Windows 10 installation media Storport.sys error when trying install

Nightmare1223 · 10 Jul 2020

So im trying to install windows 10 pro into a IBM x3650 M4 Raid 0, and on boot from the installation usb, it gives me a blue screen with error "Driver IRQL not less or equal" and it says the Storport.sys failed. but when i clear my Raid configuration it boots up just fine,keep in mind i had it working just fine before i re configured the raid, i have no idea why and i've scoured Windows community, but couldn't figure out to post so here i am, any help is appreciated.

hsehestedt · 11 Jul 2020

Welcome to TenForums!

This is almost certainly a result of needing a specific driver for your disk controller that is not included with Windows. It may well be that a driver included with Windows is "close enough" to work when you are not using a RAID configuration, but not suitable for use when RAID is configured. I've seen that same symptom myself. You will need to do the following to remedy this:

1) Locate a driver for your controller. Note that there may be a seperate driver specifically for use during setup - that is what you want.

2) Extract the contents of the driver if downloaded in the form of a ZIP or other archive file and place those files on a thumb drive or other media accessible during installation.

3) When you get to the point in setup where you you need to choose the disk to install onto, you will see an option to load a driver. Use that option to load the driver that you downloaded.

OldNavyGuy · 11 Jul 2020

Easiest thing to try first -

Device Manager > Storage Controllers

Expand the section, right-click on the entry and select Update driver.

Device Manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers

Expand the section, right-click on the entry and select Uninstall device.

Reboot.

MS may have the correct driver.

hsehestedt · 11 Jul 2020

@OldNavyGuy - he's getting a blue screen during installation so he won't be able to try that unfortunately, however, your post gives me another idea:

If you cannot locate a driver to use during a clean install, you could try an upgrade install, assuming that you already have a Windows installation in place on that system.

OldNavyGuy · 11 Jul 2020

I was going by these statements -

"but when i clear my Raid configuration it boots up just fine"

"i had it working just fine before i re configured the raid"

lpboldrini · 11 Jan 2022

hsehestedt said:

@OldNavyGuy - he's getting a blue screen during installation so he won't be able to try that unfortunately, however, your post gives me another idea:

If you cannot locate a driver to use during a clean install, you could try an upgrade install, assuming that you already have a Windows installation in place on that system.

@hsehestedt i m having the same problem here, with Win10 1909 the server works OK, but with 20h1 does this problem. Do you have some sucess to resolve it?

hsehestedt · 11 Jan 2022

lpboldrini said:

@hsehestedt i m having the same problem here, with Win10 1909 the server works OK, but with 20h1 does this problem. Do you have some sucess to resolve it?

Welcome to TenForums! Unfortunately, I'm not the person who was experiencing the difficulties. We'll have to ask the OP if they were able to resolve the issue.

@Nightmare1223 - were you able to resolve the problem?

gleep52 · 17 Jan 2022

I'm having a similar problem trying to install windows server 2022 with an older but well established LSI 9286-8e card. If I boot off my USB - it doesn't even get to the install screen. If I delete the array before booting off the USB stick - I can boot up to the windows installer properly. Any luck here?

Springy · 11 Jan 2023

Apoligies, Im Nightmare12234 I lost access to the account as i had to wipe my passwords due to a data breach. Ive had limited success since then. Ive got 1909, not sure what /specific/ version of 1909 but 1909 none the less, and even got it to update to a later version of 1909 when i had it running. But never got it to update passed that as it for some reason during the update process it would fail and revert due to some sort of writing issue. If i remember correctly when i looked up the error code, it was due to windows not have access to the drives? or something similar to that. and i gave up a while after multiple failed attempts as its a pain to get my computer to start up after shutting it down for any reason. Im currently trying to reinstall windows after a slight bump unhook one of the drives and caused the virtual disk to stop working. It blues screens during bootup on windows 11 as well as newer versions of windows 10. Storport.sys fails with error driver not equal or less? i believe? And to shed some light on the raid issue, I got this server when i was in highschool and had a tech teacher help me set it up when i couldn't figure it out, he never told me how. And so when i had to clear the raid array it wiped the old windows 10 install. When i deleted all the virtual drives and tried the bootable media it launched the installation media just fine but with no drives listed. I couldn't find the right drivers for it so i couldn't get it to work that way. I'm trying a few new ideas and searching a few old ones (hence how i found this again after losing it, again cause of the wipe) Now that i have more of an idea on what does what and a little more knowledge on the system

- - - Updated - - -

Ive limited it to the fact the windows dropped support for an amount of raid arrays or atleast their drivers (dont know how many never looked up specific numbers) And the only /real/ way ive been able to get windows 10 to install at all was through an older version. you /might/ be able to get it to update from there but ive had no luck with that personally

- - - Updated - - -

gleep52 said:

I'm having a similar problem trying to install windows server 2022 with an older but well established LSI 9286-8e card. If I boot off my USB - it doesn't even get to the install screen. If I delete the array before booting off the USB stick - I can boot up to the windows installer properly. Any luck here?

if youre still here read what i said above this message as i dont quite know how to reply correctly im guessing this is the best i got

hsehestedt · 11 Jan 2023

Sorry to hear about the difficulties you are encountering. Do you have any details regarding the system that you are having difficulties with?

I understand that one major issues right now revolves around the RAID controller. Do you have any details regarding what RAID controller you have? Also, are all drives on this RAID controller or are any drives, such as the OS drive, not running on the RAID controller?

If you have any other storage controllers, we might try getting a stable copy of Windows running on the system without the RAID controller being involved initially, at least on a temporary basis, and then working on troubleshooting the RAID controller issues.

If you know the details for your RAID controller, we should be able to load that driver while booted from your Windows installation media.