Missing NVMe Driver for Windows Setup

Missing NVMe Driver for Windows Setup | Generated by AI

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Question: Why can’t Windows find/load any drivers from my FAT32 USB with these extracted Lenovo driver .exe files (like chipset-KZSC030FLWDYANE0.exe, intelVGA-KZSG0A0FT22GJNE0.exe, etc.) plugged in during installation on Lenovo Xiaoxin 14 IAH8?

Answer:

The main problem is that none of the .exe files you listed (from ~/Downloads/driver) contain the storage/NVMe/Intel RST/VMD drivers needed for Windows setup to detect your SSD. Those files are for other hardware:

chipset-KZSC030FLWDYANE0.exe → Chipset drivers (post-install)
intelVGA-KZSG0A0FT22GJNE0.exe → Intel Graphics
audio-KZSA050F2QF1NNE0.exe → Audio
camera-KZSD040FAVJPUNE0.exe → Camera
fingerprint-KZSD030F36UBVNE0.exe → Fingerprint
RTKwlan-KZSW060F0H46SNE0.exe → WiFi (Realtek)
etc.

None are the Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST/RST) or VMD package that provides the .inf files (like iaStorAC.inf, iaStorVD.inf, or VMD.inf) required during the “Load driver” step when the SSD isn’t visible.

Why Nothing Shows Up When You Browse the USB

Even if you copied these .exe files to the FAT32 USB:

Windows setup cannot run .exe installers — it only looks for raw driver files (.inf + .sys + .cat).
You must extract the correct RST .exe first (on another PC), find the subfolder with .inf files (often in f6flpy-x64, VMD, Production, or Win64), and copy only that folder (or its contents) to the USB root or a simple folder like \IRST.
Your current files don’t have those storage .inf files, so browsing shows nothing compatible → “no drivers found” or empty list.

Recommended Fix: Two Paths (Choose One)

Path 1: Easiest & Most Reliable – Disable VMD in BIOS (No Driver Needed)

Restart laptop → press F2 (or Fn+F2) repeatedly at Lenovo logo to enter BIOS.
Go to Configuration tab (or Advanced / Device Configuration).
Look for:
- Intel VMD controller / VMD Setup Menu / Intel Volume Management Device → set to Disabled.
- SATA Controller Mode / Storage Mode → set to AHCI (not RAID or RST).
F10 → Save & Exit → Yes.
Boot back to Windows USB installer → SSD should now appear automatically in the drive list (no “Load driver” needed).
This works because VMD hides the NVMe SSD from standard Windows setup unless the special VMD driver is loaded. Disabling it uses native AHCI/NVMe mode (fine for most users, loses RAID if you ever need it).

Path 2: Keep VMD Enabled – Load Proper RST/VMD Driver

On another Windows PC, download the latest Intel RST driver (includes VMD support for 13th/14th gen):
- From Intel: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/720755/intel-rapid-storage-technology-driver-installation-software-with-intel-optane-memory.html (or search “Intel RST driver VMD”).
- Or from Lenovo global for IdeaPad Slim 3 14IAH8 (equivalent model): Check under Storage/Chipset on https://pcsupport.lenovo.com → search “IdeaPad Slim 3 14IAH8” → Drivers → Storage → Intel Rapid Storage Technology.
Run the .exe with command to extract (open Command Prompt in the download folder):
```
SetupRST.exe -extractdrivers C:\ExtractedRST
```
(Or use 7-Zip to extract if -extractdrivers doesn’t work.)
In the extracted folder, find subfolder with .inf files (e.g., f6flpy-x64, VMD, Drivers\VMD).
- Common files: iaStorVD.inf, iaStorAC.inf, VMD.inf.
Copy that entire subfolder (or just the .inf/.sys/.cat files) to FAT32 USB root (e.g., USB:\VMD\ or USB:\IRST\).
During Windows setup:
- At “Where do you want to install Windows?” → Load driver → Browse → select USB → open the folder with .inf → select the matching driver (try VMD or RST variants) → OK.
- SSD should appear after loading.

After install (either path), run Lenovo Vantage + Windows Update for full drivers (including the ones you already have).

Try Path 1 first — BIOS disable fixes this instantly for most Lenovo IdeaPad/Slim models with Intel 13th/14th gen in 2026.

References:

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