Windows 10 error - INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE trying to change to AHCI mode for mother upgrade

After two days of internet digging and countless failed experiments of all suggested methods, found a simple solutions by myself. Make sure you know how to enter Bios Setup before entering windows (ie: by disabling secure boot, etc).

1. Boot normally (in IDE mode), go to Device Manager, uninstall all IDE/ATAPI controllers, starting from bottom to top,  don't restart when offered.
2. Reboot and go to BIOS setup: Change to AHCI mode.
3. Windows will boot and install or request new drivers automatically.

For upgrading motherboard:

2. Change to new motherboard.

I work upgrading computers, and up to now, all windows versions since win 3 up to Win7 admited (with some effort sometimes) upgrading mother or any other component without reinstalling everything.

It's shameful that a simple IDE driver change is not possible with win10. That implies that a windows image with all needed programs will only work on certain hardware and will never work with other, it makes my work painful.  Until now just restored image and update drivers. Now that image doesn't work on a lot of cases.

What if a customer mother is broken, an upgrade implies starting from zero and full reinstall, system backup image is useless. It's silly.

Still have an XP working daily since 2002 after countless (>10) mother, hd, video upgrades without being reinstalled: it's on a B85 chipset now (last with video driver available). Things are getting worst on each step that MS takes. Lot of silly things like circular references in folders: Program Data\Application Data points to Program Data. Making a folder based backup imposible since win7.

Dear Greg, thanks for your efforts, I did state win10 is stuck on IDE mode: It works ok there. My question is:

How can I change to AHCI mode without reinstalling?

Until now, answer is: It can't be done. It seems maybe Macrium with redeploy might be able to do that, though can't find any who actually did that.

Thanks again.

Does Windows start in IDE mode? If so it means it was installed in IDE mode and not AHCI at the time, so needs to be reinstalled in AHCI mode.

Follow the illustrated steps here for doing the best possible Clean Install which should get you past all difficulties as it has hundreds of thousands of others who have followed the steps in this link and never come back to report another problem: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

To create the latest Windows 10 Installation Media (if necessary on another PC) install the Media Creation Tool and follow the directions here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m.... Uncheck the box for Recommended Settings to choose the exact version and bit rate for the target PC only.

Insert media, boot it by powering up PC while pressing the BIOS Boot Menu Key here: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/hardware-tutor...

If the media won't boot you may need to enter BIOS/UEFI Setup (pressing key given in chart in link above) to turn off Fast Boot or Fast Startup first.

Choose the boot device as a UEFI device if offered, skip the Product Key screen and choose your licensed version only if offered. On second screen choose Install Now, then Custom Install, then at the drive selection screen delete all partitions down to Unallocated Space to get it cleanest, click Next to let it create needed partitions and start install - this makes it foolproof.

You will get and keep the best possible install to the exact extent you stick with the steps, tools and methods in the linked tutorial. It's a better install than any amount of money could buy and a great learning experience that will make you the master of your PC because you will learn everything that works best and how to apply it with your own hands.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. If you'll wait to rate whether my post helped you, I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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Hi isidroco

Honestly, if you intention is to swap out your Motherboard, the best option is to backup your data and clean install Windows 10 after you swap out the Motherboard, rather than trying to change Windows 10 to AHCI from inside Windows - that is rarely successful . . .