How to change safely storage controller mode from RST to AHCI in Windows 10?

I'd like to answer your second question by saying that your fourth point is valid, since I've just switched a brand new Dell XPS 9310 from RST to AHCI without losing anything (AFAIKT :))
So:

  1. Boot into Windows
  2. Open a shell as administrator
  3. Run bcdedit /set safeboot minimal
  4. Reboot, enter BIOS and switch to AHCI
  5. Reboot into Windows again
  6. Open another shell as administrator
  7. Run bcdedit /deletevalue safeboot
  8. Reboot