How to move a sata drive to a machine without AHCI mode

I've got a Dell Inspiron 1545 on which the screen has died. I'm able to plug an external monitor into the Inspiron 1545 and it works fine, so the screen is the only issue. The OS is Win7.

I'm trying to move the disk to a spare Dell Precision M90 laptop that I've got lying around.

The problem is that almost as soon as the Windows logo appears in the boot sequence I get a BSOD with a STOP 0x0000007B message. Researching this message pointed to issues with SATA AHCI mode.

I looked in the BIOS of the Inspiron 1545 and the controller was set to AHCI mode. I set it to ATA mode and tried to boot with the same drive and got the same result as on the Precision M90. Switching back to AHCI allowed the machine to boot correctly again.

I checked the BIOS on the Precision M90 and it doesn't seem to support AHCI mode, although it is a SATA controller onboard. The BIOS is the latest A08 version available from Dell.

Is there any way I can get this drive to boot in the M90 without reformatting it?

I fixed the problem thanks to the comment from @Serge and to Roli on Windows Vista Forums.

To help out anyone else here who may have the same problem, here is the solution.

• Boot into the first computer in AHCI mode

• Import the following entries into the registry

  Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\primary_ide_channel]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="atapi"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\secondary_ide_channel]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="atapi"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\*pnp0600]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="atapi"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\*azt0502]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="atapi"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\gendisk]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="disk"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#cc_0101]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_0e11&dev_ae33]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1039&dev_0601]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1039&dev_5513]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1042&dev_1000]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_105a&dev_4d33]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1095&dev_0640]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1095&dev_0646]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1095&dev_0646&REV_05]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1095&dev_0646&REV_07]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1095&dev_0648]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1095&dev_0649]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1097&dev_0038]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_10ad&dev_0001]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_10ad&dev_0150]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_10b9&dev_5215]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_10b9&dev_5219]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_10b9&dev_5229]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="pciide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_1106&dev_0571]
  "Service"="pciide"
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_1222]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="intelide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_1230]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="intelide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_2411]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="intelide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_2421]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="intelide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_7010]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="intelide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_7111]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="intelide"
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_7199]
  "ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"
  "Service"="intelide"
  
  ; Disable AHCI drivers
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\IaStor]
  "Start"=dword:00000001
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\IsStorV]
  "Start"=dword:00000001
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci]
  "Start"=dword:00000001
  
  ;Add driver for Atapi (requires Atapi.sys in Drivers directory)
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi]
  "ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
  "Group"="SCSI miniport"
  "Start"=dword:00000000
  "Tag"=dword:00000019
  "Type"=dword:00000001
  "DisplayName"="Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller"
  "ImagePath"=hex(2):53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,44,00,\ 
    52,00,49,00,56,00,45,00,52,00,53,00,5c,00,61,00,74,00,61,00,70,00,69,00,2e,\ 
    00,73,00,79,00,73,00,00,00
  
  ;Add driver for intelide (requires intelide.sys in drivers directory)
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\IntelIde]
  "ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
  "Group"="System Bus Extender"
  "Start"=dword:00000000
  "Tag"=dword:00000004
  "Type"=dword:00000001
  "ImagePath"=hex(2):53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,44,00,\ 
    52,00,49,00,56,00,45,00,52,00,53,00,5c,00,69,00,6e,00,74,00,65,00,6c,00,69,\ 
    00,64,00,65,00,2e,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,00,00
  
  
  ;Add driver for Pciide (requires Pciide.sys and Pciidex.sys in Drivers directory)
  
  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\PCIIde]
  "ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
  "Group"="System Bus Extender"
  "Start"=dword:00000000
  "Tag"=dword:00000003
  "Type"=dword:00000001
  "ImagePath"=hex(2):53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,44,00,\ 
    52,00,49,00,56,00,45,00,52,00,53,00,5c,00,70,00,63,00,69,00,69,00,64,00,65,\ 
    00,2e,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,00,00
  

• Restart into the BIOS setup and switch to IDE/ATA mode

• Boot into Windows and allow the ATA drivers to load
• Reboot to compete the driver setup
• Shutdown and move the drive to the second computer
• Boot into Windows and fix up any drivers that don't load correctly