Once Windows is installed, you should install the full SetupRST.exe to gain access to the Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management app in Windows.
While Intel previously provided a direct for these drivers, they now primarily offer a SetupRST.exe installer. To use these drivers for a clean Windows install, you must manually extract them from the .exe. How to Get the RST VMD Driver Files Intel Rst Vmd Driver Zip File
The "Intel RST VMD Driver Zip File" is a critical storage driver used during Windows installation to detect NVMe SSDs on systems with processors and newer . These newer platforms use Intel Volume Management Device (VMD) technology, which acts as a hardware logic layer to manage PCIe NVMe SSDs, but often renders them invisible to the standard Windows installer unless the specific VMD driver is loaded. Why You Need the Zip Version Once Windows is installed, you should install the
The laptop had arrived yesterday, a sleek slab of aluminum and glass, but it was currently nothing more than an expensive paperweight. Elias stared at the screen, where the Windows installer insisted—with a cold, digital indifference—that it could not find a single drive to install the OS on. How to Get the RST VMD Driver Files
Do not download from third-party sites. Go to Intel’s official download center or your motherboard manufacturer’s support page (e.g., ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Dell, Lenovo).