Windows Setup cannot see my SSD - what may help?

Download the RST/RAID controller driver for your platform, put it on the same USB stick, and click "Load driver" in the disk-selection screen.

Does the SSD itself need a driver?

As a rule, no - NVMe and SATA drives run on Windows' own drivers. Vendor packages are for the controllers and for special modes like RAID or caching.

The disk got slow after an update - can that be a driver?

It can. Look under "Storage controllers" in Device Manager: a fresh controller package - or a rollback to the previous one - sometimes brings the speed back.

Storage & controllers drivers

Storage drivers run the disk subsystem: SATA and NVMe controllers, RAID, Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology). The SSDs and hard drives themselves barely need drivers - it is the controllers they hang off that do. The packages here come from official sources, with versions and dates.

DriverManufacturerVersionReleasedWindows / Arch

Intel Total Storage Encryption - 11 (24H2 or Later)SHA-256 verifiedLenovo1.5.1.1047August 19, 2026Windows 1164-bit
AMD RAID Driver - 11 (24H2)SHA-256 verifiedLenovo9.3.3.00291June 22, 2026Windows 1164-bit
AMD RAID Driver - 11 (24H2)SHA-256 verifiedLenovo9.3.3.245June 17, 2026Windows 1164-bit
88SE9123 PCIe SATA 6.0 Gb s controllerSHA-256 verifiedDawicontrol GmbH5.42.0.0June 16, 202632-bit64-bit
88SE9182 PCIe 2.0 x2 2-port SATA 6 Gb s ControllerSHA-256 verifiedDawicontrol GmbH5.42.0.0June 16, 202632-bit64-bit
88SE9215 PCIe 2.0 x1 4-port SATA 6 Gb s ControllerSHA-256 verifiedDawicontrol GmbH5.42.0.0June 16, 202664-bit32-bit
88SE9230 PCIe 2.0 x2 4-port SATA 6 Gb s RAID ControllerSHA-256 verifiedDawicontrol GmbH5.42.0.0June 16, 202664-bit32-bit
Dawicontrol GmbH SCSIAdapter Driver Update (5.42.0.0)SHA-256 verifiedDawicontrol GmbH5.42.0.0June 16, 202632-bit64-bit
Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver - 11 (24H2 or Later)SHA-256 verifiedLenovo21.0.1.1034June 12, 2026Windows 1164-bit
Intel Rapid Storage Technology DriverSHA-256 verifiedIntel20.2.13.1038June 11, 2026Windows 1164-bit

Storage & controllers drivers by brand

About storage & controllers drivers

The headline scenario: Windows Setup does not see the disk. The installer lacks the RAID/RST controller driver to notice an NVMe drive - loading the driver from a USB stick right in Setup, via the "Load driver" button, makes the disk appear.

The second case is a disk that turned slow or a system that stutters for no visible reason: an outdated controller driver can do as much damage as a bad cable. Updating the Intel RST or AMD controller package may help.

Frequently asked questions

Windows Setup cannot see my SSD - what may help?: Download the RST/RAID controller driver for your platform, put it on the same USB stick, and click "Load driver" in the disk-selection screen.
Does the SSD itself need a driver?: As a rule, no - NVMe and SATA drives run on Windows' own drivers. Vendor packages are for the controllers and for special modes like RAID or caching.
The disk got slow after an update - can that be a driver?: It can. Look under "Storage controllers" in Device Manager: a fresh controller package - or a rollback to the previous one - sometimes brings the speed back.