virtualbox.org

Only use the sata toggle, not the sata selective entry, I still don't think that part is stable enough.

Actually, here is how I fixed my issue. I'm running on a Mac with Leopard (10.5. with Win XP as my guest: Once the AHCI drivers are installed, check in Device Manager under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers for the Intel SATA AHCI controller. Make sure it's ENABLED. Mine was not intially...

I have roughly followed the instructions of the follow webpage. It works for my windows vista x64 as host and windows xp pro sp3 as guest.

http://www.terigo.com/index.php/article ... s-xp-guest

all i had to do was to
1) add a storage controller, set it as AHCI,
2) remove the IDE controller (to which my vdi was attached to)
3) add the vdi to storage controller (added in #1 above) and set it to SATA port 0
4) start the guest OS (windows 2008 standard+SP2 [64 bit])
5) thats it - windows installed the newly detected 'VBOX ADA' thing and asked me to reboot

I am using VirtualBox 3.2.4 on Windows XP+SP3 [32 bit] host

hope this helps!

Host: Linux / Ubuntu (v. Lucid Lynx)
Guest: Windows XP Pro SP3

With VirtualBox 3.2.6 for Linux (Not OSE) I basically did what rsriram22 did.

Specifically (did a backup up of all VDI files first then):

1. In VB Settings --> Storage --> Storage Tree - Added 'SATA Controller', type AHCI.

2. Booted guest WinXP and installed the (SATA drivers) Intel Matrix Storage Manager AHCI drivers, version 7.8.0.1012 as recommended earlier in this thread, Intel download page linked below:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_ ... 1&lang=eng

To install I closed the 'New Hardware' wizard and ran the iata78_enu.exe file.

Someone in the thread said that -for them- the new driver needed to be enabled in Device Manager, I checked this and mine was enabled already.

Then I shutdown WinXP guest.

3. Back in VB Settings --> Storage --> Storage Tree

i) Removed my .vdi file ('Win XP.vdi') from the IDE controller (Slot: IDE Primary Master).

ii) Added my 'Win XP.vdi' file to the SATA controller, Port 0.

This has halved my boot to WinXP time to under 30 seconds and has noticibly increased performance.

Hope this helps someone, and thanks everyone in the thread it's been really helpful.

As an after thought to my post immediately above...

I was wondering why I can not move my DVD drive on the IDE controller to my new SATA controller? Would this also give increased performance? Can it be done? What about VBoxGuestAdditions.iso, can or should that be moved from the IDE controller to the SATA controller?

Thanks.

SATA is an IDE drive, an 'IDE' is an "Integrated Drive Electronic" and is the little PCB attatched to the drive. SCSI is an IDE HDD too as are SAS drives. This is a VERY common mistake to make but seems to be acceptable. When most people say IDE they really mean PATA or Parallel ATA.

Old drives didn't have IDEs and relied purley on the control from the motherboard or daughterboard controller, the drive had no cache and no intelligence and were slow. IDEs were added and this gave them cache and SMART functionality and were labelled "IDE drives". This moniker has perpetuated even though ALL new drives now have IDEs yet people still call PATA drives, IDE drives.

Just clarifying.