I've recently switched to Linux because I was planning to reinstall Windows anyway, but I'm struggling with the process. I initially thought about dual booting, but after several hours of trying to burn a Windows installation USB, I hit a roadblock. I keep getting an error saying I need specific drivers to complete the installation, but the manufacturer's site only provides those drivers in .exe format, which won't work for the Windows installer. My current setup is Debian 13 on a Legion Pro 5 16IAH7 laptop. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone with a Windows PC to help me use tools like Rufus. Any advice on how to get Windows 11 installed?
2 Answers
You could try a couple of things to get those drivers needed for Windows installation. First, consider downloading the Intel RST Driver directly from Intel's site, which allows you to extract the drivers. Use Wine to run the installer with specific commands to get those drivers out onto your installation USB. Alternatively, if you have a Windows ISO, try setting up a Windows virtual machine like VirtualBox. You can install Windows in the VM and extract the drivers there, then copy them to your USB.
I’d suggest first trying to boot from the Windows install USB and setting up Windows. You might want to wipe the entire drive during the installation. After getting Windows set up, you can boot from a Linux USB and choose to install alongside Windows if dual booting is what you're after. But be cautious since you’ll need to make sure the Windows installer can see your drives, which sounds like it’s a driver issue right now.
Yeah, but the issue is that the Windows installer often can't see the drives because it needs those drivers. Installing Windows might not even be an option if it can't detect the hardware.