can't install windows 7 "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. Please insert the installation media...etc..."

jabiwoki

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Sep 24, 2015
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I built my own gaming computer recently and had a pre-activated copy of windows 7 running which i upgraded to windows 10 from, I then bought a new ssd (Intel 120gb 535 series) and tried to use the intel data migration tool to swap over my boot drive to the new ssd, it kind of worked but the screen was flickering badly, wouldnt load anything and it was just shitty, so i formatted the SSD and am now trying to instal a fresh install of windows 7 on it from a usb drive ( i know the usb drive works because i have done it on other computers with no problem) but when I try install on the ssd it comes up with "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. Please insert the installation media...etc..." i have been trying to fix it for the last week and have tried everything. please help
 

Ozjish

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Oct 24, 2015
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Do you have your motherboard DVD/CD?

I ran into the same problem today while trying to install Windows 7 on my new PC with an Asus H170 Pro Gaming mainboard and a SanDisk Extreme Pro sdd. Generally, if you install Windows 7 on new hardware technology, in my case a SATA-600 enabled motherboard, you are probably going to have to provide drivers to Windows setup. In your case, it either needs drivers for the SATA controller on your mainboard, or the SSD itself (though that is not very likely).

The proper drivers come on the mainboard CD/DVD but can be hard to find; in my case the SATA controller driver I needed was NOT the one that Windows 7 found in the directory I pointed it to. It gave me an error that it could not be installed. However, you can untick the "Hide incompatible drivers"-checkbox. Pick the proper driver (look up which one it is in the manual, or via the internet) and install it. That's what worked for me today.
 

andrewjhermiz

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Jan 31, 2016
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Figured this one out today. I had an iso file for my Win7 install that wouldn't work on a Skylake board (it has to do with the new USB interface or something, over my head).

I used this software: http://www.asrock.com/microsite/Win7Install/
to patch the new drivers into the iso (it created a new iso). Then I used Rufus (https://rufus.akeo.ie) to create a new thumb drive with the updated iso.

Works like a charm. I've been scratching my head over this for days but this is the one solution that worked.