Once you download the driver (usually titled something like f6flpy-x64-xxxx.zip ), you must prepare it for Windows Setup.
If Windows claims no compatible drivers exist in the folder you selected:
The Intel RST VMD driver zip file—whether obtained through extraction from SetupRST.exe, downloaded from a PC manufacturer’s website, or sourced from community repositories—is an indispensable tool for anyone installing Windows on modern Intel hardware. While Intel has discontinued direct zip file downloads, the extraction method using the command-line parameter -extractdrivers provides the same raw driver files needed for clean installation.
Save your changes and exit the BIOS (typically by pressing F10 ). Intel Rst Vmd Driver Zip File
Copy the entire extracted folder to the same USB drive you are using to install Windows.
Select your drive and continue with the Windows setup. Troubleshooting: Driver Not Found or Still No Drives If the drivers do not appear or the drive is still missing:
Select your drive and click Next to continue installing Windows 1.2.3. Troubleshooting: Still Not Working? If the drive still doesn't show up: Once you download the driver (usually titled something
No. The Linux kernel (version 5.15 and newer) includes native VMD support via the vmd driver. However, some Arch or Gentoo users may still need to load the vmd module manually.
Hope this saves someone an hour of frustration.
The zip file format is particularly significant because it allows the driver to be used directly during Windows installation. A correctly structured driver zip file contains the essential components needed by the Windows Setup environment: INF files, SYS drivers, CAT security catalog files, and other supporting files. Simply extracting the zip file to a folder on an installation USB drive allows you to click “Load Driver” during installation, point to that folder, and instantly make your storage drives appear. Save your changes and exit the BIOS (typically
If you cannot successfully load the driver or prefer a simpler approach, you can disable Intel VMD in the BIOS entirely. This will allow Windows to detect storage drives without requiring the RST driver, but note that this will prevent you from using RAID configurations.
Click the icon (usually located in the bottom-left corner of the drive selection window). A pop-up prompt will appear. Click Browse .
✅ Search Google for: "Intel RST VMD F6 driver" – first result should be Intel's download page with a direct ZIP.