Detection and Enablement Troubleshooting for Intel® Optane™ Memory
Use the questions below to help troubleshoot detection, enablement, and re-enablement issues you may encounter with Intel® Optane™ memory.
| Note: | If you receive a detailed error, check the list of error codes. |
Click or the question for details:
Is my motherboard Intel Optane memory ready?
Check your motherboard manufacturer website. Your system must meet hardware requirements, and specifies it's ready for Intel Optane memory.Is the BIOS up to date?
Check your motherboard support and downloads page. Make sure to use the latest UEFI BIOS recommended by your hardware vendor.Was Windows® 10 64-bit installed in UEFI BIOS mode?
- Check either:
- MSINFO32.exe, under System Summary > BIOS Mode.
- Disk Management Console (diskmgmt.msc), the boot drive must have EFI Partition. You can also right-click > Properties > Volumes tab > Check Partition style. Must be GUID Partition Table (GPT).
- If the operating system (OS) isn't installed in UEFI mode on a GPT partition:
- Backup data
- Correct UEFI BIOS settings
- Format drive
- Reinstall the OS, or use mbr2gpt.exe if using Windows® 10 Creators Update*
| Note | If accelerating a secondary/data drive (only supported with select processors, chipsets, and drivers), the drive must have a GPT partition as well. |
Is the drive 'Basic' type format?
Drives that are Type 'Dynamic' (As seen in Disk Management) can't be accelerated.Is the drive to be accelerated supported?
SATA based HDD, SSHD, SSD and PCIe* NVMe* Intel® SSD 6 Series with Intel® QLC 3D NAND1 drives are supported for acceleration.Is the drive installed on an Intel® Chipset port? Is the Intel® Optane™ memory module installed on a supporting slot?
- Check your motherboard documentation and user guide.
- Check for possible lane sharing issues. Some motherboards may disable certain ports or slots when an NVMe* M.2 SSD is installed (Intel Optane memory is NVMe-based).
Was the Intel Optane memory used before? Was it disabled properly before making major changes to the operating system (OS)?
Intel Optane memory becomes hidden once enabled. If not disabled before OS reinstall or computer swap, it remains hidden. To resolve, either:
- Conduct a low-level format (secure erase) of the Intel Optane memory module.
- Reset to non-Optane via the Intel RST menu within the UEFI BIOS.
For more information, review the Techniques to Resolve Detection Issues.
1A PCIe* NVMe* Intel® SSD 6 Series with Intel® QLC 3D NAND drive is supported for acceleration with Intel® RST driver/SW version 17.5.2.1024. No other PCIe NVMe drives are supported for acceleration.