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How To Do A Clean Install Of Windows 10 / New Inspiron 14 7000 (7400)
Hello All,
I officially give up. I have Googled this question for 24 hours and have watched enough videos on YouTube. I´m done. My brain can´t take any more.
Can someone please tell me what the magical mysterious hidden secret is for doing a clean install of Windows 10 on a New Dell Inspiron 14 7000 (7400)?
I just bought the laptop 3 months ago. There is nothing wrong with it, or with my NVMe drive. I´m simply wanting to do a clean install of Windows 10.
I can create the installation USB on Microsoft´s website with no problem. Then, I go into my BIOS --> Boot Configuration --> Boot Sequence and make the USB appear first. Apply changes. Exit. Laptop restarts, Windows installation begins...... When I get to the point where the installer asks me "Where do you want to install Windows?", there are no options. No hard drive is showing. not even my already installed, already formatted, fully working M.2 NVMe.
At this point, I can exit the installation, turn off my laptop, remove my USB, turn on my laptop, my pre-installed Windows 10 from Dell boots up, and 20 seconds later, I am in my Windows 10 desktop, NVMe works all fine and happy, no issues.
What am I doing wrong that my internal NVMe drive does not show up as an optional place to install Windows 10 when I run the Microsoft-webpage-created Windows 10 installation media USB?
All I want to do is do a clean install of Windows 10, using the media creation tool downloaded and run from Microsoft´s website. I have made the USB, it works on five (5) of my non-Dell computers. Installation there is no problem. Internal SSD shows up and install goes as normal.
What is the magical step that a Dell laptop requires me to do that I obviously don´t know about?
Thank you all so much in advance for your help. My mind is super tired.
Tiny Tech
ejn63
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May 8th, 2021 07:00
You will need a flash drive with the Intel RST drivers on it:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/55005/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-
Pause the install with F6 when indicated and load the IRST driver.
Alternatively, go into Setup (F2 at powerup) and change the drive controller from RAID mode to AHCI or RAID OFF. In that mode you won't need a driver to load the OS.
Tiny_Tech
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May 8th, 2021 08:00
ejn63 - thank you!
I went into BIOS - Storage and found the 3 options: [RAID On], [AHCI/NMVe], and [Disabled].
Exactly as you stated: RAID On - Windows RST (Intel Rapid Storage Technology) driver or Linux kernel VMD driver must be loaded in order to boot the OS. I never would have found this on my own.
to recap my findings:
Choosing [Disabled] = All integrated storage devices are disabled, so running the Windows installation media, again, won´t give me any options when it asks me where I want to install Windows.
So....[AHCI/NVMe] is the choice to make if one wants to do a clean install of Windows 10, without enabling RAID / without having the Windows RST driver.
Ok. You answered my question (again, thank you!), which led to a second question:
What if I do want to do a clean install of Windows 10, and I do want RAID On (enabled)? From the link that you provided above, which is the correct RST driver for me to chose? I´m not at all sure from the seven (7) options I see on that page.
Thanks again for all of your very valuable help!
Tiny Tech