You boot from your Windows USB stick, click "Install Now," and then—disaster. The setup screen says: "We couldn't find any drives. To get a storage driver, click Load driver."
Your new 2TB Samsung 990 Pro or WD Black SN850X is physically installed, but Windows Setup cannot see it. Why? Because your motherboard BIOS has VMD enabled by default, and the generic Windows installer lacks the necessary driver. The zip file is the key that unlocks visibility.
| Item | Detail |
|------|--------|
| Purpose | Allow Windows to see NVMe/RAID drives when VMD is enabled in BIOS |
| File type | ZIP containing INF + SYS + F6 floppy-emulation folder |
| When needed | Clean Win10/11 install on 11th+ gen Intel with VMD on |
| Cannot use | SetupRST.exe during Windows pre-installation |
| Must do | Extract to FAT32 USB, load iaStorVD.inf |
| Common symptom if missing | No drives found during Windows installation |
If you provide your motherboard model and Intel CPU generation, I can help locate the exact correct VMD driver ZIP. Intel Rst Vmd Driver Zip File
Intel distributes RST VMD drivers as a ZIP because:
Cause: VMD might be disabled in the BIOS, or the SSD is faulty. Alternatively, you may have a RAID configuration that requires a different driver variant.
Solution:
Even with the correct zip file, users encounter errors. Here is your troubleshooting checklist.
The Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) VMD Driver is a critical utility for modern PCs. If you are installing Windows 11 (or 10) on a computer with a 12th, 13th, or 14th Gen Intel processor, this zip file is often the difference between a successful installation and a "No drives found" error screen.
However, the "Zip file" itself is just a container. The review below focuses on the driver contents and its utility. You boot from your Windows USB stick, click
Some users disable VMD to use standard NVMe drivers (Microsoft’s).
In BIOS:
Warning: If Windows was installed with VMD on, disabling VMD will cause boot failure (reinstall needed).