slightly increased battery life, so it seems worthwhile to me :)
Here's how I did it on my nx9420 running Windows XP (32 Bit version):
- Download the Intel Matrix Storage Manager software from HP's website, it is currently SP32492
- Run it, by default it will save some files to C:\swsetup\SP32492 before it runs setup and tells you that the software is not supported on your chipset
- Now open up a command prompt, go to C:\swsetup\SP32492\ and run the following command to extract the CAB files:
setup -A -P C:\swsetup\SP32492\
- Accept the license agreement, it extracts some files. The files you're interested in are now at C:\swsetup\SP32492\Driver\ and include the following:
- Now go to Device Manager, under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers you should see: Intel 82801GBM (ICH7-M Family) Serial ATA Storage Controller
- Right-Click on that and select Update Driver
- Say no to connecting to Windows Update to search, hit Next
- Select Install fro a list or specific location (Advanced), hit Next
- Select "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install", hit Next
- Select Have Disk
- Browse to C:\swsetup\SP32492\Driver and highlight the iastor.inf file, hit Open
- Select OK
- Now you should have a list of controllers, for the Compaq nx9420 choose Intel 82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller, hit Next
- You'll get warned that installing the device driver is not recommended, click Yes to continue installing
- Click Finish
- Click Yes to restart your computer
When your computer boots up, you need to hit F10 to enter the BIOS. Change SATA Native Mode to Enabled, save changes and exit.
After you log into Windows, your computer will find the "new" hardware. Wait until you get the popup message to restart your computer, say Yes to restart one last time.
Jamie you should give yourself at least 10 points .
Thank you so much for your comprehensive recipe. SATA questions appeared here rather often recently and for sure your report will be of help. I have saved in my OneNote archive for future reference.
If this works, than it is a nice and easy solution (as the XP discs do not contain appropriate drivers). I also had to go through this on nx7400 , I had no access to an USB floppy to provide the drivers during the XP install. So I had to use the technique "nLite": copy XP install disc to HDD, add drivers into it through nLite, burn and install again this time with SATA native enabled.
If I knew this could be done (what you wrote), it would save me a lot of time (creating the custom install disc and reinstalling XP again).
Arun, yeah, this should work for you. The SATA driver downloads are the same for the V 3070 TU as the nx9420 and nc8430. If you don't have a floppy drive I think you'll need to extract the drivers from sp32492.exe as mentioned above. If you have a floppy drive, you could alternatively download sp32478.exe and write them to a floppy. You'll get the same drivers either way.
I guess one thing to be careful about is making sure you pick the right controller from the list when you update the driver. I matched what was listed in device manager (Intel 82801GBM) with the same device from the list which includes the following:
"82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)" "82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)" "82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M)" "82801FR SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH6R)" "82801FR SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH6R)" "82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH6M)" "82801ER SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH5R)" "6300ESB SATA RAID Controller"
So I'm guessing yours would be either 82801GBM or 82801FBM which are both mobile controllers.
Hi Jamie! I tried to follow you instruction. Everyhing was OK, until the step "Now go to Device Manager, under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers you should see: Intel 82801GBM (ICH7-M Family) Serial ATA Storage Controller". I don't see anything, except for the standard IDE controllers. May be you know where the problem is. Thanks in advance
Try to install the Intel Matrix Storage manager. This will install the driver for your device. How ever, the driver will be enabled in non-native SATA mode. Then you should see the "Intel XYZ Serial ATA Storage Controler".
If you open the details of this device and then the driver details, you will not see that the device is using the iaStor.sys driver. This is where you actually want to get - to have it use the iaStor.sys driver.
This is also described on either the Intel Matrix Storage manager page or the SATA Driver page. to check that the device is in native sata mode, it must use the iaStor.sys driver.
Hi Jamie! Thanks for your advice! Now everthing is OK. Being a technical writer myself, I'm surprised that HP guys do not provide this useful information in the documentation supplied with the notebook.
I have a Compaq nc8430, I tried the Jamie's instructions but I was unable to start again my WinXP (I get the same Blue Screen with the Sata Native Mode enabled or disabled; I had to select "start with the last know good configuration" and the Sata option disabled).
I've also tried to include drivers directly into the Windows CD but I get the same Blue Screen
That's what I did also by trial and error. I initially picked Intel 82801GBM SATA AHCI controller and able to reboot normally as SATA mode=AHCI set in the BIOS. But when I installed RAID/AHCI Software - Intel?? Matrix Storage Manager from http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filter_results.aspx?strTypes=all&ProductID=1809&OSFullName=Windows*+XP+Professional〈=eng&strOSs=44&submit=Go%21 it changed it to correct Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA ACHI controller.
I have a 6820s laptop and trying to install XP SP2 on it is not easy.
When trying to install the Matrix Storage Manager (from the sp36334 from HP or from Intel) I get an error stating that the computer is not compatible with the driver.
Tried to use the command line approach but got an error saying that the c:\swsetup\sp36334\ switch was unknown. So I don't have any .inf -files to add to a new CD or install through device manager.
