Install driver to show hardware

[spopov91]

Dear HP Support Community,

I recently purchased an HP Victus 16 (model s0001nu) and encountered an issue while trying to install Windows 11 Pro using a bootable USB. During the installation process, a message appears stating:
"A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB, or Hard Disk driver. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now."

I have searched for the necessary SATA/RAID or storage driver for this model on the official HP website, but I couldn’t find one specifically listed.

Could you kindly assist me in resolving this issue or provide the required driver to proceed with the installation?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards,
Simeon Popov

[Raj_05]

Hi @spopov91,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The error message indicates that the installer is missing the necessary drivers to detect your storage device. This is common in modern laptops with newer storage controllers that may require specific drivers during installation. Here's how you can resolve this issue.

Prepare a Bootable USB Correctly

Ensure that the Windows 11 Pro installation media is created properly. Use the latest version of the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to create the bootable USB drive.

Switch SATA Controller Mode in BIOS

Modern laptops often use Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) mode for storage, which can require additional drivers during installation. Try these steps:

Access BIOS:

• Restart your laptop and press F10 repeatedly as it starts to enter BIOS/UEFI.

Locate SATA Mode:

• Navigate to the Advanced or Storage section in BIOS and look for an option like SATA Mode or Storage Configuration.

Switch to AHCI:

• Change the SATA mode from RAID/Intel RST to AHCI.
• Save changes and exit the BIOS.

Retry Windows installation. If AHCI works, you won't need to load additional drivers.

Download and Load Intel RST Driver (If AHCI Doesn't Work)

If switching to AHCI isn’t an option or doesn’t work, you’ll need to manually provide the Intel RST driver:

Download the Driver:

• Visit the Intel RST Drivers and Software page.
• Download the Floppy Driver version for Windows 11.

Extract Driver Files:

• Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a USB drive.

Provide Driver During Installation:

• When the error appears during Windows setup, click Browse and insert the USB drive with the extracted Intel RST drivers.
• Select the appropriate driver for your laptop's architecture (x64 for 64-bit Windows).
• Once loaded, Windows Setup should detect the storage device and proceed.

[Raj_05]

Additional Considerations

• Ensure USB Ports Are Working: Use a USB 2.0 port if available, as some USB 3.0 drivers might not load properly during the initial phase of installation.
• Check for Compatibility: Confirm that the bootable USB uses GPT partitioning for UEFI mode. Use Rufus to recreate the USB if needed.

HP Support Drivers

• After successful installation, download all essential drivers from the HP Support website specific to your Victus by HP 16 model. Use the serial number or product ID to locate drivers.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[spopov91]

Hello Aden,

Thank you for your support ! I made an investigation for this problem since one week ago and already tried this advices. I tried to load an Intel RST driver which the support for the Windows 11 Pro that I purchased sent me. Unfortunatelly the driver is incompatible with my computer. My Victus 16 is 2023 model with AMD Rhyzen 7. Anyway I have unselected compatible drivers for my computer to try to install it and when I did I got access to the partitions window but I can't make changes to partitions, deleting or adding partiotions or installing Windows on any partition. I tried from the cmd console from diskpart. It showed me that I have deleted a partition from there but afterwards on the window with paritions nothing changed. The support for Windows 11 Pro couldn't help me with that issue. The usb flashdrive is made with Rufus, readable for UEFI with that GPT you told. I can't see this options on my BIOS that you suggest. How can I get to advanced settings in BIOS ? With F2 or Esc ? I tried to download from  the official site of AMD, a chipset driver, but I can't open it to extract the files, even if I make it a zip file, because my old lap-top is with an Intel CPU and didn't allowed me to do it. The AMD driver is exe type and is not readable when browsing the driver. The only thing I was thinking about is to rewrite the usb flashdrive with Media Creation Tool and to set the system type to FAT32, not NTFS as it is right now. What do you think ? Will this help ?

[Raj_05 · Accepted solution]

Hi @spopov91,

Thank you for your response, 

Let's try to break down the steps further and explore additional troubleshooting options to help resolve your issue.

Advanced BIOS Settings

It seems like you're having trouble accessing advanced settings in your BIOS. Here’s how you can try to access them:

• Press F2 or ESC during startup: Depending on your system, F2 or ESC should take you to the BIOS setup. Once in the BIOS, look for the Advanced or Configuration tab where you can change the SATA controller settings (AHCI/RAID).
• If you don’t see specific options, check under Storage, Boot Options, or System Configuration.
  • Change the SATA mode to AHCI if it's set to RAID or Intel RST.
  • UEFI Boot Mode should be enabled, and Secure Boot might need to be disabled temporarily for the Windows installation to work.

Media Creation Tool - FAT32 vs. NTFS

The suggestion to use FAT32 over NTFS is worth exploring. FAT32 is recommended for UEFI-based installations. Here's why:

• FAT32 is more widely supported in UEFI mode compared to NTFS.
• When creating the bootable USB, if you use Rufus, make sure to select FAT32 for the partition scheme if you are targeting UEFI. Sometimes, using NTFS might cause issues with the BIOS and the installation process, especially on newer systems with UEFI.

Check for USB Port Compatibility

It’s essential to ensure the USB flash drive is inserted into a USB 2.0 port, as some systems have trouble recognizing drivers from USB 3.0 ports early in the installation process. Try switching ports and testing the installation again.

Rewriting the USB Flash Drive

If the current USB drive setup using Rufus isn't working, here’s what you can try:

• Use the Media Creation Tool directly to create the bootable USB. This will ensure that the USB stick is configured properly for your system and will likely handle any GPT/UEFI-related setup automatically.
• When prompted during the Media Creation Tool process, select FAT32 as the file system.

Chipset Driver and AMD Compatibility

Since you’re using an AMD Ryzen processor, you might have trouble with drivers intended for Intel CPUs. The AMD chipset drivers you mentioned should be compatible with your Ryzen system. Here's how to handle it:

• If the AMD driver setup is not opening, try downloading the drivers directly from the AMD website in a different format, such as ZIP. Once downloaded, manually extract them and point the Windows installer to the folder containing the driver files when asked.
• Since you’re unable to run the .exe driver directly, using the ZIP format might bypass the issue and allow you to manually extract and load the drivers during the installation.

Diskpart Issues

You mentioned using diskpart to delete partitions, but the changes aren’t reflected in the installation window. This might indicate a deeper issue with the drive recognition. If you're able to access diskpart and delete the partitions, try the following:

• Run diskpart again and make sure you're selecting the right disk (select disk 0).
• Use the following commands:
  • clean – This will erase all partitions and prepare the drive.
  • Then, create a new partition using create partition primary size=<size>.

Once done, try the Windows installation again to see if it detects the newly created partition.

[spopov91]

Hi Aden,

I hope this message finds you well. I want to sincerely thank you for your thorough and insightful response to my query. Your suggestions have been incredibly helpful in guiding me toward a solution.

I’ve decided to take the following systematic approach to address the issue:

1. I will recreate the bootable USB using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool with the FAT32 file system, as the current USB was created with Rufus in NTFS.
2. If the problem persists, I will explore advanced BIOS settings, such as modifying SATA controller modes, to check for compatibility issues.
3. As a final step, I will download AMD chipset drivers from the official AMD website in ZIP format and use them during the Windows installation process, if needed.

Does this seem like an effective plan to you? Please let me know if you would recommend any additional steps or adjustments.

Thank you once again for your assistance and for taking the time to provide such a comprehensive response.

Best regards,

spopov91