RST / Otane Memory & Storage Mgmt Component driver(s)

[Codec]

A problem isolated to an incompatible RST and Optane M&SMC driver installed through a Windows Repair with an in-Place Upgrade.

Hardware

PC: Dell XPS desktop (model 8930)

Storage: SK Hynix M.2 NVMe (PCLe) 256GB

                Seagate SATA-III 6.0Gb/s  2TB

CPU:  8^th Gen Intel Core i-7 8700 3.20 GHz (Coffee Lake 14nm)

Chipset :  Southbridge Z370

Motherboard: Dell Model 0DF42J (U3E1)

Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630   Subvendor: Dell

                  NVIDIA GeForce 1060 6GB, Revision A2    Subvendor: Dell

RAM: 16GB, 2666 MHz, DDR4 

RAID / Windows 10 and RST

The Controller mode in BIOS was factory configured in ‘RAID On’. Dell Windows 10 image and the Intel SATA/PCLe RST Premium controller was installed in RAID On mode from OOTB

System shipped without Optane memory / Optane M.2 NVMe

Background / Timeline

Switched to AHCI from RAID May 10, 2021 seeing no benefit for RAID and the Intel SATA/PCLe RST Premium Controller.

Windows 10 was configured successfully in safe mode and the Standard NVM Express Controller loaded replacing the Intel SATA/PCLe RST Premium Controller. The Intel 300 Series Chipset SATA AHCI controller loaded in the IDE /ATA/ATAPI node in Device mgr 

• Windows Update installed Intel Corporation – HDC – 17.9.6.1019 May 20, 2021
• No system issues were reported until March 12, 2022 after a Windows 10 Cumulative Update refused to install. A Windows Repair w/ In-Place Upgrade was performed to install the CU
• The Windows Repair force installed  v17.9.6.1019 again. The iaStorAC.sys RST driver in Event Viewer this time appeared as less representative of a custom OEM driver
• The Windows Repair also force installed a Microsoft Software Component generic driver discoverable in Event Viewer. Device Mgr lists driver in the Software Components node => Optane Memory and Storage Management Component     

Problem

Multiple types of live kernel errors and Windows Hardware errors followed after the Intel RST and Microsoft Software Component generic drivers installed  

• Feb 28, 2023, Windows Update installed the latest RST update ‘Intel Corporation  - HDC – 17.11.3.1010
• March 6, 2023, Windows Update installed the latest Optane Memory and Storage Management Component update v17.11.3.101
• Live kernel errors / Windows Hardware errors started re-occuring again following new updates.
• The error re-occurances interestingly began exactly one year to the date on March 12, 2023

Fix Attempts

System was shipped to Dell in 2022 two times under warranty. They replaced the Dell branded Nvdia card and the CPU. Both replacements failed to resolve the problem.

Two local professional technicians attempted to diagnose the problem and were unsuccessful

The warranty reached expiration. Turning to the Dell forum could not offer a solution.

Proposed Solutions

Option 1) Replace the Manufacturer Rapid Storage Technology AHCI driver with the Standard Microsoft SATA AHCI driver per the procedures :

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/uninstalling-the-intelr-rapid-storage-technology/e3c4b6d6-56ba-4ac5-be50-89843c9d9b22

Option 2) Back up the registry. The registry setting StorAHCI start = 0 (correlates to Microsoft AHCI drivers), has the StartOverride subkey value of 3 (3 means OFF) (0 means ON). Enable the StartOverride subkey setting to the value to 0   (0 means ON)   

Option 3) Switch SATA Controller mode back to RAID. Doubt and uncertainty that problems will not result   

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000124714/how-to-switch-from-ahci-to-raid-on-dell-data-security-windows-systems

Option 4) As last resort. Clean install of Windows 10

[LeonWaksman]

Hello @Codec 

Why you have the RST and Optane software installed on you computer? If you switched to AHCI mode, you don't need those drivers any more. Just uninstall it.

Leon

[Codec]

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@LeonWaksman wrote:

Hello @Codec 

Why you have the RST and Optane software installed on you computer? If you switched to AHCI mode, you don't need those drivers any more. Just uninstall it.

Leon

---

@LeonWaksman I'm not sure what you mean by  "just uninstall it"

Could you offer what method you recommend to "uninstall it" ?

Replacing the RST driver with the Standard SATA AHCI hard drive controller I don't think technically uninstalls the RST driver (iaStorAC.sys) 

the option I posted under "proposed solutions" dates back to 2014 (pre Windows 10) 

I'm just saying,  improperly attempting to uninstall can alter the boot configuration and prevent the system from booting  

[LeonWaksman]

Hello @Codec 

I'll try to explain how to do this. Since your computer is set to SATA AHCI mode you don't need the Intel RST Driver and the Intel Optane Memory Memory & Storage Management in your system. You may/should uninstall it. To take precaution before doing this, prepare a full backup/image of your drives. 

To uninstall the Intel Optane Memory Memory & Storage Management, open Windows Setting App & Features and click on the three dots on R.H. site Intel Optane Memory Memory & Storage Management line. Then click on Uninstall and follow the instructions on screen. 

To uninstall the RST Driver, open the Device Manager and click to open the Storage controllers category. Then right click on the Intel RST Driver, menu will open. Click on Uninstall Device and then check the "Remove Device Software..." and again click Uninstall. 

I'm attaching images from my computer. It is running Windows 11, but it looks very similar.

Leon

 

 

[Codec]

@LeonWaksman 

Lets back up. There's a disconnect here about what's going on 

The Dell Win 10 image on the boot drive was installed by Dell for RAID. And so the Intel SATA/PCLe RST Premium controller was installed in RAID mode from out of the box.

When I switched to AHCI from RAID, the Standard NVM Express Controller driver (stormvme.inf) replaced the Intel SATA/PCLe RST Premium Controller driver under the Storage Controllers node. At the same time, the Intel 300 Series Chipset SATA AHCI controller RST driver (iaStorAC.sys)  loaded under the IDE /ATA/ATAPI node

Steps to configure Win 10 to switch from RAID to AHCI  >   https://support.thinkcritical.com/kb/articles/switch-windows-10-from-raid-ide-to-ahci

How Device Mgr now looks in AHCI:

Storage Controllers nodeIDE ATA/ATAPI node

As for that Optane Memory & Storage Management application you mentioned in Windows settings Apps & Features, you're referring to a Microsoft Store app.  I immediately uninstalled that app back on March 6th, 2023.

What I'm talking about is Windows Update installed driver v 17.11.3.1010 for the Optane Memory and Storage Management Component.  This WU occurred six days after the update for the RST driver (iaStorAC.sys) v 17.11.3.1010 on Feb. 28th  

The Software Components node in Device Mgr :

Note the Microsoft generic driver installed on 3/12/22 

 

[LeonWaksman]

Hello @Codec 

1. I don't see any problem in the IDE /ATA/ATAPI node and the Storage Controllers node. I didn't understand correctly your previous post.

2. You don't need the  Optane Memory and Storage Management Component in the Software components, so, just uninstall it from there.

Leon

[Codec · Accepted solution]

I got my answer

• Problems caused by RST will be ongoing with the original live Dell Win 10 installed in RAID   

• Its virtually impossible later to completely remove all remnants of Intel RST
  

• It will take a clean Win 10 install (nuke and pave) to completely get rid of this outdated garbage

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @Codec  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.  

I am sorry to hear about what is happening with your PC. 

In this case, we recommend you to check with your System Manufacturer if there is any necessary adjustment to do in the BIOS since Intel RST doesn't work in AHCI mode. Also, we recommend you to check if the driver you installed is the correct one with them. 

Best regards,  

Jocelyn M.   

Intel Customer Support Technician.