Windows Installer not recognizing USB drives

Hello,

I posted a topic a few days ago about trying to install Windows 7 Ultimate on my friend's computer, and I kept getting the message that a required CD/DVD Drive device driver was missing, and to load up the media/driver for it. I've tried every troubleshooting method I could find on the internet. Then I saw a youtube video showing the steps to get the driver and load them up, and what drivers exactly that I needed.

I thought finally this will be my solution. I found the drivers, downloaded them and loaded them up on another USB hard disk that I'll insert along with the Windows 7 installer, booted from another USB hard disk. I go through the installer, get the error and go to browse and it's not showing the USB flash stick with the drivers. I don't know how to call it up, it won't even show the bootable USB stick I'm using to run the installer. All it shows is Local Disk C, CD Drive D and Boot X.

Before this, I saw a method of placing the drivers inside the hard drive using a program called ubuntu or something, and I'm trying to search for the instructions but can't find them. By placing the drivers inside the hard drive/system, then when I get the error, and go to browse, I can go to the drivers after placing them there and use them to install windows. Can someone help me on how to proceed, either with getting the computer to recognize the USB ports or by somehow inserting the drivers into the hard drive so I can select them when I go to browse for them? Thanks.

It's an HP Pavilion computer, model number is simply HP Pavilion Notebook 17 PC. I know it's vague and HP sucks as it is, but it's all I got. Let me know if you need any other info. It has the UEFI and Legacy systems too.

Hello,

I apologize if I wasn't clear, I know I said USB hard disk and flash stick, they're the same thing in this context, or interchangeable if you will. And yes, I'm booting from a USB stick, I do not have access to a CD or DVD to use to install Windows. I have the installation ISO file, activation key and whatnot, but problem is installing Windows at all. Like I said, I was able to download the drivers I need after seeing the youtube video and following the video to where you browse for the files on a USB stick, nothing comes up except those 3 sources.

This computer is also UEFI/Legacy combo and when I load up the BIOS boot order for both, they're both set to boot from the USB at startup. Am I only to run the Legacy, and how would I do that? I can list the whole order in which I'm trying to run set-up upon request, but both UEFI and Legacy have the USB run first. And based on the ordered list, UEFI runs first, then Legacy. Also thought about calling tech support, which the website says 24/7 support, yet they're currently unavailable at my hour from where I am. I appreciate your help, I'll see if anyone else can provide more info.

The prompt for drivers always means a bad installer. Download another ISO and write to stick using only Option One in UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows.

Then boot the flash stick as a UEFI device from the HP ESC key Boot Menu, with the BIOS preset in BIOS setup to boot hard drive first.

If this fails then post back camera snaps of BIOS settings related to UEFI, CSM, Legacy Boot, BIOS Boot priority. Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums - Windows 7 Forums

I appreciate all the help. Going through some of the troubleshooting pages here on this forum I also saw that this error is most likely due to a bad ISO/installer, but the one I downloaded is one I used before and it worked, and I've used multiple software to put the ISO on a flash stick to be bootable from startup. I'm going to try this wintobootic and see what happens. But, one thing that's happening that I can't figure out is why when I click on browse does none of my flash sticks show up? I almost feel like the computer has no drivers installed at all. But hopefully this will work, and if it doesn't, and I'm not getting my hopes up either, then I'll take a few quick shots of my BIOS and post them here, which I'll do later tonight.

Why no reply to UEFI BIOS questions which everything else depends upon? I could not have been more clear about what's required.

AddRam, when I plug in my USB in the computer I'm trying to install Windows on, it doesn't show up when I try to browse to the flash drive because it has the drivers the system is looking for. I used the program to put a bootable Windows installer on a USB stick and it still shows the error.

At this point I want to install Windows, even if it's a trial period, and all that seems available freely without an activation key is Enterprise, and I'll take it. Would have preferred Ultimate, but maybe after getting something installed, I can go back and re-install Ultimate. And I'm sorry I didn't respond to you earlier gregrocker, I tried the UEFI USB installer and it wouldn't let any of my Windows ISOs be burned to the USB for a bootable Windows flash stick installer, at least not with the page's instructions, it wouldn't let me use the GPT to install, only MBR. So I'm hoping this Windows 7 Enterprise ISO will allow me to use this UEFI USB installer program to create a bootable UEFI USB installer for Windows 7, and I'll follow the instructions as best as I can for setup, I'll have the hard drive boot first, then the USB for the installer, hopefully. However, I'm also being told to enable CSM and disable Secure Boot. I can disable secure boot, but there isn't an option anywhere in BIOS to enable CSM, I'll double check, but I don't recall there being anything of the sort when going through the screens and options. But first, let's see if this ISO will work with the UEFI installer, and we'll go from there. Thanks for your help, hopefully this will get me somewhere.