Windows 10 update fails with error about iastora.sys after upgrading to recommended Intel Rapid Storage version

Anonymous
2019-07-26T19:17:02+00:00

I'm attempting to update Windows 10 to 1903. The update failed with the error message "The inbox storage driver iastora.sys doesn't work on these systems and causes stability problems on Windows. Check with your software/driver provider for an updated version that runs on this version of Windows." This error led to a support page at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4514156/updating-to-windows-10-version-1903-on-devices-with-certain-versions-o recommending that the driver be upgraded to version 15.9.6.1044.

I have upgraded the driver accordingly (see attached screenshot), and rebooted the machine afterwards, but still receive the same error. I have also tried uninstalling and reinstalling the driver, and attempting the upgrade with the driver uninstalled, but receive the same error message no matter what version of this driver is installed, or indeed if it is installed at all.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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Anonymous
2019-07-26T19:22:48+00:00

Hi Todd. I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 10 year Windows MVP here to help you.

That's the buggy Windows Upgrade Advisor which is often wrong and wastes a lot of time. For this reason it's much more stable to Upgrade using the media itself and not buggy Windows Updates or Upgrade Advisor.

Install the Media Creation Tool from this link http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m..., choosing Download Tool Now, install the tool, open it and choose Upgrade this PC Now. . This will save your files and apps while bringing you up to the latest version by the most stable method. It will also bring all of your Updates current and solve most problems since it reinstalls Windows.

If any problems report back the verbatim error and number, then continue with these steps for overcoming Version Upgrade problems: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-07-31T14:12:37+00:00

    Somebody suggested renaming iastora.sys in the windows\systrm32\drivers directory to iastora_obsolete.sys (or even deleting it) and then running mediacreationtool again and finally after 6 weeks of getting nowhere it worked

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-07-31T13:53:25+00:00

    I have the same problem. I installed the latest intel version 17.5.1.1021 and tried to istall the 1903 updta  again via the Media creation tool.

    I got the same error...

    Quid?

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-07-31T12:55:47+00:00

    I don't believe Drew's claim that upgrading IRST to version 17.5.1.1021, deleting (or renaming) the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\iastora.sys file and starting the automatic update caused his computer to not start and gave my reasons why. Doing this might not have solved your issue with upgrading, but it didn't prevent your computer from starting, did it?

    I'm sorry this process didn't work for you, but it's been an easy solution for countless people. I agree that Intel and/or Microsoft should fix this.

    It would be helpful if you wrote down the steps the technician took in case there are others with your situation. For instance, what version of Windows did he go back to and how did he upgrade the driver?

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-07-31T11:41:12+00:00

    Don't believe who? A Microsoft technician finally fixed this for me. It was not as simple as any of the fixes mentioned here. He logged on to my computer and I watched him. He went through all of the things that I had done and that were mentioned here. None of them worked. He finally took me back to an earlier version of WIndows and updated the driver there. Then i was able to upgrade on my own. This is not a fix that the average person should have to do and I did not do anything to cause this problem, I have simply updated Windows as instructed by Windows since I got the computer. I don't think it is helpful to blame users for this problem and so far, I don't see much acknowledgement of the issue by Microsoft. Even though I can find this problem by searching Google, no one at the Microsoft support in Twitter was even aware that such an issue existed.

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