Required CD/DVD driver is missing  

Hi all.

I have been trying to install Windows 7 Professional x86 several times, and always encounter the same problem.

I downloaded Windows 7 via the MSDN Academic Alliance and then copied all files to a recently reformatted 4Gb USB stick.

Then I changed the BIOS settings on my computer to boot from the USB drive, and it boots and then starts. When i press on the Install button however, it says its starting the install but then quickly and the following message appears;

"A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now.

Note: If the Windows installation media is in the CD/DVD drive, you can safely remove it for this step."

The message also allows me to browse for said missing drivers, but i cant find any drivers anywhere.

I would appreciate any help, thanks in advance.

I will assume that you properly prepared the USB flash drive for booting. It is not enough to just copy the DVD contents. Furthermore, I will assume that the DVD drive is empty and the USB device is indeed the only bootable media.

ALSO - unplug all USB devices other than kybd and mouse.

Change BIOS boot order

Enter your system’s BIOS mode. Consult your computer manual or try different keys until you find the right one.

Find the screen or option for changing the boot order.

Update ITE ATA driver
Failing the above, try booting back into Windows Vista or XP. Launch Windows Update and install the driver update before attempting the upgrade.

Switch from SATA to AHCI
In BIOS, turn off SATA, switching to AHCI, and reboot normally, then re-attempt installation of Windows 7.

If you need help installing Windows 7 via USB, here is a guide for you here or here.

I tried to install x64 version from DVD and I had the same problem. Then I tried x86 and it went further, but installation was canceled because of corrupt files.

disk drives disappearing is a semi common problem with some installations of 7, i've noticed it 3 times, boot into bios and make sure that it is still enabled, i've noticed sometimes it's set to disable for some odd reason, i think it probably has to do with a default driver confusion, if that fails turn of your machine, unplug the drive, boot, shut down plug in drive and boot again it should recognize it. also remember even though windows is good about assigning compatible drivers on installation, it's best to find drivers for your specific device on their respected manufacturers websites.

I registered to tell you ppl it could also be an extra partition. I had to delete the Dell rescue partition on a Optiplex 760 in order to circumvent this problem.

I think I figured it out. On my Eee PC 1018p NetBook, I tried doing all the mentioned methods and this is what orked:

Use the USB 2.0 slots instead of the USB 3.0!

It was that simple, I am using the USB key method mentioned everywhere, but a USB CD drive should work as well.

Good Luck!

I have the same issue on my Asus G60Vx and i tried internal drive and now an external Sony DVD drive but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?

I just started my own thread too....required cd/dvd drivers are missing. Thanks