download
Restart your PC and repeatedly press the setup key (usually , Del , or F12 ) to enter the BIOS. Switch to Advanced Mode (often by pressing F7 ).
The installer will scan the folder and display compatible hardware choices, such as the Intel RST Managed Controller . Select the driver from the list and click .
Ensure you are not removing the USB drive during the installation process. Conclusion
Warning: If Windows is already installed in RST mode, switching to AHCI will cause a BSOD unless you first boot into Safe Mode or modify the registry. Rapid Intel Storage Technology F6flpy-x64-non-vmd.zip
Re-extract the ZIP directly to the USB root. Ensure the .inf file is in the top folder (not inside a subfolder). Reformat the USB as FAT32.
| Component | Meaning | |-----------|---------| | | Indicates this is the "F6 floppy" style driver package (pre-OS installation). "Flpy" is an archaic abbreviation for floppy disk, though today it is loaded from USB drives. | | x64 | 64-bit architecture. This driver will not work on 32-bit versions of Windows or ARM-based systems. | | non-vmd | Critically, this stands for non-Volume Management Device . VMD is Intel’s controller that abstracts PCIe NVMe drives and RAID configurations at the hardware level. "non-vmd" means this driver does not require or use Intel VMD. | | .zip | The driver is compressed. You must extract the contents before use. |
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Windows OS Installer │ └───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘ │ (Requests Controller Info) ▼ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Intel F6 Pre-Installation Driver (iaStorAC.sys) │ └───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘ │ (Translates Protocols) ▼ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Physical Storage Drive (SATA / Non-VMD NVMe) │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Restart your PC and repeatedly press the setup
If you are currently stuck at a "No drives found" screen during a Windows 10 or 11 installation, follow these steps: Download and Extract : You cannot use the
This section provides a practical tutorial for using Rapid Intel Storage Technology F6flpy-x64-non-vmd.zip .
: Newer Intel platforms (11th Gen and later) often use VMD to manage NVMe storage. The "Non-VMD" driver is intended for 10th Gen or older systems, or newer systems where the VMD controller is disabled to use native NVMe or standard AHCI/SATA modes. Select the driver from the list and click
: Go back to your hardware specifications. If your BIOS has VMD turned on, the non-vmd version of the driver will fail to register the storage device. You must download the matching F6flpy-x64-vmd.zip driver instead.
Unless you are currently stuck at a "No drives found" screen during a Windows installation, you likely to hunt for this specific file. For general performance updates, it is safer to use the Intel Driver & Support Assistant to manage your storage drivers automatically.