If you are having a Windows PC with Intel 11th Generation processor (Intel Tiger Lake) and fail to install Windows 11/10 on it, this guide is for you. Many are experiencing No drives were found error during Windows 11/10 installation. The solution we gave applies to HP, Asus, Dell, and other PCs too.
Windows 11/10 Media Creation Tool does not provide supported drivers for computers with Intel Tiger Lake configurations. If you use a USB drive to install Windows, the process stops before choosing a hard drive for Windows Installation.
No drives were found during Windows 11/10 Installation
If you see No drives were found during Windows 11 or Windows 10 installation on Intel 11th Generation processors, follow the below steps to get rid of the issue and install Windows 11/10 easily. If your PC is not accessible, you need to use another PC for this process.
Intel Volume Management Device technology optimizes storage processes and power consumption on Intel 11th-generation processors. To get rid of the error, you need to load Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) along with Windows 11 or Windows 10. As confirmed by Dell, it is not a hardware defect but a normal error.
- Create the Windows 11/10 bootable Installation Media on a USB drive
- Download and extract Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers to the same USB drive
- Install Windows 11/10 using Windows Installation Media USB drive
Let’s get into the process to create Windows Installation Media.
1] Create the Windows 11/10 bootable Installation Media on a USB drive
To create the Windows bootable installation media on a USB drive,
- Download the Media Creation Tool from the Microsoft website
- Open it and click on the Accept button
- Select Language and click Next
- Then, check the USB flash drive radio button and click Next
- Plugin your pen drive, select it and click Next
- Wait for the process to complete. You will see Your USB flash drive is ready once the process is completed.
2] Download and extract Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers to the same USB drive
After creating Windows 11/10 bootable installation media, you need to download Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers from your PC manufacturer’s official website according to your device make.
After downloading the IRST driver, extract it onto the PC or directly into the USB drive where your Windows 11/10 are ready for installation.
You need to make sure that you have the Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver and Windows 11 installation media on the same USB drive.
3] Install Windows 11/10 using Windows Installation Media USB drive
Now, start installing Windows 11/10 using the USB drive and proceed until you see No drives were found error. Then, click on Load driver
Then, browse and select the driver on the USB drive. Then, you will see two drivers on the list. Select any one of them and proceed with the installation.
Finally, select the drive where you want to install Windows 11/10 and complete the installation.
This is how you can fix the No drives were found error while installing windows.
Related read: We couldn’t find any drives while installing Windows.
How do you fix the problem that Cannot find drives when installing Windows 11?
This error usually occurs on computers with Intel 11th Generation processors (Intel Tiger Lake). You can fix it by adding extracted Intel Rapid Storage Technology folder to the USB flash drive where the Windows Installation media is located. Then, load the IRST driver when you see the error.
What is the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver?
The Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver enables the service that monitors your PC’s storage management and improves its performance. It also lowers your PC’s power consumption.
