Yeah, that's exactly what others seem to suggest @ HP forums (via the thread / link I posted above).

Have a look at this thread @ HP forums - coincidentally read it only today:
...

Hope all will be well - you will know in 30 mins or so...!

Subsequent questions therefore are: what is the standard driver? who supplies (or should supply) it? what's its version? does newer version exist? Etc.?

I'm on the opinion that the latest...

You'll be fine - as long as you have roll-back plan and current backup in place...! ;)

Download Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology (Intel(R) RST) User Interface and Driver

I would get this chappy installed straightaway and see what happens. I downloaded it last week - having had...

Nah, get the latest. What's your chipset?

Yeah, SetupRst.exe is what you need.

Any reason - apart from your MoBo and/or chipset not being Gen 6 or above (but then you would not use this link surely? For Intel® platforms not supported...

It's actually not. Where did you get this rather dubious information from?

It does more look like 1903 stopped honouring these registry settings that kept WU at bay when it comes to tinkering with drivers.
Also, whilst being here: I do not understand at all what's the...

Not any more, it seems:

Is there a way to tell the Win10 1903 version upgrade routine to leave your drivers alone? @ AskWoody

If I may as this thread continuous to be derailed: I merely said that this (1903) release utilises more RAM that previous ones.

(How much RAM does one have fitted, how much of it is utilised...

Caching or not caching, previous releases utilised 10-20% less (which is a lot). That's it.

All checked, all good, minor tweaks only made. Thanks all.

One thing I noticed is larger footprint this time: OS upon loading with all paraphernalia now utilises ca. 5GB in RAM upfront. I daresay...

Thanks very much, all duly noted.

EDITED TO ADD: Have checked all these and did not have to do anything here, i.e. my settings may differ from yours but remain the same as prior to the upgrade to...

Right, decided to give it ago today and pushed the button in order to move to 1903 from 1809...

Download was relatively quick, installation long-ish (40 mins?) although rather uneventful. Once...

Understood, but just bear in mind that MS stats won't be objective, naturally.

It's some representation and probably it's as good as it can be. I would trust it more than officially available MS numbers.

Also, different view & some context here:

AdDuplex Windows Device...

Meanwhile:

AdDuplex Report – June 2019 – AdDuplex blog

https://adduplex.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/device-stats-20190626.png?w=810

Yes, very cautious roll-out indeed.

Zonk!

238275

Out of the blue:


238168



But it was deemed as okay and ready in the last two weeks - since 12/06 as per my earlier updates in this thread...!

But highlighted bit is hardly correct, isn't it?

237643

Wouldn't it note be much more honest to admit that it's the 1903 Update that's not quite ready for your device?

Just for completeness and merely as a confirmation: Realtek drivers were updated on 05/06, invitation to install 1903 re-appeared on 12/06 - so one week later.

But of course it is.

In either case, getting back to the topic and kind-of as expected (see my earlier posts in this thread): either run-in period based on the updates to the drivers I've...

If my PC is not offered this upgrade now (for whatever reasons) and then it's suddenly pushed down its throat in - say - early 2020, then it's hardly 18 months of support, isn't it?