Are you building or repairing a PC with an 11th Generation Intel® Core™ processor and running Windows 10? Then you’ll likely need the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (RST) driver and the Intel® VMD (Volume Management Device) driver. These drivers are essential for optimal SSD performance, RAID support, and enabling Intel® Optane™ Memory.
In this blog, you’ll learn what these drivers do, why they matter for 11th Gen systems, and how to safely download and install them on your Windows 10 setup.
What is Intel RST and Why It’s Required for 11th Gen?
The Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (RST) driver improves the performance and reliability of systems using SATA or NVMe SSDs. On 11th Gen platforms, this driver becomes even more important due to added support for Intel® Optane™ Memory and RAID configurations via VMD (Volume Management Device).
Key Features of Intel RST:
- Enables high-speed NVMe SSD support under RAID
- Required for systems with Intel VMD enabled in BIOS
- Supports Intel Optane Memory acceleration
- Helps recognize storage drives during Windows 10 installation
Without the proper RST driver, your SSD may not even appear during a clean Windows install.
What is Intel VMD Driver (Volume Management Device)?
Intel VMD is a hardware-level feature introduced in 10th and 11th Gen CPUs for managing NVMe SSDs connected via PCIe. This setting is enabled in BIOS, and without the Intel VMD driver, the OS might fail to detect NVMe drives during installation.
VMD is especially useful in:
- RAID-enabled setups
- Optane H10/H20 hybrid drives
- Business-class and workstation motherboards
That’s why downloading the Intel VMD driver for 11th Gen systems is necessary, particularly for laptops or custom desktops with BIOS VMD support turned on.
Intel RST & VMD Driver Download Links
You can download the latest Intel RST and VMD drivers for Windows 10 (11th Gen) directly from Intel’s official site.
Official Download – Intel RST with VMD (11th Gen)
- File Name: SetupRST.exe
- OS Support: Windows 10, Windows 11 (64-bit)
- Driver Version: Supports 10th & 11th Gen Intel platforms
- Includes: Intel VMD and Optane Support
How to Install Intel RST/VMD Driver on Windows 10
Step 1: BIOS Configuration
- Reboot your PC and enter BIOS (press F2, DEL, or ESC).
- Set SATA Mode to “Intel RST Premium with Intel Optane”.
- If available, enable VMD under PCIe/NVMe options.
- Save changes and exit.
Warning: Changing storage mode from AHCI to RST after OS installation can cause boot failure. Do this before installing Windows.
Step 2: Install Driver During Windows Setup (Clean Install)
If Windows doesn’t detect your SSD during installation:
- Click “Load Driver” during Windows setup.
- Use a USB with the F6flpy-x64 driver folder (included in the Intel RST download package).
- Load the driver and proceed with Windows installation.
Step 3: Install After Windows Setup (Normal Use)
- Download and run SetupRST.exe from Intel’s website.
- Follow the installation prompts.
- Restart your PC after installation.
- Launch Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management to manage your drives.
Common Issues & Fixes
- SSD not detected: Ensure VMD is enabled and the RST driver is loaded during installation.
- Blue screen after enabling RST: You must switch BIOS mode before installing Windows.
- Can’t enable Optane Memory: RST Premium + supported Intel SSD + latest driver is needed.
Keywords Targeted
- Intel RST driver for Windows 10 11th generation
- Intel VMD driver download for 11th Gen
- Intel Rapid Storage Technology 11th Gen Windows 10
- Intel Optane RST driver Windows 10
- Download Intel VMD driver for NVMe SSD
Final Words
If you’re using an 11th Gen Intel® Core™ system with NVMe SSDs, installing the latest Intel RST and VMD drivers ensures your storage runs at peak performance. Whether you’re upgrading, reinstalling Windows, or building a new PC, these drivers are essential.