Do I dare change HDD Settings?

[JadedMaple]

Folks, I have wanted to take the plunge to Linux since last year this same time.

I finally got my own Dell Dimension 8400 last tuesday!

Now I have read that the 2.6 Kernel can't find the ICHGR SATA Controller. I don't want to download and burn a new Distro.

I read

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_linux&message.id=5859

"Step 1 - Partition disk.
Boot into C:Windows XP.
Since the NTFS filesystem on F: appeared damaged, I first repaired it:
chkdsk /f f:
With Partition Magic the NTFS (2nd) partition on disk2 was resized, and an empty unformatted patition of 20 GB was made at the end of disk2.

Step 2 - Install Operating System Suse 9.2
Then Dell Dimension 8400 was booted into Bios (key F2 at boot) and temporarily the drives were set to Autoraid/ATA.
From the Suse Pro 9.2 DVD an install was done to disk2. Most hardware was recognized, but the monitor was set to Vesa, and there was no 3D for the ATI X300 card. Internet (via DHCP and DSL), sound worked. With Yast, many packages such as and various developer tools (compilers) and a lot of Qt3 (needed for 'xconfig') were installed.
I also compiled xxdiff from xxdiff.sourceforge.org, for comparing 'edited' files with copies of the original files.

Till this point one needs to switch the Bios drive settings to "Autoraid/AHCI" when one wants to reboot into Windows XP, and to switch to "Autoraid/ATA" for Linux.
" Is from that post

Do I dare change my settings from

RAID Autodetect/AHCI to RAID Autodetect/ATA RAID - if Signed otherwise ATA.

I also have

RAID ON = SATA Config RAID at Boot.

Combination = SATA/PATA Combination.


If I change my HDD Settings will Data be corrupted? Will it damage anything?

Do I dare do it? Or should I just reformate everything tomorrow?