How to Fix Disk Not Showing During Windows 11 Installation on HP Pavilion

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If you’re trying to install Windows on a notebook with an Intel Core 11th generation processor and Optane memory, you might encounter a problem: the Windows installer can’t recognize the storage drive. This happens because the installer needs specific drivers, called Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) drivers, to detect and work with the storage hardware. Here’s a simple way to fix this issue and complete your Windows installation.

First, create a Windows installation USB drive using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool. Using this tool generally results in fewer problems during driver installation compared to other methods like ISO files.

Next, you’ll need to download the Intel RST driver. You can do this by visiting the provided link (https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp135501-136000/sp135979.exe). After downloading, run the file as an administrator and follow the on-screen instructions to extract the driver files.

Once the driver is extracted, locate the folder at C:\SWSetup\sp135979. Open this folder, find the “F6” folder inside it, and copy it to the root directory of your Windows installation USB drive. This “F6” folder contains the necessary IRST drivers your installer needs to recognize the storage device.

Now, connect the USB drive to your notebook and boot from it. When the Windows setup asks where to install Windows, click on the “Load Driver” option. In the pop-up window, browse to your USB drive, then to the “F6” folder, and select it, then click “OK.”

Your setup will then show a list of driver files. Select one (look for files with the “.inf” extension), and click “Next.” If no drivers appear, uncheck the box at the bottom left of the screen to display all drivers, then look for a file named “iaStorVD.inf” and select it before clicking “Next.”

If the storage drive appears with multiple partitions, delete all of them so that only “unallocated space” remains. Then click “Next” to continue with the Windows installation.

If you still experience issues, there’s another solution — use the HP Cloud Recovery Tool to reinstall Windows. Let me know how your setup goes or if you need more help!