Intel NVMe Controller Issue

[Legomiss]

Hi,

I own an HP EliteBook 850 G6 laptop with the following specifications:

• Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-8265U CPU @ 1.60GHz (8th Gen)

• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 22H2, 64-bit

• SSD: INTEL HBRPEKNX0202AH (Intel Optane), 476 GB capacity

• BIOS: Latest version installed (10.3.0.0)

Issue:
After a system file update last year, my laptop now takes 15–30 minutes to boot.
In Device Manager → Storage Controllers, the Intel(R) NVMe Controller appears with a yellow exclamation mark.

Troubleshooting attempts:

• I tried uninstalling the driver and restarting the computer, but the NVMe Controller automatically reinstalls itself after every restart, so uninstalling does not help.

• A clean reinstallation of Windows 10 also did not resolve the issue.

• I installed all drivers from HP’s official support page for my model, including Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST), but the problem persists.

• I updated the BIOS to the latest version. However, within the BIOS, there is no option to check “Configure storage controller for Intel Optane.”

• In the Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management application, the message “There are no valid disk pairs in your system” is displayed.

Question:
Is there any way to resolve this issue, or is replacing the SSD with a new one the only solution?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Best regards.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

I recommend that you run the drive diagnostics test (F2) and see what it reports.

When you click on the storage device with the yellow exclamation mark, what does the error indicate in the window that opens?

I'm thinking the Intel Optane memory cache on the SSD has hardware issue.

If it were me, I would be installing a new non-Optane NVMe SSD in the hope that fixes the problem.

Below is the ink to the service manual where you can find the SSD removal and replacement procedure:

Maintenance and Service Guide HP EliteBook 850 G6 Notebook PC

Your notebook's NVMe slot is PCIe Gen 3.0, and a Gen 4.0 SSD will work just fine, but it will not run at its maximum advertised read/write speeds from the slot.

I believe that nowadays, a PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD will be easier to find and probably less expensive than a Gen 3.0 NVMe SSD.

[resistencia]

Hi @Legomiss

Another alternative is to enter the advanced BIOS options and check in the System Options Menu if this option is disabled.

BIOS Manual

 

[Legomiss]

Hi,

Thank you for your time and for the service manual link.

I have already run the diagnostic tests several times before, and each time the results showed that there are no issues with the drive.

The driver consistently shows the following error:

“This device cannot start. (Code 10) – An I/O adapter hardware error has occurred.” It turns out you were right! I had overlooked those messages earlier.

Based on your advice, I will follow your recommendation and install a new non-Optane NVMe SSD. Hopefully, that will finally resolve the problem.

Thanks again for your support!

[Legomiss]

Hi @Paul_Tikkanen 

Thank you for your time and for the service manual link.

I have already run the diagnostic tests several times before, and each time the results showed that there are no issues with the drive.

The driver consistently shows the following error:

“This device cannot start. (Code 10) – An I/O adapter hardware error has occurred.” It turns out you were right! I had overlooked those messages earlier.

Based on your advice, I will follow your recommendation and install a new non-Optane NVMe SSD. Hopefully, that will finally resolve the problem.

Thanks again for your support!

[Legomiss]

Hi @resistencia,

Thank you for the suggestion. I already entered the Advanced BIOS options and went through the System Options menu, but unfortunately that option is not available on my system.

[resistencia]

You're welcome. The best thing to do is to change the disk. Optanes have many failures when integrated into a single module, but they work well when separate and use an HDD for acceleration.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Hopefully, installing a new drive will resolve the problem.