New build - Windows 10 cannot find media drivers

[GaugeBoson]

Hey guys,

I just build a completely new system and struggle to install Windows 10. (Last time I did that was Windows XP on a Pentium 4, lots of things have changed since...)

 

Here's the exact problem: I try to install Windows 10 64-bit from a bootable USB drive (created on a Mac using diskutil), but the installer tells me early on: "A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB or Hard disk driver. [...]"

 

I tried a lot of random things already after surfing the web, but none helped. Since the build is brand new I am not really sure where exactly the problem might be. Might be the NVMe I try to install it to, the bootable USB, some BIOS setting, I simply don't know. I am hoping your expertise will help me out here! :)

 

The hardware itself seems to be functional though. System posted on the first try, all fans are spinning, CPU is detected as is the RAM and my M.2, display output runs from my graphics card. MB is the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master and the M.2 is a 970 EVO M.2 2280. No other SSDs or HDDs are connected. 

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[CDL Hazamat]

Brand new setup? Where did you get the Win10 install from?

[GaugeBoson]

1 minute ago, CDL Hazamat said:

Brand new setup? Where did you get the Win10 install from?

 

Yep, everything brand new. Downloaded the ISO image from here: 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

 

Then I took a USB stick, formatted it (selected MBR as the format) and used diskutil to get the ISO on it (only have access to a Mac currently):

 

diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk3

sudo dd if=Downloads/Win10_1809Oct_English_x64.iso of=/dev/disk3 bs=1m

diskutil eject /dev/disk3

 

This is the procedure that I found online on multiple pages.

[RMD80]

Hi dude

 

First of all what HDD did you install windows 10 to? and a lot of mobo manufacturers turn off the NVMe slot as default make sure your have turn on the right one in the bios.

and like CDL Hazamat said where did you get the Win10 install from?

[CDL Hazamat]

I'm busy cooking dinner at the moment so I'm back and forth on this -- not a thorough reply here.

Your terminal commands look good although I couldn't locate the iso at that link. I tried the few items on the page but couldn't seem to locate it yet.

[GaugeBoson]

6 minutes ago, RMD80 said:

Hi dude

 

First of all what HDD did you install windows 10 to? and a lot of mobo manufacturers turn off the NVMe slot as default make sure your have turn on the right one in the bios.

and like CDL Hazamat said where did you get the Win10 install from?

There is currently no HDD connected (don't have one at hand), only the M.2. Windows is not yet installed. 

 

The NVMe slot seems to be enabled though because I can see the M.2 as Boot Option #2 (where Boot Option #1 is the bootable USB stick with Windows 10 on it).

 

[GaugeBoson]

4 minutes ago, CDL Hazamat said:

I'm busy cooking dinner at the moment so I'm back and forth on this -- not a thorough reply here.

Your terminal commands look good although I couldn't locate the iso at that link. I tried the few items on the page but couldn't seem to locate it yet.

No worries mate, enjoy your dinner!

Concerning the link I send, that page starts with "You’ve been routed to this page because the operating system you’re using won’t support the Windows 10 media creation tool and we want to make sure you can download Windows 10.". So it might be that you are being routed to a different page than I am since I'm on a Mac right now...not sure how to point you to it then...hm

 

[CDL Hazamat]

No worries. I'm wondering if its that "media creation tool". My computer thinks anything made by windows is a virus; FOR GOOD REASON!

[RMD80]

10 minutes ago, GaugeBoson said:

There is currently no HDD connected (don't have one at hand), only the M.2. Windows is not yet installed. 

 

The NVMe slot seems to be enabled though because I can see the M.2 as Boot Option #2 (where Boot Option #1 is the bootable USB stick with Windows 10 on it).

 

cool have you tried selecting the NVMe as Option #1?

[CDL Hazamat]

Okay, I looked everything over again and the only thing I don't see (besides the iso which I'll assume is clean) is a hardware list. I'd guess that windows wants to infect, ahem, install on every bit of hardware out there so I'm just stabbing in the dark. Have you checked the compatibility list?

[GaugeBoson]

8 minutes ago, RMD80 said:

cool have you tried selecting the NVMe as Option #1?

Yep, just now. It throws me straight into the BIOS (funnily enough without detecting my keyboard), but that makes sense IMO because there is nothing on that drive.

[GaugeBoson]

2 minutes ago, CDL Hazamat said:

Okay, I looked everything over again and the only thing I don't see (besides the iso which I'll assume is clean) is a hardware list. I'd guess that windows wants to infect, ahem, install on every bit of hardware out there so I'm just stabbing in the dark. Have you checked the compatibility list?

Haven't checked it explicitly, but I don't think that's the problem, it's all top of the line:

Mobo: Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master

CPU: Intel i9 9900k

RAM: G.Skill 2x16 GB 3200 MHz 

GPU: Asus Rog Strix 2080 Ti

M.2: 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB

[RMD80]

4 minutes ago, GaugeBoson said:

Yep, just now. It throws me straight into the BIOS (funnily enough without detecting my keyboard), but that makes sense IMO because there is nothing in that drive.

I think i have seen some think about if you have the i9 make shore the bios is up to date. I have got the i9 as well but not built it yet lol

[CDL Hazamat]

The last thing I can think of is to verify the usb. Checksum the download and re-dd. Also try changing the format on the usb, I can't remember offhand but maybe ntfs is what Win10 likes? I always use 1mb block size too however, have had some luck in the past by increasing that although I highly doubt that's the problem here.

 

Best of luck. @RMD80 has covered everything else I can think of as well.

[GaugeBoson]

8 minutes ago, RMD80 said:

I think i have seen some think about if you have the i9 make shore the bios is up to date. I have got the i9 as well but not built it yet lol

I believe that is true for the Z370 Mobos, Z390s should work out of the box, so I was told.

[RMD80]

2 hours ago, GaugeBoson said:

I believe that is true for the Z370 Mobos, Z390s should work out of the box, so I was told.

I do not know what to say 

[tmurlis]

I found I was unable to install windows to an NVME SSD that had not been previously formatted.

[GaugeBoson]

Alright guys, found the culprit. Something in the process of creating the bootable Win10 USB failed (I had repeated it a couple of time, so something in the online tutorials is wrong). I ordered a Win10 USB stick from Newegg and that worked perfectly fine. Thanks for the brainstorming though!