Windows 11 Cant Find Drives to Install via USB

[frase]

Came across this today on a brand new Asus laptop, went to install OS clean Win11 - as I like to as removes all the bloatware.

Cannot find drives when installing Windows 11/10​

Booted into usual MS Setup
Had to SHIFT+F10 to open a CMD Prompt
Enter taskmgr to open taskmanager
Expand More Options or whatever it says down the bottom
Find Network Connection Flow and End the process.

At this point to select drive to install, couldn't find drives to install
So had to manually download the SATA drivers to the usb installer, grab HERE
Extract those to the USB you had used for OS Installer
Select Browse for drivers manually on the drive selection screen to where it's stored on your USB
Select the SATA Drivers and it will now recognise your drive.


May assist those who are unaware.

 

[fincoder]

Booted into usual MS Setup

How long ago was the ISO downloaded? If not recently, maybe a new installer might have worked.
I had the same issue last week with a new HP consumer model laptop. This one came with Win11 but the customer wanted Win10. The HP support page had drivers for Win10, and I know the Win11 license works for Win10, so I tried it.

My Windows 10 installer (GPT) couldn't find the drive. The fix was (as you describe) to download and unpack the storage driver onto a folder on the Win10 installer USB and load the driver during setup.

Now I'm wondering whether I should start updating my Win10 & 11 installer USBs more often, as @britechguy and others do.

 

[frase]

This was an in a hurry cant be bothered messing around job, I just downloaded the Media Creation Tool just today. I understand there is the other Media batch file method though couldn't find my drive.

I have updated my installers now - just in case.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I ran into the same problem a few days ago, where customer wanted to be sure his PC (Inspiron 7706 2-in-1)
was trustworthy after constant re-infection (according to AVAST -- sigh). The procedure above was tried but the installer couldn't find required signed drivers in the IRST drivers downloaded from the manufacturer's site. Created a drivers back-up with DoubleDriver and nothing in it referred to storage drivers. Finally had to just return it working as received because customer couldn't wait and I had cataract surgery scheduled for next day. (He dropped in on Sunday afternoon and expected is done almost immediately, along with N&P on three other laptops and updating multiple backups on external drives!)

I need to update my installers and DoubleDriver, and be more selective about who I do business with.

 

[britechguy]

be more selective about who I do business with.

Or be very clear that "a lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."

My response to that sort of request would have been along the lines of, "I can get this done by {insert day/date here}. You cannot drop work off and specify the completion date, I do that."

 

[Appletax]

This post helped me solve this issue:

"We couldn't find any drives. To get a storage driver, click Load driver."

On a nearly new HP 17.3 inch Laptop PC 17-c0000.

Issue occurs with new WD Blue SSD and new WD Black NVME SSD.

Solution: extract the Rapid Storage Technology Driver and then use those files with "Load driver."

Specifically, I used "iaStorVD.inf."

 

[dcunnings]

Always go into the Device manager and under "Details" find the hardware ID - vendor & product ID (VID_xxxx&PID_xxxx)
Searching for those a driver matching your HW will most certainly be found.

DO avoid strange "Driver download sites"
only known HW vendors like Intel, AMD, ASUS etc but also PC producers, Lenovo, HP etc.

 

[frase]

Always go into the Device manager and under "Details" find the hardware ID - vendor & product ID (VID_xxxx&PID_xxxx)
Searching for those a driver matching your HW will most certainly be found.

DO avoid strange "Driver download sites"
only known HW vendors like Intel, AMD, ASUS etc but also PC producers, Lenovo, HP etc.

Not required or help in this case on installation of O/S, hence the method I used.