Installing NVMe drivers during Windows installation

Installing NVMe drivers during Windows installation

Summary

This guide walks through the process of installing NVMe drivers during Windows setup—especially useful when your NVMe SSD isn’t detected. It covers standard NVMe drives, RAID configurations, and troubleshooting steps.

Scenario 1: Standard NVMe (Non-RAID) Drive

Step 1: Prepare the Installation Media
  1. Use the latest Windows 10/11 ISO (Windows 10 version 1709+ includes native NVMe support).
  2. Create a bootable USB using Rufus or the Media Creation Tool.
Step 2: Download NVMe Driver
  1. Samsung - Samsung NVMe Driver
  2. WD/SN series -WD Dashboard or NVMe driver
  3. Intel - Intel RST or NVMe drivers
  4. For common -https://www.asus.com/me-en/supportonly/irst/helpdesk_download/
  5. Phison-based drives → Usually use Microsoft’s built-in NVMe driver.
Step 3: Copy Driver to USB
  1. Extract the driver package (.inf, .cat, .sys files).
  2. Copy the folder to your Windows installation USB or a separate USB stick.
Step 4: Start Windows Installation
  1. Boot from your Windows installation USB.
  2. Proceed until you reach the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen.
  3. If no drives are visible, click “Load driver.”
Step 5: Load the NVMe Driver
  1. Insert the USB containing the driver.
  2. Click Browse, and navigate to the folder with the .inf file. (iaStorVD.inf)
  3. Select it and click Next.
  4. Once loaded, your NVMe SSD should appear.
  5. Continue with Windows installation.

Scenario 2: NVMe Under RAID Mode (Intel RST / AMD RAID)

Step 1: Identify Platform
  1. Intel → Download Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) F6 driver.
  2. AMD → Download AMD RAID driver package.
Step 2: Extract the “F6 Floppy” Driver
  1. Locate the F6flpy-x64 or similar folder inside the driver package.
  2. Copy it to a USB drive.
Step 3: Load During Installation
  1. Boot into Windows setup.
  2. At “Where do you want to install Windows?”, click Load driver.
  3. Browse to the F6 folder on your USB.
  4. Select the .inf file and install.
  5. Your NVMe drive under RAID should now appear.

Scenario 3: NVMe Not Detected Even After Loading Driver

Troubleshooting Checklist

BIOS Settings
  1. Storage Configuration → Ensure NVMe or AHCI mode is enabled.
  2. Disable CSM (Compatibility Support Module) if using UEFI boot.
  3. Installation USB
  4. Confirm it’s GPT and UEFI compatible.
Hardware Check
  1. Reseat the NVMe drive.
  2. Try a different M.2 slot if available.

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