Hi sdouglas77,

I need some more information like if you upgraded Windows 8 through Windows 7 or if you did clean installation of windows 8 operating system through a DVD. Also let me know if you did any changes to the BIOS settings before installing/ upgrading Windows 8.

Windows 8 will have to be installed or upgraded in a specific way for the systems shipped with mSATA. Let us know the way you have installed or upgraded to Windows 8, so that we can assist you in resolving the issue.

Sujatha,

I installed Windows 8 through Windows 7 (i.e., I did not do a clean install of Windows 8).  After I received my computer, I made a Restore disk and then installed Windows 8 through Windows 7.  

Thank you for your help.  

Best regards,

Steve

Hi sdouglas77,
The Acceleration mode has to be disabled in the Operating system before installing or upgrading to Windows 8. Since Windows 8 is insalled without disabling the Acceleration mode, same has to be manually disabled. I suggest that you follow the below given steps to disable the same:

• Boot to Bios (F2)
• Change Sata operation to AHCI
• Save settings and Exit
• As soon as the system boots up tap the F8 key to go into Advanced options
• Choose option Repair my computer
• Wait for 3 – 5 minutes on the black screen until the system shows up recovery options
• On System Recovery option click next
• On user name / password option click next (if password has been set for primary user please enter the right password)
• On System Recovery Option screen ------> Select Command Prompt
• At Command prompt type in Diskpart
• Type LIST DISKà You should see 2 Disks listed like below
  • Note down the right DISK number for the next steps. On some systems Msata HDD would be either Disk 1 or Disk 0

• Type SELECT DISK 0(Whichever is msata drive)

• It should say DISK 0 is selected
• Type Clean
• This should clean the msata HDD
• Type OFFLINE Disk
• This should make the Disk Offline

• Type EXIT
• RESTART
• On Restart go into BIOS (F2) and change SATA back to Intel Smart Response Technology
• Click save and exit  and Restart
• Option Rom should pop up – Press Ctrl + I
• Press R to disable acceleration and 6 to Exit
• Boot into Windows Normally\

Please reply to this post for further assistance.

Sujatha,

Thanks so much for the detailed instructions.  However, I cannot get the Advanced Options screen.  F8 simply doesn't get me there.  I tried rebooting at least 25 times.  Tried hitting F8 in all sorts of ways - tapping, once, holding it, repeating it.  I tried SHIFT-F8 (which brought up diagnostics).  Nothing will get me to the advanced options.

Is there another way to get to Advanced Options?

Thanks again for your help.

Steve

Hi sdouglas77,

My apologies for asking you to press the F8 key to go to the Advanced Boot option windows. As you informed F8 key does not work in Windows 8 Operating system.

Bring up ‘Charm Bar’ and click on ‘Change PC Settings’. Select ‘General’ from the left Panel and scroll down to the bottom of the right panel, click ‘Restart Now’ under ‘Advanced Start up’. In the next screen click on ‘Troubleshoot’ which will bring the ‘Advanced boot options’ windows. Please click on ‘Command Prompt’ and proceed further as per the steps provided in the previous post.

Sujatha,

Thanks again.  However, I can't boot to Windows after I change the SATA to AHCI.  The only way it will boot to Windows is by selecting IRST.  I tried the COMMAND PROMPT while in IRST.  However, it wouldn't take the MSATA drive off line.  When I type "OFFLINE" it just gives an explanation of what the OFFLINE and ONLINE means, and when I type LIST DISK, it shows both ONLINE.

Again, I really appreciate all the time you're taking.

Steve

Hi sdouglas77,

In AHCI mode you will be unable to boot to the Operating System but you should be able to go to ‘Advanced Boot Options’ menu.  In case you are unable to go ‘Advanced Boot Options’, let me know the screen the system is going to or also check if there is any error message.

Sujatha,

When I boot in ACHI, it sends me into the "Preparing for Automatic Repair" or something like that.  It goes through diagnostics, and finally kicks me out into a "RESTORE" option.  If I hit RESTORE, the system locks up.  If I hit, CANCEL, the system reboots and locks up.  The only way out is to go back to the Boot Options (F2), and change it back to IRST.  Then it boots normally.

Nonetheless, at some point during one of the many reboots and command prompt attempts, something happened.  This morning, I clicked on IRST (while I was in Windows), and the ACCELERATE tab appeared.  I clicked on it and it now shows that the C drive is accelerated using the MSATA drive.  

Does this mean it's accelerated?  It seems to boot fairly fast now, but I can't say for certain that it boots faster than before.  

Thanks,

Steve

Hi sdouglas77,

When it shows that the C drive is accelerated using the mSATA drive, means the mSATA drive is configured, I also suggest that you flash BIOS to the latest version by clicking on the link below:

http://dell.to/Sa8KPL

Select the model of the system, then the Operating system and click on BIOS and flash to the latest version. While flashing BIOS, do not use the system till it restarts and comes up to the desktop and please have the Ac adapter connected to the system as this needs uninterrupted power supply.

I think you forgot the "SELECT DISK X" part, where X is the number of the SSD shown by LIST DISK.

I could be wrong, but I don't know that it will boot faster until you reboot a few times, so it learns that you seem to access those set of files frequently, and they get copied to the mSATA SSD.

It seems to be booting faster now, so this is likely the case.

No, I had selected the SSD, and the system would show it as selected.  However, it would still not take the OFFLINE command.

Hi Wytoo,

We cannot help unless you provide the model of your Dell and operating system.