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
    2019-08-05T19:13:29+00:00

    Hi Toby,

    Hopefully, if you don't interrupt the start to go into the bios menu, the computer gets you to a screen like this:

    Click "Troubleshoot" to get to the following screen:

    Click "Advanced Options" to get to the following screen:

    Click "System Restore" and follow the onscreen prompts to select a restore point dated BEFORE you changed the filename.

    When you system is up and running, you will of course have to repeat your work (uninstalling RST and renaming the sys file), but this time restart your computer after uninstalling RST and before renaming the sys file.  Wait until just before you are ready to update Windows to rename your sys file and DO NOT restart your computer after renaming the file.

    Hope this helps.

    Best,

    Maurice

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-08-05T18:33:25+00:00

    How were you able to sys restore after you failed at your initial attempt? I renamed my iastora.sys file > iastora.old.sys and my computer literally crashes on every boot attempt although I can still access the bios menu, i have no clue as to how i am to initialize a sys restore.

    Would much appreciate your help.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-03T20:00:00+00:00

    What I found when I did this is that the IDE ATA/ATAPI controller was STILL showing as running the 15.2 version instead of moving to the updated driver. I manually went in and updated the drivers:  Search automatically, then choose from list when it doesn't find anything, then it gives me the choices of the default Windows driver, version 15.2 of IRST AND version 17.5 of IRST, which i had 'updated.' I think 'installing' the driver with Intel's installer is merely sticking the driver onto your computer but not changing to the newer, better driver. I changed to the newer driver and then renamed the iastora.sys file.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-08-02T02:12:48+00:00

    Glad this worked for you.  Certainly simpler than my protocol.  But, consistent with the root cause of the problem.

    You can leave RST installed and rename iaStorA.sys so it is invisible when Windows update checks for it because the more recent versions of RST use iaStorAC.sys as the driver for the SATA.

    What I was not sure of is whether Windows update would block installation if RST was installed and there was no iaStorA.sys file for it to assess the version of RST.

    I wholeheartedly agree that someone should have tested the "fix" and realized that updating RST did not update the iaStorA.sys file.  It is especially absurd to since the 1903 build reinstalls the same iaStorA.sys file during the update.

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-08-02T01:52:53+00:00

    My solution was simply to rename the old iastora.sys file, once I had confirmed that a new driver had been installed and was active (15.9.6.1044). Once the file was renamed, to iastora_old.sys, I relaunched the Windows 10 update and it installed without a hitch. Clearly the update hangup is not fixed by simply updating the driver. The old driver must be removed or renamed, otherwise Windows 10 will not update. (Seems like someone should have tested the recommended "fix'' -- updating drivers, before rolling this out, this former IT support guy thinks.)

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