Windows Installer not detecting SSD

[joof]

Hello, I am currently running Linux Arch, but I would like to install Windows. I am aware that dual booting Windows after the initial installation of Arch is generally advised against, and I am okay with overwriting/wiping my current drive in order to install Windows.

I have a live bootable USB with Windows, but when I rebooted, the installer couldn't detect any drives at all.

Attempted solutions:

I thought it might have to do with partitioning, so I tried creating a partition using gparted on Linux, but apparently the home partition can't be shrunk unless you do it from a live bootable Linux USB, which I don't have at the moment.

Another solution I tried was downloading the Intel RST drivers. I downloaded a driver from HP, copied it to another flashdrive, but when I went back to the installer, it still said "No signed drivers were found." It's also worth noting that in the Load Driver window, I could only see directories/folders and not the files/drivers themselves. So, rather than selecting the actual driver, I could only select the flashdrive it was stored in, which (as I said earlier) didn't work.

Someone also told me to try disabling RAID mode and switching to SATA, but when I went into my BIOS, there was no option to do this, and UEFI HII Configuration said that RAID was already disabled.

What should I do?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

See if this works:

I have zipped up and attached the Intel storage controller drivers that Windows needs to find the drive.

The attached file is good for both W10 & W11.

Copy all of the files in both folders in the attached file to a USB flash drive.

Have the flash drive and your Windows installation media plugged into USB ports.

Boot from the W10/W11 installation flash drive.

When you get to the screen where no drives can be found, click on the Load driver option, browse to the flash drive with the storage controller drivers on it.

If you check the box, it will only include the compatible driver.

Click Next and Windows should find the drive and install.

[joof]

Hello, thank you for your response. I downloaded the file and followed your instructions, but the Browse window still didn't show the zip file as an option (actually, it doesn't seem to appear at all). Any ideas?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

You have to first unzip the file to its folder and copy the files inside both folders to the USB flash drive.

Copying the zip file without unzipping it to the USB flash drive won't work.

[joof]

Aha, I now see 3 compatible driver options in the installer. Thank you for the clarification! I just have one last question before I close this thread/mark your reply as solution. Does it matter which driver I select, as long as it is compatible? For reference, 2 of them say Intel RST and the other one says something about Intel Optane.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

If you check the box, it will only include the compatible driver.

If it shows more than one, I would select the Intel RST VMD Controller.

[joof]

Great! Windows is now set up on my laptop successfully. Thank you again for your help 🙂

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.