Problems with Install on New Laptop

Kashegan · Jul 27, 2024

i've just bought a new laptop and made the mistake of not realising it didn't come with an OS installed. I have a valid Key and have tried downloading the installation files, but keep getting the "No signed device drivers were found" Error message. I can't work out whats wrong or how to move forward.

FreeBooter · Jul 27, 2024

Where did you download Windows 11 ISO.

Kashegan · Jul 27, 2024

Microsoft website. Did i make a mistake when I extracted the ISO onto the USB?

FreeBooter · Jul 27, 2024

Create yourself new USB flash drive.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to use Rufus to download the ISO file and create a bootable media to install Windows 11 from scratch.

glasskuter · Jul 27, 2024

You do not extract the files from the iso. As freebooter said, you use Rufus to create an installation USB. Here are step by step instructions and screenshots that will assist you.
Use Option 2 Here.

Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to create a bootable USB flash drive used to install Windows 11 with UEFI support. You can use a Windows 11 installation USB flash drive to clean install, upgrade, reset, or repair Windows 11. The installation USB can also be used as a recovery drive to boot to...

www.elevenforum.com

Then use this tutorial to clean install.

Clean Install Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

bobkn · Jul 27, 2024

glasskuter said:
You do not extract the files from the iso. As freebooter said, you use Rufus to create an installation USB. Here are step by step instructions and screenshots that will assist you.
Use Option 2 Here.

Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to create a bootable USB flash drive used to install Windows 11 with UEFI support. You can use a Windows 11 installation USB flash drive to clean install, upgrade, reset, or repair Windows 11. The installation USB can also be used as a recovery drive to boot to...

www.elevenforum.com

Then use this tutorial to clean install.

Clean Install Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

Below is NOT a recommendation on how to proceed. Just some mostly irrelevant facts. (At least, I think they're facts.)

I don't know about that laptop, but for some of my desktop machines, I was able to extract the ISO's contents to a USB drive. The machine booted from that.

However, a bootable USB drive had to be formatted as FAT32. I speculate that "Kashegan's" drive was not formatted as Fat32, because the ISO typically contains an install.wim file that is larger than 4GB, and can't be copied to a FAT32 file. (I work around that by copying the contents of the ISO to a folder on a hard drive, and splitting install.wim using DISM.)

If I understand things correctly, the MSI 4030 is a laptop that is fully supported for Windows 11, so the hacks available in Rufus to install 11 on unsupported hardware won't be needed, and shouldn't be used.

An alternative to downloading the ISO would be to create the bootable USB drive using the Media Creation Tool. (I never do that, but it's recommended for those unfamiliar with the process.)

Megahertz · Jul 27, 2024

You don't need Rufus to create a Win 11 USB installation drive using a Win 11 installation iso file.

Prepare the Win 11 installation file from the iso file.
On Win 10 or Win 11, mount the iso file and copy all files and folders to a C:\Win11_files temporary folder.
You will have C:\Win11_files\Sources\install.wim bigger than 4G and as you want to make a UEFI USB boot able drive you have two options:

Option 1) Split C:\Win11_files\Sources\install.wim into smaller Install.swm (I suggest to use this option)

Open a CMD window on the C:\Win11_files\Sources\install.wim on the temporary folder (Shift+right click inside the folder + Open command window here)
run the command
Dism /Split-Image /ImageFile:install.wim /SWMFile:install.swm /FileSize:3600
It will create two install.swm.
Delete C:\Win11_files\Sources\Install.wim on the temporary folder.

Prepare the USB drive
Open a CMD window as administrator and type:

diskpart
list disk (it will list all drives. Identify the USB drive number)
select disk n (replace n by the USB drive number obtained with list disk)
clean
convert mbr
create part primary
select part 1
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
exit (to exit diskpart)
Copy all files and folders from C:\Win11_files to the root of the USB drive.

Option 2) Create two partitions on the USB drive.
- One Fat32 - 850M
- One NTFS = 7G

Prepare the USB drive
Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
diskpart
list disk (it will list all drives. Identify the USB drive number)
select disk n (replace n by the USB drive number obtained with list disk)
clean
convert mbr
create part primary size=820
select part 1
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
create part primary
select part 2
format fs=ntfs quick
assign
exit (to exit diskpart)

Copy all files and folders from the C:\Win11_files temporary folder to the to the root of the USB drive Fat32 partition EXCEPT the
/Sources folder
Create a /Sources folder on the NTFS partition. Copy all files and folders from the temporary /Sources folder to the NTFS partition
/Sources folder EXCEPT boot.wim
Create a /Sources folder on the Fat32 partition. Copy Boot.wim from the temporary /Sources folder to the Fat32 partition /Sources folder.

Rollback_Jockey · Jul 27, 2024

Kashegan said:
i've just bought a new laptop and made the mistake of not realising it didn't come with an OS installed. I have a valid Key and have tried downloading the installation files, but keep getting the "No signed device drivers were found" Error message. I can't work out whats wrong or how to move forward.

Any missing or outdated drivers should update once the machine sniffs the internet.

NavyLCDR · Jul 27, 2024

I agree that the problem is most likely the USB flash drive is formatted as NTFS and needs to be FAT32.

Kashegan · Jul 28, 2024

Hi, I can confirm that the USB Flash drive was 64GB, formated as FAT32 and has been tried with both a downloaded ISO file and with the ISO file unzipped to the USB. maybe I wasn't clear enough? The problem starts when i get to the installation stage that asks where you want the installation to be made, at this point there are no drives displayed to install to. Where do I get the driver initialistaion files and how do I install them?

FreeBooter · Jul 28, 2024

You will need to install storage controller driver, give us spec detail of your computer.

Mooly · Jul 28, 2024

Could this be anything to do with the CPU (as happens with Intel 11th??? gen) not recognising drives.

This applies to Dell but I imagine its similar for any make/model with this issue:

Intel 11th, 12th, and 13th Generation Processors, No Drives Can Be Found During Windows 10 and Windows 11 Installation | Dell UK

Megahertz · Jul 28, 2024

Kashegan said:
Hi, I can confirm that the USB Flash drive was 64GB, formated as FAT32 and has been tried with both a downloaded ISO file and with the ISO file unzipped to the USB. maybe I wasn't clear enough? The problem starts when i get to the installation stage that asks where you want the installation to be made, at this point there are no drives displayed to install to. Where do I get the driver initialistaion files and how do I install them?

If you downloaded a Win 11 installation iso file it has \sources\install.wim bigger than 4G and it can't be copied to a Fat32 partition.
I suggest you build the USB Win 11 23h2 installation drive using MCT
It use \sources\install.esd (a compacted file without all Win 11 versions)) instead of \sources\install.wim.

Some new Intel computers need to load Intel RST driver during installation so you can see the main drive. It is mandatory if you have set drives as RAID or VMD in BIOS
Newer mobo's RAID is known as VMD (volume management device). If your VMD controller is enabled, you're in RAID mode. Disabling the VMD controller enables AHCI mode.

Kashegan · Jul 28, 2024

Thanks for all the suggestions/advice, especially Mooly who gave me the clue to trace the RST drivers.. I have now managed to obtain and install the Intel RST divers. I now have drive options for the installation location (see attached), however when I select Partition 2 I get the message that say "couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one'? If the partition is there, why can't I use it? By the way, as you can see , there is a Partition 3 which contains all the drivers and application files. But I can't access them , yet.

FreeBooter · Jul 28, 2024

Install Windows 11 on unallocated space should do.

NavyLCDR · Jul 28, 2024

Kashegan said:
Thanks for all the suggestions/advice, especially Mooly who gave me the clue to trace the RST drivers.. I have now managed to obtain and install the Intel RST divers. I now have drive options for the installation location (see attached), however when I select Partition 2 I get the message that say "couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one'? If the partition is there, why can't I use it? By the way, as you can see , there is a Partition 3 which contains all the drivers and application files. But I can't access them , yet.

Delete the first two partitions, then select the resulting unallocated space to install too. I would leave the third partition "DriverCD" because that might contain drivers you will need to load into Windows later.

bobkn · Jul 29, 2024

Kashegan said:
Thanks for all the suggestions/advice, especially Mooly who gave me the clue to trace the RST drivers.. I have now managed to obtain and install the Intel RST divers. I now have drive options for the installation location (see attached), however when I select Partition 2 I get the message that say "couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one'? If the partition is there, why can't I use it? By the way, as you can see , there is a Partition 3 which contains all the drivers and application files. But I can't access them , yet.

I wish that PC and laptop makers wouldn't set the drive controller in the BIOS settings to RAID by default.

It's necessary if an Optane cache drive is used (or if the machine using RAID, which I've never seen in a consumer device), but not otherwise. AFAIK, it offers no performance advantage.

I'd have gone into the BIOS settings and switch to AHCI. No RST drivers needed.

When I do a clean install, I always use the installer to remove all partitions of the target drive. It's primitive, but it always works for me.

Winuser · Jul 29, 2024

Megahertz said:
You don't need Rufus to create a Win 11 USB installation drive using a Win 11 installation iso file.

Prepare the Win 11 installation file from the iso file.
On Win 10 or Win 11, mount the iso file and copy all files and folders to a C:\Win11_files temporary folder.
You will have C:\Win11_files\Sources\install.wim bigger than 4G and as you want to make a UEFI USB boot able drive you have two options:

Option 1) Split C:\Win11_files\Sources\install.wim into smaller Install.swm (I suggest to use this option)

Open a CMD window on the C:\Win11_files\Sources\install.wim on the temporary folder (Shift+right click inside the folder + Open command window here)
run the command
Dism /Split-Image /ImageFile:install.wim /SWMFile:install.swm /FileSize:3600
It will create two install.swm.
Delete C:\Win11_files\Sources\Install.wim on the temporary folder.

Prepare the USB drive
Open a CMD window as administrator and type:

diskpart
list disk (it will list all drives. Identify the USB drive number)
select disk n (replace n by the USB drive number obtained with list disk)
clean
convert mbr
create part primary
select part 1
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
exit (to exit diskpart)
Copy all files and folders from C:\Win11_files to the root of the USB drive.

Option 2) Create two partitions on the USB drive.
- One Fat32 - 850M
- One NTFS = 7G

Prepare the USB drive
Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
diskpart
list disk (it will list all drives. Identify the USB drive number)
select disk n (replace n by the USB drive number obtained with list disk)
clean
convert mbr
create part primary size=820
select part 1
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
create part primary
select part 2
format fs=ntfs quick
assign
exit (to exit diskpart)

Copy all files and folders from the C:\Win11_files temporary folder to the to the root of the USB drive Fat32 partition EXCEPT the
/Sources folder
Create a /Sources folder on the NTFS partition. Copy all files and folders from the temporary /Sources folder to the NTFS partition
/Sources folder EXCEPT boot.wim
Create a /Sources folder on the Fat32 partition. Copy Boot.wim from the temporary /Sources folder to the Fat32 partition /Sources folder.

Do you really think this is easier than just using Rufus with it's click and go?

glasskuter · Jul 29, 2024

bobkn said:
When I do a clean install, I always use the installer to remove all partitions of the target drive. It's primitive

No, not primitive. Smart. Removing all partitions is a specific step in Brink's clean install tutorial.... as is either install IRST drivers or change to AHCI in uefi bios... and removing all other drives during install....and making a local account if they don't want Onedrive....and a lot of other little goodies. The thing is, folks won't take the time to read it. They think they know and just barrel ahead. What amazes me, is if things don't go according to Hoyle , they STILL don't see a need to read the tutorial to find out why.