I replaced Windows with Linux on a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 14IMH9 and now want to reinstall Windows 11 before giving the laptop to my younger brother for school. I downloaded the Windows 11 ISO and used Fedora Media Writer to create a bootable 32 GB USB drive. The laptop boots from the USB, but Windows Setup stops with the message: "A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB, or Hard Disk driver."
I also tried Ventoy, different USB ports, and several BIOS settings, but the same message appears every time. The storage controller is already set to AHCI, and there is no other option available. I have seen the same problem when creating Windows installation media on Linux for another laptop; creating the USB from a Windows computer worked immediately. I do not need to preserve anything on the laptop because my data is backed up. Is there a reliable way to create or boot the installer from Linux, or does this laptop need a storage driver?
2 Answers
Ventoy can work, but some firmware has trouble with certain Windows ISO boot methods. Try creating the installer with Etcher or WoeUSB-ng and, if possible, test a different flash drive. If the installer still reaches the driver prompt, the likely issue is an Intel RST/VMD storage driver rather than the USB itself. The driver can be loaded from a second USB drive during setup, or VMD can be disabled in the firmware when that option is available.
That message often means Windows Setup cannot access the storage controller, rather than that a basic USB driver is missing. On some newer Intel laptops, the controller uses Intel RST or VMD, and Setup needs the matching storage driver loaded before it can see the disk. Check the firmware settings for VMD, Intel RST, or RAID and disable it if the option exists, leaving the controller in AHCI mode. If there is no such setting, download the storage driver for this exact Lenovo model, extract it to another USB drive, and use “Load driver” in Windows Setup. Also verify that the ISO downloaded correctly and try writing it with a Linux tool intended for Windows installers, such as WoeUSB-ng, rather than only using a raw ISO writer.
AHCI is already selected, and the firmware does not offer another storage-controller mode. I will check whether this model has a separate VMD or Intel storage driver available.
I have already tried Ventoy and several USB ports, so I suspect the storage driver or the way the ISO was written. I will try WoeUSB-ng and look for the Lenovo-provided storage driver.