To configure the BIOS for RAID or AHCI on an Intel® Desktop Board, follow the steps listed below. For non-Intel motherboards, contact your system or motherboard manufacturer for instructions.

Warning Enabling AHCI or RAID after installing the operating system is not recommended or supported when a SATA hard drive is the boot drive. Enabling AHCI or RAID after installing the operating system might cause an immediate blue screen with an 0x0000007b error code, followed by a reboot. If you use AHCI or RAID, enable them before installing the operating system.

Note If you are using a SATA hard drive, set your BIOS to RAID mode. RAID mode provides the greatest overall flexibility and upgradeability because it allows your system to be RAID ready and enable AHCI.

Enable RAID by following either of the steps below (depending on your board model):

1. Press the F2 key after the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) memory test begins.
2. Select the Configuration menu, then the SATA Drives menu.
3. Set the Chipset SATA Mode to RAID.
4. Press the F10 key to save the BIOS settings and exit the BIOS Setup program.

OR

1. Press the F2 key after the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) memory test begins.
2. Select the Advanced menu, then the Drive Configuration menu.
3. Set the Drive Mode option to Enhanced.
4. Enable Intel® RAID Technology.
5. Press the F10 key to save the BIOS settings and exit the BIOS Setup program.

Enable AHCI by following either of the steps below, depending on your board model:

1. Press the F2 key after the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) memory test begins.
2. Select the Configuration menu, then the SATA D rives menu.
3. Set the Chipset SATA Mode to AHCI.
4. Press the F10 key to save the BIOS settings and exit the BIOS Setup program.

OR

1. Press the F2 key after the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) memory test begins.
2. Select the Advanced menu, then the Drive Configuration menu.
3. Disable Intel® RAID Technology.
4. Enable SATA AHCI mode.
5. Press the F10 key to save the BIOS settings and exit the BIOS Setup program.

Related Topics:
What is AHCI?
What if I want to use RAID but my OS is already installed?

This applies to:

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST)