[DRIVERS] Intel Chipset/MEI/SATA (1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx/5xx)

[MoKiChU]

Hi.

What is the correct method when installing new chipset drivers? Uninstall the old one first? just install the new one on top of the older, safe mode?
I had 10.1.18950.8297 installed on my Z690 Apex, and intalled the 10.1.18950.8298 without uninstalling the old one first. During installation i god BSOD (dont remember the fault code, but Kernel exception something)

After restart i tried again and it got installed. However, the Pc seems a bit fishy, my USB keyboard has been a little troublesome, not getting detected sometimes (plug it out/in fixes it), and my Intel I225-V ethernel adapter has been disabled in device manager after reboot sometimes, then i need to "disable/enable" it to start it.

Also: What exactly are the Chipset driver on Z690 controlling?

Hi,

The Intel Chipset Drivers are called drivers but they are not really drivers, they have nothing functional/active, they just serve to recognize the product names in Device Manager to identify/index all the pieces of the chipset, but Intel Chipset Drivers conflicts can generate system malfunction.

To avoid Intel Chipset Drivers conflicts :

- Intel Chipset Drivers from Windows Update - Optional updates must not be installed if you use .exe installer.
- Intel Serial IO Drivers must not be installed before Intel Chipset Drivers.

So,

- Follow this process to cleanup both :

- Uninstall your current Intel Chipset Drivers package & Intel Serial IO Drivers package if you have any installed (via Start > Settings > Apps) then restart your PC.
- Launch Driver Store Explorer (Right click on "Rapr.exe" > Run as administrator) > Check the boxes of all versions of Intel drivers which .inf contains system word or start with ialpss2 word in the System device category (if you find them).
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver" button then restart your PC.

- Install Intel Chipset Drivers package :

From the first post of this thread.

- Intel Chipset Drivers

- Install Intel Serial IO Drivers package :

[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)

- Intel Serial IO Drivers (Drivers Only) :

Drivers - 6xx

Once this is done, you can update your Intel Chipset Drivers and Intel Serial IO Drivers in the order you want when new ones will be released (in both cases, do an update on top of the older), but don't update Intel Chipset Drivers from Windows Update - Optional updates.

[piratino]

Hi,

The Intel Chipset Drivers are called drivers but they are not really drivers, they have nothing functional/active, they just serve to recognize the product names in Device Manager to identify/index all the pieces of the chipset, but Intel Chipset Drivers conflicts can generate system malfunction.

To avoid Intel Chipset Drivers conflicts :

- Intel Chipset Drivers from Windows Update - Optional updates must not be installed if you use .exe installer.
- Intel Serial IO Drivers must not be installed before Intel Chipset drivers.

So,

- Follow this process to cleanup both :

- Uninstall your current Intel Chipset Drivers package & Intel Serial IO Drivers package if you have any installed (via Start > Settings > Apps) then restart your PC.
- Launch Driver Store Explorer (Right click on "Rapr.exe" > Run as administrator) > Check the boxes of all versions of Intel drivers which .inf contains system word or start with ialpss2 word in the System device category (if you find them).
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver" button then restart your PC.

- Install Intel Chipset Drivers package :

From the first post of this thread.

- Intel Chipset Drivers

- Install Intel Serial IO Drivers package :

[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)

- Intel Serial IO Drivers (Drivers Only) :

Drivers - 6xx

Once this is done, you can update your Intel Chipset Drivers and Intel Serial IO Drivers in the order you want when new ones will be released (in both cases, do an update on top of the older), but don't update Intel Chipset Drivers from Windows Update - Optional updates.

This is very interesting, I never knew that.
Can you please tell us how to block installing Windows Update - Optional updates, or how to not let Windows update prompt us for such updates?
I have done some modifications to my Windows Update so to not have the classic Windows behavior of prompts for installing every update and not have any of them forced or automatically installed, but I would like to check if I have done everything I can so to avoid in bumping on installing some of those Windows optional updates that you say I should not install.
Most of all, I would like to understand if there is a way to disable the Optional updates, and how to recognize them.
I have followed a guide I have found surfing the web on how to edit some policies to Windows Update, but I think would be good to have your hint on what to do, what to avoid, and how to recognize what ti not install, as personally speaking, I can't see any updates related to drivers when installing my updates.
Thank you.
Thank you.

[Simk1n]

Hi,

The Intel Chipset Drivers are called drivers but they are not really drivers, they have nothing functional/active, they just serve to recognize the product names in Device Manager to identify/index all the pieces of the chipset, but Intel Chipset Drivers conflicts can generate system malfunction.

To avoid Intel Chipset Drivers conflicts :

- Intel Chipset Drivers from Windows Update - Optional updates must not be installed if you use .exe installer.
- Intel Serial IO Drivers must not be installed before Intel Chipset drivers.

So,

- Follow this process to cleanup both :

- Uninstall your current Intel Chipset Drivers package & Intel Serial IO Drivers package if you have any installed (via Start > Settings > Apps) then restart your PC.
- Launch Driver Store Explorer (Right click on "Rapr.exe" > Run as administrator) > Check the boxes of all versions of Intel drivers which .inf contains system word or start with ialpss2 word in the System device category (if you find them).
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver" button then restart your PC.

- Install Intel Chipset Drivers package :

From the first post of this thread.

- Intel Chipset Drivers

- Install Intel Serial IO Drivers package :

[DRIVERS] Intel Serial IO/Thunderbolt (3xx/4xx/5xx/6xx)

- Intel Serial IO Drivers (Drivers Only) :

Drivers - 6xx

Once this is done, you can update your Intel Chipset Drivers and Intel Serial IO Drivers in the order you want when new ones will be released (in both cases, do an update on top of the older), but don't update Intel Chipset Drivers from Windows Update - Optional updates.

Thanks you for this, super!

I have now removed the Chipset and IO, used Rapr and installed Chipset first, restart and then IO.

I no longer have the IO under start/settings/apps, but its in the Device manager with correct version number.

From now, i just install both Chipset and IO as it comes out with new version?

[Simk1n]

Exactly.

Thanks again!

One more question. So there is no drivers that need the old ones to be uninstalled first?, only install new on on top of older ones? I guess also its recommended to run the Rapr.exe after installing new ones?

Is there more driver that need to be installed in a particular order if you need a cleanup? Like Chipset before IO ?

[MoKiChU]

Thanks again!

One more question. So there is no drivers that need the old ones to be uninstalled first?, only install new on on top of older ones?

Hi,

Yes, cleanup/uninstall should only be done in very specific cases or if there is an issue.

I guess also its recommended to run the Rapr.exe after installing new ones?

Yes it is, but note that some drivers, despite being used by your system, will never have the Device Name field filled in (like Extensions drivers for example), or the Device Name will have field filled in only if the device is present and connected, so do not rely on this to know if your drivers are useful for your system or not. So generally speaking, don't remove any drivers manually unless you know exactly what you're doing. The only safe action that you can take on a regular basis is the action of remove the automatic selection of old unused drivers :

- Install your drivers > Restart/Auto-Restart.
- Launch Driver Store Explorer (Run as administrator) > Click on the "Select Old Driver(s)" button.
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver(s)" button.

But be aware that this automatic method does not apply it to the Storage controllers drivers & System devices drivers for safety reasons (to avoid any situation where a system start is no longer possible), so for these drivers categories the removal of old unused drivers must be done manually (again, only if you know exactly what you are doing).

Is there more driver that need to be installed in a particular order if you need a cleanup? Like Chipset before IO ?

No exaggerated worry, just follow these principles :

- After a Windows clean Install, install the Intel Chipset Drivers before all other drivers (don't update them from Windows Update - Optional updates.
- Before a Intel ME Firmware update, make sure you have the latest version of the Intel MEI Drivers.
- Do not mix the types/sources of drivers you use.

So if you have used Intel MEI drivers from others types/sources than what I offer here and want to use my drivers packages, I advise you to do this :

- Uninstall Intel Management Engine Components from your apps installed (Start > Settings > Apps) then restart your PC
- Launch Driver Store Explorer > Check the boxes of all versions of these drivers .inf (if you find them) : heci.inf | dal.inf | dal_wc.inf | iclsclient.inf | lms.inf | mesrl.inf | mewmiprov.inf | wiman.inf | wiman_wlan_extension.inf
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver" button then restart your PC
- Download the Intel MEI drivers package from the first post of this thread
- Follow the Install/Update Process

[Simk1n]

Hi,

Yes, cleanup/uninstall should only be done in very specific cases or if there is an issue.



Yes it is, but note that some drivers, despite being used by your system, will never have the Device Name field filled in (like Extensions drivers for example), or the Device Name will have field filled in only if the device is present and connected, so do not rely on this to know if your drivers are useful for your system or not. So generally speaking, don't remove any drivers manually unless you know exactly what you're doing. The only safe action that you can take on a regular basis is the action of remove the automatic selection of old unused drivers :

- Install your drivers > Restart/Auto-Restart.
- Launch Driver Store Explorer (Run as administrator) > Click on the "Select Old Driver(s)" button.
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver(s)" button.

But be aware that this automatic method does not apply it to the Storage controllers drivers & System devices drivers for safety reasons (to avoid any situation where a system start is no longer possible), so for these drivers categories the removal of old unused drivers must be done manually (again, only if you know exactly what you are doing).



No exaggerated worry, just follow these principles :

- After a Windows clean Install, install the Intel Chipset Drivers before all other drivers (don't update them from Windows Update - Optional updates.
- Before a Intel ME Firmware update, make sure you have the latest version of the Intel MEI Drivers.
- Do not mix the types/sources of drivers you use.

So if you have used Intel MEI drivers from others types/sources than what I offer here and want to use my drivers packages, I advise you to do this :

- Uninstall Intel Management Engine Components from your apps installed (Start > Settings > Apps) then restart your PC
- Launch Driver Store Explorer > Check the boxes of all versions of these drivers .inf (if you find them) : heci.inf | dal.inf | dal_wc.inf | iclsclient.inf | lms.inf | mesrl.inf | mewmiprov.inf | wiman.inf | wiman_wlan_extension.inf
- Check the box "Force Deletion" then click on the "Delete Driver" button then restart your PC
- Download the Intel MEI drivers package from the first post of this thread
- Follow the Install/Update Process

Thank you again for all this useful information!

I could not find "Intel Management Engine Components" in my Start->Settings->Apps, so i dont think (but not sure) i have it installed other then from here. I might have installed it from the Asus Z690 Apex software site, but i dont think so, and if i had, it should have been in the app list?

In device manager, i have the correct version number downloaded from here.

[Jimbo93]

I did not know for sure there was a problem, but the system did seem a little off. What I found was that I had two versions of heci.inf in my driver store. And the funny thing is that driver store explorer didn't detect the old driver as an old driver. So when I finally noticed it was there, I deleted the older one had a date of July '21. The system seemed to start running a little better. I measure a little better drive performance.

Edit:
I just learned that Driver Store Explorer is designed to not delete System drivers simply like other drivers, a safety precaution. Makes sense to me.

[Ataemonus]

Thank you.

[DmitriyS]

Thank you MoKiChU for updated

[Simk1n]

This came out on the Asus Apex Z690 download site now

Intel Management Engine Interface V2145.1.42.0 (SW 2201.16.0.2645) For Windows 10/11 64-bit.

Dated yesterday (15/2-2022), 350MB size. i have all the drivers (Chipset, MEI, ME, IO etc) from this site now, should i install this?