"No signed device drivers were found" is a Windows installation error that appears when the Windows installer cannot detect a storage device — most commonly an NVMe SSD — because it lacks the required storage controller driver.
This is not a hardware failure. It means Windows Setup needs an additional driver to see your disk.
Part 1. Why This Error Occurs
Windows installation media includes a set of generic storage drivers, but these drivers do not always support the latest NVMe controllers, Intel VMD (Volume Management Device) configurations, or RAID setups.
| Scenario | Why Setup Cannot Find Storage |
|---|---|
| New NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 4/5) | Generic Microsoft driver may not support newer controllers |
| Intel VMD enabled in BIOS | Requires Intel VMD driver to see the drive |
| RAID mode in BIOS | Requires RAID/RST driver — AHCI mode works without extra drivers |
| Laptop with proprietary storage | OEM-specific driver required |
| Corrupted USB installation media | Setup files are incomplete — recreate media |
💡 Tip: Before downloading any drivers, try one quick fix: enter your BIOS and change the SATA/storage mode from RAID or Intel VMD to AHCI. Many systems will immediately become visible to Windows Setup without any additional drivers.
This error is extremely common on systems with 12th–14th generation Intel processors, where Intel VMD is often enabled by default in BIOS.
Part 2. How to Load Drivers During Windows Setup (F6 / Load Driver Method)
When Windows Setup shows the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen with an empty disk list, you can manually load a storage driver.
Step 1: Prepare a USB drive with the storage driver.
- For Intel NVMe/VMD: Download Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) drivers from Intel's official site
- For AMD systems with NVMe: Download the AMD SATA/NVMe driver from AMD's support page
- For Samsung NVMe: Drivers are typically included in the generic Microsoft NVMe driver, but check Samsung's support page if needed
Extract the driver to a folder on a separate USB drive (not the Windows installation USB).
Step 2: At the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen, click Load Driver.
Step 3: Insert the USB drive with the driver files and click Browse.
Step 4: Navigate to the extracted driver folder and select it. Windows Setup will scan for compatible drivers.
Step 5: Select the matching driver from the list and click Next.
Your storage device should now appear in the disk list.
| Driver Type | Common File Extension | Where to Find |
|---|---|---|
| Intel RST/VMD | .inf file | Intel download center |
| AMD AHCI/NVMe | .inf file | AMD support page |
| Samsung NVMe | .inf file | Samsung SSD tools page |
| Dell/HP OEM | .inf file | Manufacturer support site |
⚠️ Important: Only download storage drivers from the official manufacturer website (Intel, AMD, Samsung, Dell, HP). Third-party driver sites often bundle malware or provide outdated drivers that can cause system instability.
Part 3. Disable Intel VMD in BIOS as an Alternative
If loading drivers manually seems complex, disabling Intel VMD in BIOS often resolves the issue without any driver installation.
Step 1: Restart and enter BIOS. The key is typically F2, F10, Del, or Esc during startup — the correct key is usually shown on screen briefly.
Step 2: Navigate to Storage or Drive Configuration. Look for settings labeled "Intel VMD," "VMD Controller," or "Intel Volume Management Device."
Step 3: Disable VMD and save settings.
Step 4: Restart and boot from your Windows installation media. Setup should now detect your drive without any additional drivers.
🗣️ r/buildapc user: "Spent hours trying to load Intel VMD drivers from a second USB during Windows 11 setup. Finally just disabled Intel VMD in BIOS and Windows saw the NVMe instantly. Wish I had known that from the start."
💡 Tip: After installing Windows with VMD disabled, you can optionally re-enable VMD in BIOS if you need Intel Optane memory support or advanced RAID features. Windows will prompt you to install the Intel RST driver when you do.
Part 4. Fix Corrupted Windows Installation Media
If driver loading does not resolve the issue and disabling VMD does not help, the Windows installation USB itself may be corrupted.
Recreate the installation media:
- On a working computer, download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft
- Use the tool to create a fresh bootable USB (8 GB minimum)
- Use a different USB drive if possible — some drives have compatibility issues with certain motherboards
Alternatively, use Rufus: Rufus is a free, open-source tool that creates Windows installation USB drives with better compatibility options than the official Media Creation Tool, including GPT/MBR partition scheme selection.
🗣️ r/techsupport user: "I kept getting 'no signed device drivers' no matter what I tried. Turned out my Windows 11 ISO had downloaded incorrectly and was corrupted. Re-downloaded it, recreated the USB with Rufus, and the install worked perfectly. Always check your ISO hash."
Part 5. Recover Data Lost During Windows Reinstall with Ritridata
If you proceeded with a Windows reinstall before resolving the driver issue — and the installation process formatted your drive or deleted your files — Ritridata can help recover data from the affected drive.
Windows reinstallation sometimes overwrites only the system partition, leaving personal files on other partitions recoverable. Even if the drive was partially formatted, many files can often be recovered from unallocated or recently formatted space.
Recovery steps:
- Do not install additional programs on the affected drive
- Download and install Ritridata on a different drive
- Run a deep scan on the drive that was formatted
- Preview and restore recoverable files to a separate location
The sooner you scan after the data loss event, the better the recovery outcome.
FAQ
Q: Does "no signed device drivers were found" mean my SSD is broken? A: No. This error means Windows Setup cannot detect the storage controller — the SSD itself is typically fine. The fix is loading the correct storage driver or changing the SATA mode in BIOS.
Q: Which storage mode should I use — AHCI or RAID? A: For most single-drive configurations, AHCI is the correct and simpler choice. RAID mode (and Intel VMD) is only needed for multi-disk RAID arrays or Intel Optane memory setups. AHCI does not require additional drivers during Windows Setup.
Q: Can I install Windows 11 on an NVMe drive without loading extra drivers? A: Usually yes — Windows 11 includes drivers for most NVMe controllers. The exception is Intel VMD-enabled systems (common on 12th gen+ Intel laptops and some desktops). On those systems, you either need to load the Intel VMD driver or disable VMD in BIOS.
Q: Where do I find the correct Intel RST driver for my system? A: Visit Intel's Download Center and filter by your processor generation. Alternatively, go to your laptop or motherboard manufacturer's support page and download the Intel RST driver listed there for your specific model.
Q: Can I use the same USB for both Windows installation media and drivers? A: Yes, but it can get complicated. It is easier to use two separate USB drives — one for the Windows ISO and one for the driver files — to avoid any confusion during the load driver step.