Intel Rapid Storage Technology Preventing Windows 1903 Update

Always look at the date when you read an article. Some of the content in this article is most likely out of date, as it was written on July 31, 2019. For newer information, see our more recent articles.

Table of Contents

What’s the point of this article?

Microsoft is preventing Windows from updating due to the Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) drivers. If you have the IRST driver, between versions 15.1.0.1002 and 15.5.2.1053, installed on your system you will likely see an error when attempting to install Windows 10 1903.

The Infamous Error!

ERROR: "Intel Rapid Storage Technology (Intel RST): 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"

How Do I Resolve This?

All you need to do is perform the driver install using version 15.7.1.1015 which has worked exceedingly well for a number of our users.

Here is a direct link to the driver download: IRST Download

The version that I linked to above is 15.7.1.1015, which should be compatible, but is a little older than the recommendation. If the above driver does not fix the issue, then we can try the latest offering from Intel directly, but we likely will not need to.

Warning! A number of users with the Asrock Z270 motherboards are reporting that this version does not solve the issue. We are currently researching what the solution is.

[Update] If It Doesn’t Work

A small number of our users have reported that the above solution does not work. Currently the only commonality we have been able to identify is motherboard manufacturer but even then there are some exceptions.Fear not! We have the solution; the steps provided below seem to solve the problem for anyone that has issues with the IRST install or still cannot update Windows 10 after the IRST fix has been applied.

Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers
Locate the file iastora.sys
Rename to iastora.sys.old

Info. You will need to provide access confirmation and approve the change. Depending on your security setup you may even be asked to provide your username and password, enter it now

Try running Windows update again

1. Select the "Start" button in the bottom left hand corner (Windows Icon)

2. Type "Settings" and select the first option

3. Select "Update & Security"

4. If your update is not listed, click the "Check for Updates" option

5. Your update should install automatically and will require a restart.

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Tags: 10, 1903, Error, How-to Guide, Microsoft, Operating Systems, Software, Storage, Troubleshooting, update, Windows 10, Windows Updates