AHCI drive ext attachment

**linw** · 26-05-2016, 11:18 PM

Got to admit my ignorance on this one and can't find any answers by googling.

How do you work on a removed AHCI drive? What do you attach it to?

Got a non-booting situation here and wanted to examine/copy files from the drive. Removed it and plugged it into a sata/ide usb cable and the drive is reported as raw. That, on reflection, seems reasonable but how are you supposed to 'get at it'?

**dugimodo** · 26-05-2016, 11:30 PM

RAW generally means the computer is not seeing the file system, doesn't bode well. Could be an issue with the USB cable but could also mean the disk has lost some important part of the file system.
AHCI is the controller mode but the drive itself should work just fine on any external sata enclosure or caddy etc and doesn't specifically need to be in AHCI mode to work. The drive can be used internally in AHCI, RAID, SATA, or legacy IDE mode and will work after all. The modes are more about how the controller works than compatibility with the drive. You could always connect it internally to another PC with a spare SATA port if the external cable isn't working.

**linw** · 27-05-2016, 08:32 AM

Thanks for the elucidation, Dugi. You make good sense, as usual!!

Yea, this drive has bad blocks and won't boot but it reads OK in its own comp using a utility boot CD. It's new disk and fresh win 10 install time.

**dugimodo** · 27-05-2016, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by linw

Thanks for the elucidation, Dugi. You make good sense, as usual!!

Well that's a stretch

**linw** · 27-05-2016, 05:24 PM

Nah, mate, not at all.

BTW, the drive in question reads fine attached to a comp. It is a 1.5TB WD Green. Wonder if my USB thingie has a problem with larger drives?

Anyway, have re-installed win 10 onto a spare drive and it works well. At least it is 7200rpm! Will move the image to the new drive when it arrives.