Optane M10 Won't Install On Asus Z390-A - No Valid Disk Pairs

[TomG6219]

Asus support could not help me with this, and I'm hoping the folks here can.

I'm getting the "no valid disk pairs" issue with the Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management app.
App version: 17.9.1008.0
Driver version: 17.9.4.1017

The full SSU file is attached.

Highlights:
Motheboard: Asus Prime Z390-A, BIOS: 1602,
BIOS shows Intel RST version 17.2.0.3790 RAID Driver.
OS: Windows 10, all service packs and patches as of today.
Installed in UEFI mode with CSM disabled.
Fast Boot = off

The disks in question are an Intel NVme 32 gig Optane module in M_2.1 and a Samsung SSD 970 in M_2.2.
The Samsung SSD has 10 megs of unallocated space for Optane.

The log from an older version of the Storage Management app log file showed this:
.....
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:20 – Start listening to new instances of application
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\ConcatenateRollbackError in LocalMachine: False
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\OptaneBadBlockError in LocalMachine: False
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – OptaneStatusInfo: Id: 0, OperationStatus: NotInProgress, Progress: 0, Hanged: False, ConcatenationType: Unknown, IsRestartRequired: False, OptaneSupport: IsSupported, IsSupportedCpu, IsSupportedPreOs, IsSupportedOs, IsSupportedPch, IsOptaneEnabled: False, ControllerId: 1, AcceleratedDiskId: 0, FileCacheSize: 0, EventErrorHappened: FalseDataDriveSupported: FalseWindowsDriveNumber:
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – DiskInfo: Id: 10, type: PcieSsd, scsi: Controller 1, Port 0, name: INTEL MEMPEK1J032GA, size: 29260513280, isSystemDisk: False, slowstatus: IncorrectDiskType, fastStatus: Valid, DiskOptaneUsage: NoneFirmware: K4110440 WillContainFileCache: True
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – DiskInfo: Id: 11, type: PcieSsd, scsi: Controller 2, Port 0, name: Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB, size: 1000204886016, isSystemDisk: True, slowstatus: IncorrectDiskType, fastStatus: IncorrectDiskType, DiskOptaneUsage: NoneFirmware: 2B2QEXM7 WillContainFileCache: True
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – DiskPairInfo: SlowDiskId: 11, FastDiskId: 10, Status: SlowDiskNotSupported
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – DiskPairInfo: SlowDiskId: 10, FastDiskId: 11, Status: FastDiskNotSupported
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\DisableSmartNotifications in LocalMachine: False
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\DisableSmartNotifications in LocalMachine: False
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:21 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\DisableSmartNotifications in LocalMachine: False
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:23 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\ConcatenateRollbackError in LocalMachine: False
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:23 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\OptaneBadBlockError in LocalMachine: False
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:28 – Changing statistics period polling to 0:00:05
INFO 2020-08-24 03:28:30 – Changing statistics period polling to 1:00:00
INFO 2020-08-24 03:58:11 – Registry bool value SOFTWARE\Intel\IRST\IsOptaneEnabled in LocalMachine: False
......

The two DiskInfo lines are likely telling, but I cannot determine what the issue can be. I appreciate any advice or help.

[n_scott_pearson]

As far as I know, you can only use the M10 module to accelerate a SATA-based drive. It cannot be used to accelerate a NVMe-based drive.
...S

[LeonWaksman · Accepted solution]

Hi @TomG6219 

1. Scott is absolutely right, you can't accelerate your NVMe drive, however you should be able to accelerate the secondary SATA drive Samsung SSD EVO 250GB.

2. The Optane Memory should be installed in M.2_2 slot (rather than M.2_1).

3. The SATA mode in BIOS should be set to "Intel RST Premium..."

Leon

[TomG6219]

Thank you both, gentlemen.  I had not found that about the NVme Samsung. 

My flawed thinking was that if I could attach the RST driver to the Samsung NVme in the BIOS (which I did for both devices),  then Intel considered it as an Optane possibility.