Cannot change SATA mode to AHCI P215-52

Hi

I have an Acer Travelmate P215-52 and managed to set up a dual boot configuration with Linux Mint on it and everything worked fine for a few weeks. In order to do this I had to change SATA mode from 'Optane without Raid' to AHCI in the UEFI/BIOS by pressing CTRL+S whilst on the 'MAIN' tab as it seems you can't install LM without this.

Something happened while it was unattended for a short while that made the laptop unresponsive so I had to hold the power switch for several seconds so that it would power down. When powering it back on the dual boot menu didn't appear but instead I got Windows errors and Windows 10 went into an automatic recovery process and after a while seemed to sort itself out and eventually fired up WIndows.

However the dual boot configuration and hence my Linux was lost and I can no longer change the bios setting to AHCI because CTRL+S when on the MAIN tab in the bios no longer works like it did before.

I have tried umpteen things after googling including installing different SATA drivers, running chkdsk, changing registry settings iastorv and storahci to 0 going into safe mode etc but nothing allows me to change to AHCI in the bios which Linux needs.

I'm wondering if Windoze did an automatic update that screwed things up?

Does anyone know what else I can try to fix this?

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JackE

>>>'m wondering if Windoze did an automatic update that screwed things up? >>>

I think you wonder pretty good.

Assuming the firmware wasn't changed when you weren't looking, try this. Boot from the Mint install stick. Open terminal . Enter boot-repair. Jack E/NJ

PS: Second thought. Better check the BIOS version number first

chris_s

Thanks for your suggestion JackE.

I tried boot-repair and the first error on the log file is 'No known boot loader is installed in the MVR of /dev/sda' so no joy there.

I also tried some other manual suggestions to repair grub using terminal I found on other forums but none that worked.

I had downloaded DiskInternals on Windows 10 previously and I can still see all my files on ext4 on the linux partition.

Any other ideas I can try please?

JackE

What is the BIOS version number now? Jack E/NJ

chris_s

It says v1.23 with the date 15/09/20 but I notice the date is 06/10/20 in the bios updates section in product support on this site.

Pretty sure it was v1.18 before but I'm not sure what I did that changed it...wasn't me knowingly anyway. Would boot-repair have done that?

JackE

>>>Optane without Raid>>>

>>>I can still see all my files on ext4 on the linux partition.>>>

>>>It says v1.23 with the date 15/09/20 but I notice the date is 06/10/20 in the bios updates section in product support on this site.>>>

A Win10 update likely caused the BIOS change. In doing so, it might've wiped out the BIOS link to the trusted grubx64.efi in the EFI partition. Everything is still on the disk, but being stuck in an Intel sata mode prevents any linux repairs to do much of anything except look at the EXT4 partition which is NOT where the problem is.

Version 1.23 has a 12/25/20 date stamp my ACER driver download link, not 9/15/20 or 6/10/20???? Also, have you checked to see if an optane card is physically installed in the m.2 socket?

Jack E/NJ

chris_s

I'm in the UK and we usually do our dates as dd/mm/yy unlike your mm/dd/yy format!

I think I must've misread the 06/10/20 (your 10/06/20) which is the date for v1.20 but as you say the v1.23 date is 25/12/20 (or your 12/25/20).

The date 15/09/20 is what it says for v1.23 when I do msinfo32 in Win 10.

I haven't checked for the card installation yet but the BIOS says it's Optane without RAID so presume it is. I don't particularly want to start taking the thing apart if I can help it.

Am I right in thinking that Linux needs the AHCI setting in the bios all the time and not just for installation? I still can't get the SATA option back with CTRL+S to change it. Presumably that's why boot-repair doesn't work?

JackE

>>>Am I right in thinking that Linux needs the AHCI setting>>>

Yes. It may change in the future. But right now Linux can't handle Intel rapid storage tech like optane. Maybe never. Because optane HDD speed enhancement isn't worth the complications and side effects it causes.

>>>I don't particularly want to start taking the thing apart if I can help it.>>>

In the Windows start menu, search 'optane' or 'intel'. Near the top, look for any NON-web Intel- or optane-related results.

Jack E/NJ

chris_s

I'm sorry but I didn't understand what you meant by NON-web Intel-or optane-related results?? It just brings up the MS Bing search engine when I type 'optane' or 'intel'.

Do you think a Windows re-install might be my last resort? I'm not sure what else I can try to be able to get the AHCI option back?

JackE

Click on the Windows start icon in the left tray. Click on the search icon (spyglass) inside the Windows start menu. Enter 'Intel'. Up near the top of the menu, blue highlighted boxes should appear with Intel-related programs and apps that are aleady installed on your laptop's HDD, that is, they are NOT programs and apps that are on the web-- or online- or the internet---this is what I meant by NON-web because they're already on your HDD. Jack E/NJ

chris_s

Oh I see! I have the Intel Graphics Command Center installed but no optane progs or apps. Is there something you know of that I could install?

JackE

Try searching optane instead of Intel the same way. Jack E/NJ

chris_s

That's what I already did but there are no optane progs or apps...just stuff on the web.

JackE

>>>Pretty sure it was v1.18 before>>>

How sure? Cuz we can try to go back. But a firmware downgrade is not straightforward and carries a higher bricking risk than a firmware update. Are you game?

Jack E/NJ .

chris_s

I bought the laptop late October and v1.23 wasn't around till 25/12/20 (12/25/20 to you)....so pretty sure.

What is a higher bricking risk? Could it screw the drive up and make it unusable?

I'm tempted to try a Windows reset as I don't really use it but am concerned it might mess up my Linux stuff on ext4.

I just want to be able to change back to AHCI but nothing I try works.

JackE

>>>I'm tempted to try a Windows reset as I don't really use it but am concerned it might mess up my Linux stuff on ext4.>>>

I wouldn't if anything of real importance is on the old drive. If it was mine, I'd probably remove and put the old drive aside for safe keeping. Then install a new drive --- they're cheap enough these days. Then re-install the latest Windows using Microsoft's media creation tool with the current BIOS firmware. Then see what the BIOS firmware looks like. If you still can't enable the AHCI mode, well then we can try to do the BIOS downgrade.

If successful, then install Mint alongside Windows again but on the new drive. Then simply plug the old drive into the USB port with an inexpensive USB-to-SSD/HDD adapter (less than $10 from Amazon) and pull all the Linux or Windows stuff you want off of the old drive onto the new drive.

However, If the firmware downgrade is unsuccessful and the machine gets bricked, well then you still have everything on the old drive untouched. And we go from there.

Think positive.

Jack E/NJ

chris_s

That sounds like a good plan and they do seem to be amazingly cheap...the profit margin on laptops must be huge!

I am though having trouble locating the exact same one in the UK and not sure if it needs to be exactly the same anyway?

I have a Kingston RBU SNS8154P3 256GJ1

I found another Kingston model that seems like it would do as a replacement but when I try to post a message containing a link to it for you to see this forum keeps rejecting my post.... but the one I found is Kingston A400 240GB M.2-2280 SATA III SSD.

Do you know if that would be a suitable replacement?

JackE

Should be fine. Don't need an exact replacement. Any SATA III m.2 should be fine with about the same or higher capacity. Kingston, Adata, WD all have decent budget SSDs. Jack E/NJ

chris_s

I was going to try a new SSD but before purchase I googled how to go about swapping it out and I realised that 1 of the 12 screws holding the cover on was covered by a label which said would invalidate the warranty if removed.

So I decided I would try to do a Win 10 reset after all and as a precaution I used the Windows Media Creation Tool to burn a recovery copy of WIndows onto a USB drive in case it all went pear shaped.

Having done that I went into the BIOS/UEFI after another restart and just as I usually do tried CTRL+S on the Main tab which hadn't worked for what must be at least 50 times previously while trying different suggestions but which this time showed me the popup window to select the AHCI mode instead of Optane without Raid. As I wasn't in Safe Mode I didn't change anything but let it boot into windows as normal.

I then restarted in Safe Mode, went into the BIOS and changed it to AHCI then booted into Windows and changed back to normal mode.

Restarted again and changed the boot order so that Linux/Ubuntu was at the top and low and behold all my Linux installation came back up via the Linux boot loader.

I must have lost at least 40 hours on this and have no idea why it came back as all I have done since my last post was to restart several times but I had done that many times before and then to create a backup copy of Windows which somehow must've given me back the CTRL+S option to change to AHCI mode.

I don't understand it but for now all is well and has been for a few days...until Windows screws it up again I guess but I should probably declare this as now closed.

Thanks Jack E/NJ for all your help....very much appreciated.

JackE

>>> backup copy of Windows which somehow must've given me back the CTRL+S option to change to AHCI mode.>>>

Doubtful as Windows loads after the BIOS completes all of its POSTs. Maybe a the Ctrl key or S key is a bit sticky or intermittently unresponsive. Thanks for reporting back. Glad it's back up and running. Jack E/NJ

jindrich

Its only setting in bios. That's how it works for me.

1) Set some Supervisor Password (It s probably necessary) 
2) In the "Maing" Press CTRL+S and set WMD Controller - Disabled 
If you have problem witch touchpad in Linux, you cane set to PS2
As in the picture. 
I also give other bios items screen. 


Nothing importent...

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/9b/3y48qd0rna61.jpg

2) In the "Maing" Press CTRL+S and set WMD Controller - Disabled
If you have problem witch touchpad in Linux, you cane set to PS2

Bios menu Main after press CTRL+S (if you have problem witch touchpad too, please set PS2)

Nothing importent...

1) Set some Supervisor Password (It s probably necessary)

Have a nice day

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