AHCI Driver

In order to install Windows XP manually on a notebook with the new Intel ICH8 SATA HDD controller, it is necessary to install a certain HDD disk driver. Intel provides driver for Windows XP 32Bit and Windows XP64Bit. Both are packaged into .exe files and after execution they write their content to a floppy disk which must be attached to the USB port. 

When Windows XP boots from the CD the user will be prompted to press F6 to install a SCSI driver from a diskette drive that must be attached to the notebook before startup. After pressing F6, there will be no confirmation and the normal Windows Installation boot process will go on until the user will be requested to specify the type of HDD controller chip. For the ICH8-M used in the TM6231, 6291 and TM6292 the second menu item must be choosen: Intel(R) 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M). Any other controller chip and especially all the RAID variants will not fit and the result will be that the HDD will not be found by Windows XP installation.

The Windows XP installation process will go on and from time to time the the driver files on the floppy disk will accessed. After the Windows XP installation the driver will be integrated into the new Windows XP on the HDD. 