Update to Windows 10 1903 requires updated Intel Rapid Storage Technologies

Hi Joosujin,

I successfully installed v1903 on July 27.  Since then my computer has checked for updates (most recently this morning) and said the system is up-to-date.  My update history is blank so no updates have been installed since I upgraded to 1903.

I did not experience the black screen issue.

I have Windows 10 v1903, Build # 18362.267.  This build# is higher than the Build # (18362.145) associated with KB 4497935 so I am guessing that I do have this KB installed.

I hope this answers your question and that you can successfully install Windows 10 v1903 this time.  Consider replying to this post so that others can know if you avoid the black screen issue by using the update method described in this posting.

Best,

Maurice

Thanks for posting the detailed step-by-step procedure.  I had actually upgraded to v1903 and now downgraded to v1809 due to an issue with KB4497935 (please see the issue below). 

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/kb4497935-causing-infinite-black-screen-with/7d0a8cb2-2e1e-478e-9b3d-fb653880069b?messageId=7ab4d7be-6d4e-4ade-b506-e718855c5484&page=1

I'm wondering if you have had any issue with any following cumulative updates, particularly with KB4497935.  I suspect that MS added this Intel RST compatibility check during the install of v1903 as I didn't have this issue when I had first installed it.  Instead, I had the KB4497935 issue.  Please kindly let me know if you have had any issue when you installed all cumulative updates after v1903.  Thanks in advance.

Hi Akwasi,

Here are the steps:

1. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and click on the Download Tool Now Button
2. Save the Media Creation Tool to your Desktop.  You will use this to update Windows after you complete steps 3 thru 9.
3. Left-click the Notification Icon and then left-click the All Settings icon.
4. Click on the Apps option in the Windows Settings window.
5. Scroll to Intel Rapid Storage Technology and left-click on it to expand the listing.
6. Left-click on the Uninstall button.
7. When the uninstall dialog box says the program has been removed, make sure the Restart Now option is selected and left-click OK.
8. After Windows restarts, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder c:/windows/system32/drivers.
9. Scroll to down to the iaStor*.sys files (where * is a wildcard; you should have 4 files).  For each of these files, change the filename by replacing the "sys" extension with "old".
10. Double-left-click the Media Creation Tool to run it.
11. Accept the license and wait for the "What do you want to do" screen to appear.  Select "upgrade this PC now" and left-click Next.
12. The upgrade will take some time to download.  After it does, follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation.
13. After the installation is done, go to the c:/windows/system32/drivers folder and delete the ioStar*.old files.  There may no longer be 4 of them.  IMPORTANT: DO NOT DELETE THE iaStorA.sys file; Windows installed it as part of the update.  If you delete it, you computer will not be able to start.
14. Go to https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/55005/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST- to reinstall the latest version of Intel Rapid Storage Technology.  Follow the instructions on this website.

Hopefully, I have provided enough detail for you to perform your upgrade.  If you have any questions or problems, please reply.  Please let me know if you are successful.

Best regards,

Maurice

Hi Maurice,

I have got the same problem as you, so :

1. I have uninstalled Intel RST
2. Renamed the four files iaStor*.sys
3. Installed the windows 10 update
4. Installed the last Intel RST (https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/55005/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-)

This works for me.

Regards

Can you provide the steps for doing this?

Hi again Marcel,

Thanks for the clarification.  I guess I got overzealous by changing the filenames before restarting to complete the uninstall; obviously at least one of these iaStor*.sys files are essential even if RST is not present).  Did it the correct way and it worked like a charm.

Interestingly, the Windows update reinstalled the iaStorA.sys, iaStorAVC.sys and iaStorV.sys files, but did not install the Intel RST program.  I guess that RST is not needed for my hardware configuration.

Even more interesting: the version of iaStorA.sys post-Windows update was the same version (15.2.0.1020) as the one that Windows said needed to be updated.  And, this is the version that is now serving as the driver for the I/O SATA AHCI Controller.  I seems that if the RST software is not installed, Windows 1903 is perfectly compatible with this iaStorA.sys file (and this file is essential even if you do not have RST).  But, if iaStorA.sys 15.2.0.1020 is compatible with Windows 10 1903 and if the newest update to RST does not update iaStorA.sys, one has to wonder why Microsoft designed the Windows Setup program to use the iaStorA.sys version as the criteria for whether the update could proceed.  A major bug; clearly it should test the RST version another way.

Another interesting observation: after the Windows update, when I went to delete the iaStor* files that I had renamed, 2 were no longer there.  Of course, I deleted the 2 remaining ones.

To the others who answered my query:

• S-and-S: my system did not use RAID even though it had RST installed so based on your suggestion, I do not plan to reinstall RST.
• Andre for Directly: thanks for your suggestions.  Had Marcel not come up with this work-around, I would have followed your suggestion to wait for a fix before updating.  I don't think the latest Intel update to RST changes the iaStorA file because (a) I did update successfully and changed other files and (b) the zip file for the update package did not contain an iaStorA.sys file (it did contain at least one other iaStor*.sys file).
• Greg: thanks for your 2nd reply.  Obviously there is no longer a need for me to check the SATA control setting in BIOS.