On newer systems (10th Gen Intel and later), Windows often fails to see any drives during setup because it lacks the built-in Intel VMD/RST driver. Even if you aren't using RAID, you must often "load driver" during installation to make the disk visible.
This is the standard "non-RAID" mode for SATA controllers. The RST driver replaces the generic "Standard SATA AHCI Controller" driver provided by Microsoft. Intel Sata Non Raid Driver
During Windows setup, click and browse to that USB folder to reveal your disk. Performance and Compatibility On newer systems (10th Gen Intel and later),
On 11th Gen platforms and newer, Intel Volume Management Device (VMD) technology may "take over" both SATA and NVMe drives. If VMD is enabled in the BIOS, you must use the RST driver even for a single non-RAID disk to be seen by the OS. The RST driver replaces the generic "Standard SATA
The is commonly referred to as the Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) driver in AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mode. While many users think these drivers are only for RAID arrays, they provide critical support for single-drive (non-RAID) systems by enabling features like Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and Link Power Management (LPM) , which can improve disk performance and battery life. Key Usage Scenarios