Intel RST/RSTe Drivers (latest: v20.2.1.1016/ v9.0.0.2062)

@Fernando ,
in reply to #2440, I have done a "restore point", unplug the power cable of all other disks and keep only the system 970 SSD:

SSD_970_system_1_04mai21.png

Current_system_driver_04mai21.png



A try to manually force to update the current system driver (Intel RST) to Samsung NVMe driver does fail:

Try_NVMe_driver_update_04mai21.png



Conclusion: impossible to force the current system disk to be handled by Samsung driver.

@100PIER : Thanks for your report - it is a mess, what Intel has done with their latest RST drivers!
Questions:
1. Did you really press the "Have Disk" button (the picture shows something else). If yes, which message did you get?
2. Which devices did the Device Manager show as being compatible, when you tried to force the installation of the Samsung NVMe driver?

Another option would be a test, whether the "downgrade" of the in-use Intel RST driver is possible, if done in 2 steps:
1. Step: Downgrade to the Intel RST driver v15.9.8.1050 (the last one without extra NVMe support)
2. Step: Switch to the Samsung NVMe driver v3.3.0.1003

I speak French too, and NO he did not use the "Have Disk"…

@100PIER
You do it like this (tu le fais comme ça)!

1.jpg

2.jpg

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@Fernando , @MDM ,
Many thanks for your help.
Here are 8 screenshots to illustrate the step by step update driver operation:
[[File:Capture d?écran_1_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]] [[File:Capture d?écran_2_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]]
[[File:Capture d?écran_3_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]] [[File:Capture d?écran_4_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]]
[[File:Capture d?écran_5_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]] [[File:Capture d?écran_6_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]]
[[File:Capture d?écran_7_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]] [[File:Capture d?écran_8_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]]

After step 8 and trying to boot on the system i observe a very strange situation:
Booting time did take more than 10 minutes ! I thought the system was not booting and abruptly a ding dong alerted me the system booted !

Here are 3 additional screenshots done after the very long booting situation:
[[File:Capture d?écran_9_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]] [[File:Capture d?écran_10_ 2021-05-05.png|none|auto]]
[[File:Capture d?écran_11_2021-05-05.png|none|auto]]

Booting or rebooting does take 10 minutes, it is inacceptable.
Moreover, when repluging the RAID0 drive and setting properly BIOS parameters to ‘RST Premium’ , ‘no RST controlled’ each Samsung SSD, the system do refuse to boot (circle logo).

Personnal conclusion, installing V18 branch is a bad experience
I think only a clean manual resinstall W10 operation will clean the situation.

Please read CAREFULLY all the steps Fernando told you, I am sure you missed some!

You also deleted ALL the controllers (converted to NVMe ones - you only have 3 Samsung ones -WRONG), even the SATA one you still need!!
Simple solution - DELETE all of the NVMe drivers now (uninstall, choosing the software to be deleted too!), reboot (best into Safe Mode instantly), and only change the Microsoft NVMe one to Samsung. That should do it…

@100PIER :
Thanks for your report. It is fine, that you finally were able to boot off your Samsung NVMe SSD by using the Samsung NVMe driver.

This behaviour is not unusual after having changed the storage driver of the system drive and doesn’t mean, that you have to expect long boot times forever. The BIOS may need a long time until getting access to the "Windows Boot Manager", if the path has been changed and the "RST Master" BIOS setting is still active.
Once you have disabled the "RST Master" setting (the SATA mode should stay "RAID"), the PC should boot very fast.

@Fernando , @MDM
Thanks for your comments.

On my side, final conclusion:
I don’t suceed to have a dual drivers (Intel RST v18 branch handling a RAID 0 array and NVMe Samsung driver NVMe) configuration booting.
I think it is impossible by concept of the Intel RST v18 branch to accept Samsung NVMe and Intel RST drivers coexistence.
The only stable configuration is using the unique driver Intel RST v18 handling all the storage disks (SATA RAID volume and any others storage devices such as NVMe SSDs) with BIOS settings: Intel RST= “on”, SATA Mode= “Intel RST Premium with…”, RST PCIe Storage Remapping M.2_1 and M.2_2 = “RST Controlled”.

I have one other Z390M system but without RAID volume.
It is a Dual drivers system: Intel RST v18 and NVMe Samsung.
This other system is booting well and quite stable and performant. (BIOS settings: SATA Mode= “Intel RST Premium with…”, RST PCIe Storage Remapping M.2_1 and M.2_2 = 'Not RST controlled")

@100PIER :

I agree with you regarding this point.
Neverless it seems possible for me to get a better performance with the same configuration (2 NVMe SSDs + Intel RAID0) by using the Intel RST driver just for the SATA connected RAID0 array and the Samsung driver for the NVMe SSDs. Your recent test result verifies, that it is possible to get rid of the "RST Master".
That is why I proposed to "downgrade" the Intel RAID driver to v15.9.8.1050 once the NVMe Controllers are using the Samsung NVMe driver. If you want to try that, don’t forget to uninstall the Intel RST v18 platform driver before you reconnect the RAID0 array members.

@Fernando ,

I do agree a better performant configuration should be using the Intel RST driver for the SATA connected RAID0 and the Samsung driver for all tje NVMe SSDs.

1) Unfortunatly I do observe that the current “RST Master v18” configuration does remain “stucky” to the PC:
→ From the current “RST Master v18” configuration I no longer be able to get a bootable configuration using Samsung drivers even without SATA connected RAID0 plugged in.
It does seem V18 traces are stuck somewhere into W10, into sytem SSD and into BIOS.
The simple fact to unplug the SATA connected RAID0 devices, and then try to boot, does fail into an endless boot loop process (circle logo, then BIOS boot menu offered, then circle logo, etc…)!
To get back to have a booting system again, the RAID0 SATA devices must be reconnected.
→ From the current full “RST Master v18” configuration (RAID0 + Samsung SSDs) I tried to downgrade (have disk method) to a “RST v15.9.8.1050” configuration.
Apparently the downgrade RST driver update does seem accepted without any error message and at the completion the process does require a PC Reboot to take effect.
Again, unfortunatly the PC reboot does fail into the endless Reboot loop process.

2) The “RST Master v18” does seem ‘immuable’ whatever you try to modify: driver version, BIOS setting parameters, RAID0 unplug.

3) It does seem to have seen during the first v18 installation procedure a warning message from Intel that v18 will be “never uninstallable” !
It does seem this experience does confirm this very strange situation.

4) So, at the moment this PC does remain as full “RST Master v18” to be used.

Many thanks for your time to share with me this experience of this PC running in a ‘unexpected’ way and ‘non desirate’ “RST master v18” mode.
So, from my point of view once you have upgraded a (NVMe + SATA RAID0) PC to the Intel RST v18 “world”, it is like for the live !

@100PIER : Thank you very much for your support.
I am not sure, that it is impossible to get rid of the Intel RST "Master" configuration.

This is an expected result for me, because your NVMe SSD cannot boot with the Intel RST driver v15.9.8.1050.
That is why have proposed already in a previous post to do it in more than 1 step.
This procedure may work:
1. Unplug all SSDs/HDDs except the NVMe SSD and force the installation of the NVMe driver for its NVMe Controller (you have done it already successfully).
2. Reconnect any SATA drive (not the RAID0 array members!) and force the downgrade the driver of the listed Intel RAID Controller to v15.9.8.1050.
3. After having verified, that the NVMe SSD is booting fine with the Samsung NVMe driver and the SATA connected disk drive as well by using the v15 platform RAID driver, you can reconnect the members of your RAID0 array.

@Fernando
I will try your test procedure, but can you confirm me some missing details ?
Do I keep the current BIOS parameters unchanged (SATA mode= RST premium, NVMe= RST controlled) before to start the procedure and during all the procedure ?
I have to disconnect the PC from the net, due to antivirus application.

Step1: I do keep plugged in only the system NVME Samsung 970 and have to wait for 10-15 mn or more to see if the boot loop is infinite or not ?
If finally PC is booting, have to force to replace the Intel RST v18 to NVMe Samsung driver that does require also a reboot PC.
Hope to not be again a endless boot loop time ?
Step2: I have to pick up a SATA drive elsewhere in another PC … (only for the test purpose), and have also to wait a very long time to see if the system is finally booting ?
If booting, have to force the offered RST driver (but which one ?) to v15.9.8.1050 and then be able to boot ?
Step3: unplug the SATA test drive, reconnect the 2 SATA members of the RAID0 array, and cross the fingers to see if the system is booting well with the mixed drivers configuration ?

As you can see, the critical phase is to pass the booting loop…

Anyway, I let you know the test results.

@100PIER :

Don’t change these settings before having successfully finished Step 1 (otherwise you will not be able to boot into the OS).
If you should not succeed with Step 1, enter the BIOS, set the "SATA mode" temporarily to "AHCI" and retry to get Step 1 done.
Question: Can you change these BIOS settings yourself (which optons are offered?) or have these BIOS settings been changed automaticly after having installed the Intel v18 RST RAID driver?

@Fernando ,
Step1 does fail:
As you can see on this screenshot the NVME Samsung driver installation in force (have disk method) does require at the completion a Reboot PC:

Capture_1_07mai21.png



So, I have shutdown the PC, then unplug power PC, then replug power PC, then try to reboot.
Unfortunatly the Boot procedure does not work, the Black screen does offer the Round circle for now more than 40 mn !

So, as the PC was not booting, I have modified BIOS setting at the Main Menu with "Intel Rapid Storage Technology: OFF"
This will modify automatically the SATA Mode: AHCI, and observed the both NVMe SSDs (970 and 960) were detected at the BIOS level.

Capture_2_07mai21.png

Capture_3_07mai21.png



Now, I have to go to Step2.

@100PIER :
That is a pity!
It doesn’t make sense to wait until the round circle disappears.
Power off your PC, restart, enter the BIOS, set the SATA mode to "AHCI" and save this setting.
If you should still not be able to boot into the OS now, enter the BIOS again, restore the previous SATA mode setting, save it and power off the PC.
Then start the PC again and wait until you get the "Troubleshooting" option. Choose the "Advanced Options" and the option to restore the OS by using the previously set "Restore Point".
If the OS doesn’t offer the "Troubleshooting" option, boot off any Win10 image, choose the "Repair" (instead of the "Install" option) and let the PC restore your previous configuration by choosing the appropriate "Restore Point".
Good luck!

EDIT:

Does this mean, that you now are able to boot into the OS?

@Fernando ,
As you can see setting to OFF the RST option into BIOS main menu does allow to progress to Step2:

Capture_4_07mai21.png



Now, which storage driver I have to force ? Microsoft ?
Thanks to clarify.

@100PIER :
I told you already to install the Intel RST driver v15.9.8 1050 WHQL.

@100PIER :
As I already said, LISTEN to what Fernando is saying to you CAREFULLY and do it LITERALLY!
Mais vraiment tu n’écoutes pas (tu ne lis pas non plus…)!

@Fernando ,
Yes, I know v15 should installed, but overtaken on which storage driver in place as you can see on the last screenshot of the "AHCI" + "NVMe Samsung" stable configuration ?
AHCI Micosoft ? Which storage item do you propose ? I see not RST choice …


Of course there is no RST since it is still not installed! It is always by default just the MS’s AHCI one. And you only have that single one - therefore no choice or option to be wrong. The rest are NVMe section controllers drivers…

@MDM , @Fernando ,

Of course trying to update Microsoft Standard AHCI with Intel RST v15 does not work:

Capture_5_07mai21.png

Capture_6_07mai21.png


Capture_7_07mai21.png


Whatever you do the AHCI stuff is proposed, and if your force by select the IASTORAC of v15 driver folder the installation procedure goes to into an endless research… without completion and you have to abandon the driver update procedure.
So, no progress !