No Device Drivers Were Found Windows 10
If Windows 10 setup says no device drivers were found, treat it as triage: first check whether the USB installer dropped out, then verify the storage controller, and load drivers only after those two checks. Skip that order, and you can chase the wrong cause, hide the SSD from Setup, and stop the install cold. This piece shows how to test the installer media, identify a missing storage controller, and choose the right driver package.
Installer triage table
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fastest test | Safest fix | When to stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup returns to the device screen, or the installer disappears after Back/Next | The USB installer was lost during re-enumeration | Move the stick to another port, starting with a USB 2.0 port if the machine has one | Use a rear motherboard port on a desktop; recreate the media if the problem follows the stick | Stop once Setup stays in the installer and the error no longer appears |
| Setup sees the USB stick but not the internal SSD or HDD | RAID, RST, or VMD is hiding the storage controller | Check firmware storage settings and look for RAID, RST, or VMD | For a clean install, switch to AHCI if appropriate, or load the correct Intel RST / VMD driver | Stop when the target disk appears in Setup without extra workarounds |
| No internal disk appears even in firmware | The drive is not physically detected | Open firmware storage information, then use diskpart only to confirm what Setup sees | Reseat the drive or check hardware before any installer changes | Stop if firmware cannot see the drive; no driver will help |
| The error follows a fresh USB build on more than one port | Bad media, bad write, or a broken USB stick | Rebuild the installer from Microsoft media and try a different flash drive | Use Media Creation Tool or Rufus with GPT and UEFI for modern machines | Stop when the installer boots cleanly from the rebuilt media |
Why Windows Setup shows this error
Windows Setup often shows this message during installation when it loses track of the USB installer, cannot see the storage controller, or cannot detect the physical drive at all. The message is usually misleading. The cause is often the port, the media, or the storage mode. Start by proving which part failed.
Setup lost the USB installer
During installation, Setup can drop back to the device screen after a Back/Next flow because it re-enumerates hardware and loses the USB stick. That is common when the stick is on a USB 3.0 port and the setup image does not have the needed controller driver. A USB 2.0 port is the first port to try if the machine has one.
The storage controller is hidden
If Setup still sees the installer but not the SSD, the storage controller may be hidden by RAID, RST, or VMD settings in firmware. RAID mode can hide the drive from a standard Windows installer. For a clean install, AHCI is commonly used; the other path is loading Intel RST during setup.
The drive is not detected at all
If firmware cannot see the drive, no driver will help. Stop chasing Windows Setup there and check the hardware path instead. Use firmware storage pages first. If the disk is absent there too, the problem is not a missing installer driver.
Should you move the USB stick to another port?
Yes. Move the USB stick first, before changing firmware settings or loading a driver. The first fix takes ten seconds: move the USB stick to a different port. On desktops, use a rear motherboard port rather than a front-panel header or a hub. If a USB 2.0 port exists, try that first.
Try USB 2.0 first
USB 2.0 ports are recommended if the machine has them. They are often black rather than blue. On some systems, especially older desktops and a few laptops, that port is the difference between a stable installer and one that drops out during device re-enumeration.
Why USB 3.0 can break setup
USB 3.0 ports are often reported as a cause when Setup loses the installer. The installer image may not contain the controller driver needed to keep that port alive during setup. If the installation screen vanishes or jumps back after you click Back or Next, port loss is a strong suspect.
What to do on laptops with no USB 2.0 ports
Many newer laptops do not include a USB 2.0 port. In that case, move to another USB 3.0 port if one exists, then rebuild the media if the symptom repeats. If the laptop only has one USB-C path through an adapter, use a different adapter or a different stick before you touch firmware.
Say your laptop has two blue USB-A ports and no black one. If Setup drops the installer on the first port, try the second port, then rebuild the media. Do not jump straight to loading a storage driver if the USB path itself is unstable.
Check the installation media
Rebuild the installer if the port test fails. Use the current ISO or Media Creation Tool from Microsoft, not a mirror. Rufus is recommended with GPT partition scheme and UEFI target for modern machines. Bad USB sticks, bad writes, and a bad ISO can all trigger this message.
Watch the FAT32 limit
FAT32 cannot store install.wim files larger than 4 GB. That matters because Windows 10 media can include a file that exceeds that limit. If you write the installer to FAT32 without handling that size, the copy can fail or the build can appear fine but break during boot.
Rebuild the stick cleanly
Use a fresh USB stick if the old one has a history of errors, and avoid reusing a drive that may have worn flash cells. If you are writing with Rufus, use GPT partition scheme and UEFI target on modern machines. If you are using Media Creation Tool, let it build the media directly rather than remixing files by hand.
- Download the current ISO or Media Creation Tool from Microsoft.
- Write the media again with a known-good USB stick.
- Use GPT and UEFI for a modern system.
- Boot the installer from a different port.
- Return to driver loading only if the installer still cannot see storage.
A common first-timer mistake is assuming the error proves the SSD is bad. Suppose a 16 GB installer stick boots once, then fails after the first reboot stage. If a second stick works immediately, the original media was the problem, not the drive inside the laptop.
Is the drive hidden by SATA mode?
Yes, it can be. Check RAID, RST, or VMD in firmware if Setup can see the USB installer but not the internal disk. RAID mode can hide the drive from a standard Windows installer. AHCI is the usual clean-install setting, but changing that setting on an existing Windows install can prevent boot.
Use AHCI for a clean install
For a new installation on a blank disk, AHCI is usually the clean choice. It avoids the extra controller layer that can hide the disk from Setup. If firmware offers only RAID or RST by default, switch only when you are doing a clean install and understand the effect on the boot path.
What not to change on an existing install
Do not flip a working system from RAID or RST to AHCI as a casual repair. That can break boot on an existing installation. If the machine already has Windows on it and you need to preserve that install, confirm the boot plan before touching storage mode.
When VMD matters
Intel VMD-enabled laptops are a case where manual drivers may be necessary. That is still a minority case. If the SSD disappears only in Setup and the firmware storage menu shows the disk, VMD or RST is more likely than a dead drive. Load the vendor package only after the port and media checks fail.
Load a storage driver only when needed
Load a driver manually only after the USB port, installation media, and firmware storage checks point to a controller problem. The Load driver button belongs at the end of the triage path, not the beginning. In many installs, no driver is needed at all.
Find the correct Intel RST or VMD package
Get the package from the manufacturer support page for the exact model, then pick the Intel RST or VMD files that match the storage controller shown by the laptop maker. Unpack the driver files before setup so Windows Setup can read them. Do not use a random download from a mirror.
Use load driver in Windows Setup
In Windows Setup, choose Load driver only after you have confirmed the installer media is healthy and the disk is not simply hidden by the port. Point Setup at the extracted driver folder. If the correct package is right, the target disk should appear without further changes.
How do you know it is time to load a driver? If Setup stays stable on a different USB port, the media checks out, firmware sees the disk, and the disk still does not appear in Windows Setup, that is the point where a storage driver becomes the next safe move.
Use diskpart to verify the disk
Use diskpart only to confirm whether the disk appears in Setup and only wipe it if you can afford to lose everything on it. Open Command Prompt from setup with Shift + F10. From there, diskpart can tell you whether Windows can see the drive before you change more settings.
Check whether the disk appears
After opening the command prompt, run diskpart and list the disks. If the target disk is missing there too, the issue is below the installer layer. That could be firmware hiding, a disconnected drive, or hardware failure. If the disk is present, the path back to installation is clearer.
Use clean and convert gpt only for full wipes
The diskpart wipe sequence typically includes clean and convert gpt, and it should only be used when the disk can be erased. That is destructive. Use it only when the disk can be erased and you want a fresh GPT layout for UEFI installation. Do not run clean on a machine that needs data preserved.
When to stop
If firmware does not show the disk, stop here and check hardware. If diskpart does show the disk but Setup does not, return to SATA mode, VMD, or RST. If the disk is visible and the installer is stable, go back to the normal Windows flow and continue the install.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fix no device drivers were found Windows 10?
Start with the USB installer, not the drive. Move the stick to another port, preferably a USB 2.0 port if one exists, then rebuild the media with Microsoft’s current ISO or Media Creation Tool. Only after that should you check RAID, RST, or VMD and consider loading a storage driver.
How do I fix no device drivers were found Windows 10 installation?
During installation, treat the error as a three-step triage problem: prove the installer stayed attached, verify the storage controller is visible in firmware, and then load a driver if the disk still does not appear. That order prevents you from reading a bad USB stick as a storage-driver problem.
Why does Windows Setup say no device drivers were found?
Windows Setup usually says this when it loses the USB installer, cannot read the storage controller, or cannot detect the physical disk. The message is often misleading. A port change, a clean rebuild of the installer, or a firmware storage adjustment fixes most cases before any manual driver load is needed.
Should I move the USB stick to a different port?
Yes. That is the first check. Try a USB 2.0 port first if the machine has one, and on desktops use a rear motherboard port rather than the front panel. If the installer survives in one port but not another, the port path was the problem, not the disk driver.
Do I need to load a driver manually for Windows 10 setup?
Usually no. Manual loading is needed in a minority of cases, especially on Intel VMD-enabled laptops or systems where RAID or RST hides the disk from Windows Setup. Do the port, media, and firmware checks first. If those pass and the disk is still hidden, then load the correct vendor driver.
Can a bad USB installer cause no device drivers were found?
Yes. A bad USB stick, a bad write, or a broken ISO can produce the same message as a true storage-controller problem. Recreate the media with Media Creation Tool or Rufus using GPT and UEFI for modern machines. If the issue follows the stick, replace the stick before anything else.
