Fix Missing Drive During Windows 10/11 Installation
If you’re installing Windows 10/11 on the latest Intel hardware and Windows Setup does not detect your HDD/SSD/NVMe storage device, you simply need to load the Intel RST VMD Controller Driver.
Download Intel VMD Driver
Intel RST VMD Controller Driver
This driver is essential for Windows Setup to detect your storage device on modern Intel platforms.
How to Load the Driver During Windows Setup
Boot from Installation Media
Boot your computer from your Windows installation media (USB or DVD).
Proceed with Setup
Continue with Windows setup until you reach the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen.
Load Driver
If no drives are detected, click the “Load driver” option.
Browse to Driver
Click the “Browse” button and navigate to your USB drive where you saved the VMD driver.
Select Driver Folder
Locate and select the folder containing the VMD driver you downloaded from this page.
Choose the Driver
Select the Intel RST VMD Controller driver from the list of available drivers.
Install Driver
Click “Next” to install the driver.
Continue Installation
Your drives should now be detected, allowing you to continue Windows installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
On modern Intel platforms with VMD enabled, NVMe or SSD drives are managed through the Intel RST VMD Controller. Without the correct driver, Windows Setup cannot detect these storage devices.
Intel 11th, 12th, 13th Gen Core processors and certain Intel Xeon platforms with VMD support enabled in BIOS require this driver during Windows installation.
Yes. The Intel RST VMD Controller driver ensures stable operation, hot-plugging, and RAID compatibility even after Windows is installed.
You should always download drivers from Intel’s official website or your system/motherboard vendor’s support page to ensure compatibility and security.
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