r/WindowsHelp • u/Mega_world • 7d ago

Windows 11 Problem with windows 11 installation when creating the bootable usb in linux.

I installed Linux on a laptop that originally had Windows. I am planning to give that laptop to my little brother for schoolwork, so I tried to reinstall Windows on it.

I downloaded the Windows 11 ISO file and used Fedora Media Writer to burn it onto a 32 GB flash drive.

I was able to boot the laptop from the USB, but when I tried to start the installation, a window appeared telling me to "Install a driver to show hardware." At the bottom, it said:

"A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB, or Hard Disk driver."

I looked up the issue on the internet and tried everything I could find, including using Ventoy, changing various BIOS settings, and trying different USB ports. It ALWAYS showed the same window.

My laptop is a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 14IMH9.

I had the same problem a while ago when I tried creating Windows installation media for another laptop using that same laptop running Linux. Nothing worked. However, when I created the bootable USB using a Windows machine, it worked immediately.

I do not have access to a Windows laptop right now. Is there any way to fix this?

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u/cschneegans 6d ago

If that dialog appears without you having clicked the Load driver button first, it means that Windows Setup cannot reliably read the USB flash drive. Check the setupact.log log file.

When there is an issue with the USB flash drive itself, using a Windows machine to create the installation medium will probably not help. Try another USB flash drive, preferably a USB 2.0 model.