[SOLVED] Rapid Storage App vs Driver

[Appletax]

Solution: use the newest version.


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Got a new Dell Vostro desktop. Dell offers Rapid Storage driver & app. What's the difference?

When I installed the driver, it walked me through a nice GUI.

-> Before installing Windows 11, I extracted these files to a FAT32 flash drive as the Win 11 setup required files from it in order to see the solid state drive. Chose Flash Drive > Rapid > 15063 > Drivers > RAID (because RAID is enabled in BIOS - only using 1 drive).

When I installed the app, the terminal popped up and said "installing app." Had to press a key to make it finish.

Hope this doesn't cause any issues.

Intel Rapid Storage Technology Application
Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Application_MC2YM_WIN64_18.1.1011.0_A12_02.EXE
This package contains the Intel Rapid Storage Technology application. Intel Rapid Storage Technology is an application that enhances the performance and reliability of Windows-based systems with storage devices.

Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver
Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Driver_YN5GD_WIN64_18.1.2.1034_A02_02.EXE
This package contains the driver and application for the Intel Rapid Storage Technology. The Intel Rapid Storage Technology is an application that enhances the performance and reliability of Windows-based systems with storage devices.


Drivers page: https://www.dell.com/support/home/e...g/0-UnJZaENpNEF0OWR3dnJHT0ozTzBrZz090/drivers

Edit: skip both and go with the latest drivers direct from Intel, which are at 18.6.xxxx

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver Installation Software with Intel® Optane™ Memory (10th and 11th Gen Platforms)

The Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) Driver (18.7.6.1010.3) supports the configuration and enabling of multiple features.

www.intel.com

Edit 2: cannot extract these files and use them to see the drive.

 

[frase]

Nothing, you wont notice the difference with it or without it. Just a proprietary driver for RAID, not required I never install it.

 

[NETWizz]

So you may notice a difference in sleep and battery usage from what I read, but you are on a desktop NOT a laptop, so this just abstracts the one storage drive adding overhead reducing performance. It’s just Dell BS.
If you have only one drive, I would just change it over to AHCI in the BIOS for better performance not to mention it is then under direct control of Windows and Microsoft drivers.

When you change it RAID to AHCI, it will blue screen on most systems, It’s no big deal at all and will offer some advanced options after it crashes a couple times. Find the one that will offer you Safemode or the Safemode menu on next boot.

Then it will boot into Safemode. Once in Safemode, login and let it run for a full minute, and it will plug and play AHCI drivers completely invisibly. Run MSCONFIG and ensure normal boot that is not selective… restate the system. Usually you don’t need to change anything at all.

It will seriously fix itself.

It will boot fine every time here forward in AHCI.


I tested this in the latest build of Windows 10, so I recommend running Windows update before switching to AHCI. If push comes to shove you can boot the installation media and select command prompt then from there run msconfig and set it to boot Safemode… then yank the USG stick and restart (don’t reinstall).

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The other thing I would do is verify it is in UEFI (only) with secure boot enabled (turn these on one at a time) you can verify in system info.

You can easily convert to a GPT partition format wirh mbr2gpt command line. Do that if you have an MBR and Legacy BIOS, but capture an image first before making this change being it is one way.

Lastly enable virtualization in BIOS and the Intel PTT TPM, so it will show support for Windows 11 and Birlocker, but don’t turn on Birlocker wirhout consulting the customer.

In defender, turn on Core Isolation.

If it supports Windows 11, I recommend upgrading. My threshold is systems with 16 GB…. Again consult the customer first.