Can't reinstall Windows 11 from USB on HP Pavillion

[TheBaron1]

I need to rebuild my laptop using a bootable Windows 11 USB.  When I get to the point where it lists the drive to install to, the laptop's HDD isn't listed!  I'm running the latest BIOS version, and disabled Secure Boot.  UEFI boot order lists the USB first.  I've never had this issue with any other laptop.  The laptop has a NVMe HDD controller set as Non-RAID.  I'm totally stumped.  Any suggestions from the Universe?

[tk_srq · Accepted solution]

@TheBaron1,

Your notebook has an Intel Core 11th gen processor, which requires Intel RST VMD storage controller driver be supplied to the Windows installer so that it can detect the storage drive to install Windows on.

You can follow the steps below for the IRST driver installation:

1. Use a Windows installation usb drive created with Microsoft Media Creation Tool (an ISO file-based installation usb drives tend to cause errors during the IRST driver installation).

2. Download Intel RST driver from the link below. Run it as administrator and follow the on-screen instructions to perform the driver extraction.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp146501-147000/sp146929.exe

3. Go to C:\SWSetup\sp146929. Double click the sp146929 folder and copy the F6 folder to the root directory of a Windows installation usb drive. The F6 folder contains IRST drivers which the installation setup needs to detect the storage drive.

4. Connect the usb drive to the notebook and boot the system from the usb drive. When asked where to install Windows, click on Load Driver -> Browse -> the usb drive in the window that opens -> the F6 folder -> OK.

5. Multiple .inf driver files may be displayed. Select one and click Next.

6. The storage drive will be displayed with partitions if the drive has Windows installed previously. Delete each of all the partitions only to see "unallocated space" and click Next to proceed the installation.

[TheBaron1]

Thanks chief, this sounds promising.  I'll give it a go.