Update to Windows 10 1903 requires updated Intel Rapid Storage Technologies

Anonymous
2019-07-27T03:09:50+00:00

After receiving the notification, I updated my Dell Inspiron 5000 series with an update from Dell.  This update installed successfully as indicated:

However, the file that is blocking the Windows update, iasota.sys, is the old version that was present before I updated RST (note that other iasot*.sys files are newer):

Any idea on what can be done to workaround the problem?

Is the iaStorA.sys file obsolete and no longer needed now that the RST driver has been updated?  If yes, should I simply rename the file to iaStorA.old and attempt to update Windows again?

Do newer versions of Intel RST still use the older iaStorA.sys file resulting in the Windows Setup not recognizing that a compatible version of RST has been installed?  If yes, then do I have to wait for Microsoft to modify the Setup program so that it assesses RST compatibility by looking at something other than the iaStorA.sys version (e.g., the iaStorAC.sys version, which is the file that serves as the driver for the I/O SATA AHCI Controller?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-07-31T21:17:29+00:00

    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

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-08-01T04:40:22+00:00

    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.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-01T12:48:24+00:00

    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

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-08-01T13:08:38+00:00

    Thanks, Maurice.  I'll wait for a while until MS fixes this RST issue.  Then I'll try to upgrade to v1903, and post whether I undergo the black screen issue again.  Thanks again.

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-08-01T13:19:22+00:00

    There is a sticky on this now at the top of this forum and it seems renaming the iastora.sys file to iastora.old should help.  It appears Intel has not been updating that particular file and an the older version, even if not being used, is messing up some upgrades.

    I would check the msinfo32.exe utility and look at Software Environment-System Drivers to see if that driver is running or stopped.

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