220-1002 · Question #255
A technician responds to a report that a user's desktop is operating much slower after upgrading the Windows OS to the latest version. The technician notices responsiveness is erratic, and the…
The correct answer is C. Update the SATA controller driver from the manufacturer's website. The presence of 'Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller' in Device Manager is the critical clue. This is the generic Microsoft-supplied driver, not the manufacturer's optimized driver. During a major Windows OS upgrade, Windows often replaces vendor-specific drivers with its…
Question
A technician responds to a report that a user’s desktop is operating much slower after upgrading the Windows OS to the latest version. The technician notices responsiveness is erratic, and the symptoms are similar to a failing hard drive. The technician runs a full hardware diagnostic, and all systems pass. The technician checks the properties for each device in Device Manager and the hard disk and the standard AHCI 1.0 serial ATA controller both indicate the following message: This device is working properly. Which of the following should the technician attempt that will MOST likely resolve the performance issue?
Options
- ARoll back the OS upgrade. Continue using the older version of Windows
- BReset the PC to its factory conditions. Perform the OS upgrade again
- CUpdate the SATA controller driver from the manufacturer's website
- DPerform a full backup and replace the hard drive
How the community answered
(63 responses)- A5% (3)
- B10% (6)
- C83% (52)
- D3% (2)
Explanation
The presence of 'Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller' in Device Manager is the critical clue. This is the generic Microsoft-supplied driver, not the manufacturer's optimized driver. During a major Windows OS upgrade, Windows often replaces vendor-specific drivers with its own generic versions. The generic AHCI driver may not fully support the controller's advanced features (NCQ, power management, etc.), causing degraded and erratic performance that mimics a failing drive. Since hardware diagnostics pass and Device Manager shows no errors, the hardware is fine - the driver is the bottleneck. Updating the SATA controller driver from the manufacturer restores full performance.
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