Cannot enable Optane Memory

[BGree7]

I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get my existing Win10 installation adapted for Optane but everything should be set. The BIOS is updated and setup, all should be good.

However, when I run the SetupOptane.exe app the installation completes, the system reboots, then I'm greeted with a box saying "Cannot Enable Optane Memory". It says that my system is compatible, but that no Optane Memory is detected. I can go over to the drive admin tools and there it is. I can even format and use it as a regular drive.

I'm attaching some things that will be asked for. Please let me know if I should provide anything else.

[idata]

Hello Weevilone,

Thanks for posting in our forum. We understand that you are trying to enable Intel® Optane™ Memory but you get a message that it cannot be detected.We have tested here in our lab and based on the information you attached, we believe you may need to clean the Intel® Optane™ Memory, please follow these steps:-Open CMD as administrator mode-Type: Diskpart-Type: List disk (You will see all drives connected in the system)-Type: Select disk 0 (Based on the picture, yours is the disk 0)-And then, type: Clean allhttps://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/memory-and-storage/000022179.html Here is an article with pictures, just in case you want to take a look.The idea is to delete the Intel® Optane™ Memory, in order to have it ready to be enabled since it seems that, for some reason, the configuration on it got messed up.Please let us know if this worked fine for you, as it did work for us.Regards,Nestor C

[BGree7]

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately it did not change the outcome.

I have also shut down all other hard drives other than the boot drive and Optane Memory, but this did not have any positive benefit either. I'm attaching the latest log file. Not bothering with a new picture, but it's exactly the same error message.

[idata]

Hi Weevilone,

Thanks for the log provided. We've checked the file and it seems the system cannot find the Intel® RST software installed. For this reason, could you please try to install https://downloadmirror.intel.com/26730/eng/SetupRST.exe this software.We'll be waiting for your response.Regards,Nestor C

[BGree7]

Thanks for the suggestion. I had the SetupRST and SetupOptane EXE's both on my desktop and wasn't entirely clear which I needed to run.

I have removed the SetupOptane app and installed the SetupRST. Now when I go to the RST applet and select the Optane tab, the "Enable" button is grayed out. I'll attach a new log.

I feel like I'm going in circles.

[idata]

Hi Weevilone,

Could you please check the BIOS settings for your system:-Is the SATA mode set properly for Intel® Optane™ Memory? (Remapping enabled)You can check that by opening device manager and verify where the Intel® Optane™ Memory is. If it shows Standard NVMe* Express controller then it is not remapped.Can you please attach a picture of device manager? (Click on System Devices and look for PCI Express Root Complex.We'll be waiting for your response.Regards,Nestor C

[DChoi5]

I may be able to help as well. I've had the same message during my Optane Memory install. The trick was to disable CSM, or Compatibility Support Module.

On my motherboard which is Gigabyte H270-HD3 the way to show CSM menu was-

BIOS tab-->Enable Windows 8/10 Features to Windows 10 WHQL -->Once that's done you see an option for CSM support -->Set to disable

Their videos tell you to disable CSM in order for Optane Memory to work. Among others. Try this one though.

[BGree7]

Setting CSM to disabled was the key. Now I'm past that and the "Enable" button is no longer grayed out.

Onto the next issue though.. It enabled Optane in Windows and asked me to reboot. When I rebooted, I got a black screen that says "Optane Enablement" or similar. It says to press a key to cancel, and then says "Step 1 of 2. Progress:". That's it. I can let it sit there forever and there is never any progress. If I press a key, then it goes thru Step 1 until it hits 100%, but then it cancels because I hit a key. But if I don't hit a key nothing happens.

Windows then loads and the Optane panel has to go thru it's add process again until it hits 100% there. Any reboot takes me back to the black screen where I have to hit a key before anything happens.

Is this normal? It doesn't seem normal.

[DChoi5]

I don't know. Try re-installing and re-enabling it. I just enabled Optane Memory and its working fine for me. Though I have the 16GB version. The 32GB has extra enablement phase for performance or something like that.

[idata]

Hi Weevilone,

Thanks for confirming the button is no longer grayed out after disabling CSM.The booting process should not stay or repeat the step 1 and step 2 screen anytime, only for the very first time.There are no differences (Besides speed) on each memory module.Please let us know if disabling and re-enabling worked.Also, we do suggest to try formatting the Intel® Optane™ Memory and trying to enable it again.We'll be waiting for your response.Regards,Nestor C

[BGree7]

I uninstalled everything again, then formatted the Optane drive.

Rebooted, reinstalled all the software and it enabled properly this time. Upon the post-install reboot it enabled and came back into Windows.

I'm using this with a SATA SSD so I'm not feeling any great impact, but that was to be expected. I mostly bought it to tinker with, and I've definitely had my share or that.

[DChoi5]

I can tell you have the 32GB version. The 32GB version I think goes through the enablement process in the beginning and also allows you to see stats on the module from the software in Windows. Hopefully they'll implement being able to see the stats on the 16GB later.

I didn't use Optane Memory right away, just let it sitting. I've build the Kabylake i3 recently and just had it disabled running only on the Seagate 2TB just to see the difference. I did see a difference, but nothing amazing. I thought to myself how responsive the Seagate HDD was. This was how I felt when I went from a WD Raptor to a X25-M SSD as well. Same difference was seen when I went from Core 2 Duo to Core i5 661. It seems the SSD allowed performance headroom on the CPU.

It could be just me but SSD storage isn't as revolutionary as people think it is. A real revolution will be when Optane technology can come in a DIMM form factor, and a sweeping change happens in the applications we use and the Operating System so we'll no longer have load times/boot times/sleep mode. But that's 1-2 decades away. If there's any big change I felt from going to an SSD setup was that the rest of the computer world seemed slow which wasn't exactly a positive experience.

And that's actually a great upside for Optane Memory. I wouldn't have been happy spending huge bucks on a 512GB or greater SSD to feel the same thing. Which is why traditional HDDs still sell significantly more than SSDs do. Optane Memory is a great stepping stone before the true change happens when storage/memory can be combined.

[BGree7]

I'm a bit confused by the software, but I don't see any statistics or such. I've installed the SetupRST software and that's it. I'm unclear what the SetupOptane package is for.

When I right-click the RST item on my taskbar and I Open Application.. the Optane tab basically just has enable and disable. Is there something else I can install to see data?

[DChoi5]

So I guess you just installed the RST only package? Actually the Optane package includes RST. Once you have that, you get the Optane Memory windows application, which includes disable/enable function and statistics tab.

[BGree7]

If I install the SetupRST.exe file it installs the Intel RST framework, including Optane support. There is no statistics tab, however.

I removed this and tried just the SetupOptane file and then it doesn't work, apparently because it depends on the RST framework to be already present. It was not. It's pretty crappy really, because if some foundation framework is missing when this is installed, the program should notify the user straight away. It just installs, but then won't work. The RST application does have an Optane tab, but it does nothing aside from enable/disable.

I have no idea how to get to this statistics tab you mention. I've reinstalled the original setup and it's working again, allegedly.

[idata]

Hello Weevilone,

We'd like to know if at the moment the setup is working, we know from your post that you were having some difficulties, but, after you re-installed it started to work again. Could you please confirm this?We'll be waiting for your response.Regards,Nestor C

[BGree7]

I believe I have it enabled, but other than the "enable/disable" button, I have no other diagnostic or statistics that indicate it's doing anything.

I read that some of the software has some statistics that can be viewed but I don't seem to have this. I installed the SetupRST.exe application. Am I missing something?

[idata]

Hello Weevilone,

Based on this situation, what you need is the actual Intel® Optane™ Memory software, the file name is SetupOptaneMemory.exe.We installed it today and for the statistics, you need to have the actual system running so it can display any information on it.Regards,Nestor C

[BGree7]

When I try to install this software I get an error that I can't use this if Intel RST is installed.

If I try to uninstall the Intel RST software first, then install the SetupOptane.exe software as the error message would indicate, I then get an error saying I can't install the SetupOptane.exe software without Intel RST being present.

What the heck?

[idata]

Hi Weevilone,

We are engaging additional resources in fixing your situation. We will be contacting you with further steps and the resolution for your issue.Regards,Nestor C

[BBowm]

I am having the same problem Weevilone is having. I got the Optane working but am unable to install the other software.