After Windows installs, do not immediately delete the driver USB. After the first boot into the desktop, you must install the full Intel RST software package from Windows, or your system may crash on the next update. The F6 driver is a "boot-time" driver only.
Troubleshooting Windows Setup: A Guide to Intel RST F6 Drivers F6flpy-x64-non-vmd.zip And F6flpy-x64-vmd.zip
With Windows 11 version 22H2 and newer, Microsoft has begun including generic VMD inbox drivers. However, they are often compared to Intel's latest F6 drivers. After Windows installs, do not immediately delete the
in the BIOS (typically 11th Gen to 14th Gen Intel CPUs). It contains the drivers necessary for Windows to communicate with NVMe SSDs managed by the VMD controller. F6flpy-x64-non-vmd.zip : This package is for older systems or those where VMD is Troubleshooting Windows Setup: A Guide to Intel RST
Using these files involves a few steps:
Intel has largely transitioned away from providing these standalone ZIP files, preferring the installer instead. This creates a "chicken and egg" problem: you need the driver to install Windows, but you need Windows to run the .exe to get the driver. How to Fix the "No Drive Found" Error