"A required CD/DVD device driver is missing" Windows 7 USB Installation

[Sotos]

Hello guys,

I keep getting the following message when installing windows 7 64bit from a USB:

"A required CD/DVD device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVDm or USB flash drive, please insert it now. Note. If the windows installation media is in the drive, you can safely remove it for this step."

I recently upgraded my PC with a SSD and installed windows with no problems at all. That was at the weekend. Yesterday I built a new system (based on advice from MMO Forums- Thanks Guys!) and I cannot install windows at all. I will list what I have tried so far as well as the specs:

i5-760 (4x 2800 MHz, FC-LGA4, "Lynnfield")
GA-P55-USB3 (Intel® P55, Sound, G-LAN, SATA2-RAID, USB 3.0)
GTX460 OC (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460, mini-HDMI, 2x DVI)
Corsair 4 GB DDR3-1333 (4096 MB, TW3X4G1333C9A, XMS3)
Western Digital WD3200AAKS (320,0 GB, Caviar SE16, MAESTRO)
Corsair CMPSU-650TX (650 vatios, Negro)

As you can see I do not even have a DVD/CD drive as I dont really need once in this digital age! However I did install an IDE one just to see if it fixed it but no luck.
I tried to download the SATA drivers from the Gigabyte website here:

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=3440#dl

I used the GIGABYTE SATA2 Driver and put them on a separate USB stick. Windows lets me navigate to this but give me another error saying drivers not found.
I have tried nearly all the SATA sockets on the mobo.
Ive changed the BIOS settings to IDE and Large manually in case as well.

Nothing I do seems to get me past the installation screen that was such a breeze a few days earlier.

One odd thing I noticed was that if I hit CTRL + F10 to bring up the command menu. The default prompt screen comes un with the X:/ drive instead on the normal C:/ drive. The X is the letter allocated to the USB stick the windows installation is running from. Also before playing around in the BIOS this disc was listed as Master and the SATA HD was listed as slave. I thought that the whole master/slave thing was obsolete with SATA but managed to get the BIOS to read the SATA as Master.

Sorry for being a wall of text but I thought the more information I give the less guesswork you have

Thanks again guys

**Edit: should I try this driver from the Gigabyte site? "GIGABYTE SATA2 Preinstall driver (For AHCI / RAID Mode)"

[Deleted]

It seems as if currently your BIOS is set to run in IDE mode. You should be running it in AHCI.

I would also suggest that you re-create the USB drive. Something may have happened to it.

Anyway - to eliminate odd behaviors:
1) Make sure you are using the motherboards native SATA ports. (e.g. not any SATA 6 ones)
2) As you are using an Intel socket, use these pre-install drivers:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Deta...+RST)&lang=eng

(I recommend always installing these on Intel motherboards)

[vesseblah]

You have the HDD's set into AHCI or RAID mode from BIOS? Probably need a special driver to install Windows in RAID mode.

[Kyocere]

You have the HDD's set into AHCI or RAID mode from BIOS? Probably need a special driver to install Windows in RAID mode.

You shouldn't need separate drivers for the newer motherboards for RAID. At least I haven't for the 4 boards I have done a RAID 0 in in the past few months. Windows 7 works very well with onboard raid controllers. You still obviously have to create the array first for Windows to see it before the installation.

[Deleted]

You shouldn't need separate drivers for the newer motherboards for RAID.

The AHCI drivers aren't a requirement - but there can be performance and responsiveness benefits to gain from it, especially on older editions of Windows like XP as it lacks support for features like NCQ. I still remain doubtful however of how well the W7 implementation of NCQ works.

[Sotos]

ou have the HDD's set into AHCI or RAID mode from BIOS? Probably need a special driver to install Windows in RAID mode.

I don't actually want to install in RAID mode. In fact I am loath to admit I don't know how yet. A bog standard install is all I want sorry if my explanation was misleading. Been spewing way to much computer jargon recently and not fully understanding all of it.

It seems as if currently your BIOS is set to run in IDE mode. You should be running it in AHCI.

I would also suggest that you re-create the USB drive. Something may have happened to it.

Pretty sure it is in IDE mode although I have to be home to make sure. Ill do that first thing.

Recreatign the bootable USB is also top on my list after going over it all day in my head. When I installed the previous version of windows it asked to load updates from the net and that took about 10 min. I could also select any language pack. When trying the new install yesterday it did not ask for any updates nor could change the language!

Thanks for the quick help and Ill let you guys know later how I fared...

OT: Anyone notice how nice it is to read the PC problem forums with complete sentences and correct punctuation. Being a regular reader of the PVP and Raid (wow not HDD) forums it really makes a change from the usual.

[vesseblah]

I don't actually want to install in RAID mode. In fact I am loath to admit I don't know how yet. A bog standard install is all I want sorry if my explanation was misleading. Been spewing way to much computer jargon recently and not fully understanding all of it.

No I meant there is a setting in BIOS for each SATA drive for ACHI/RAID/IDE mode, or something similar to that. It needs to be AHCI or installation on some motherboards will require extra drivers.

[Sotos]

Thanks Vesse, Ill try that once I get my PC up and running! I just messed up my windows 7 bootup by turning it on with the USB W7 ISO plugged in!

---------- Post added 2011-01-26 at 09:50 PM ----------

Ok so far nothing worked, but I seem to be getting closer.

2) As you are using an Intel socket, use these pre-install drivers:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Deta...+RST)&lang=eng

I set the HDD to AHCI and still nothing, I then downloaded the above drivers and windows pulls up "Intel R 5 Series/3400 SATA AHCI Controller" I click on next and it seems to go forward but then the same error message returns.

If I click on "Hide Drivers that are not compatible" I get a huge list of drivers and I have not idea if any of these may work...

I´ve never given up before but really not sure what I can do next....

---------- Post added 2011-01-26 at 10:11 PM ----------

Update: Just tried an install from a DVD and it seems to be working! Will let you know in a bit :=)

---------- Post added 2011-01-26 at 10:28 PM ----------

It worked. Odd that the USB worked on my system!

Anyway thanks for all the help and sorry for starting a wild goose chase without having tried a standard DVD install.