Can't install Windows 10 on SSD

Question

I have a Dell Inspiron 5402 laptop. Originally it came with Ubuntu (which works fine), but I'm not used to this OS, and decided to remove it and install Windows 10 instead, but I haven't had any success with it in the last few days.

I made a bootable USB with Rufus, and tried to do a clean install. The problem is that the SSD (which is the only hard drive in this laptop) is not shown in the list of drivers during the Windows installation procedure. It can be seen in BIOS, but the diskpart apllication doesn't see it either.

I read on different forums that I have to install the IRST driver first (since the laptop has a 11th generation Intel processor).

Therefore I dowloaded this driver from Dell's webpage (https://www.dell.com/support/home/hu-hu/product-support/product/inspiron-14-5402-laptop/drivers, the one that should be compatible with my laptop), extracted the files with 7zip and copied them to a pendrive, then tried to choose this folder during the Windows installation procedure to include the driver.

The problem is that none of these files are recognized as compatible by Windows Installer. (There is a checkbox to show only compatible files, and when it is marked, none of the files can be seen). I also tried to download the driver from Intel's webpage, those files didn't work either.

What can I do to get the SSD recognized by Windows Installer? Any help would be appreciated.

a273 · Accepted Answer

Thank you for the answer.

In the end, I decided to ask for help from a computer service, and fortunately, the solution was easier. They updated the BIOS, and after that the installation procedure could be finished.

ejn63 · Answer

Reset the system setup from RAID to AHCI -- or, make sure you're using the latest Windows 10 install media AND that you pause the install to slip in the RAID driver.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28992/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-User-Interface-and-Driver

You would also be better off making your boot media with the Microsoft Media creation tool:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

a273 · Answer

Thank you for your answer.

The selected boot mode was AHCI, I did not modify those settings.

I created a new bootable pendrive with Microsoft Media creation tool, but the exact same problem occurred when I tried to install Windows.

ejn63 · Answer

Bear in mind you will need to completely repartition the drive before Windows can see it as useable ... did you clear the existing disc structure during the install?

ejn63 · Answer

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-remove-linux-and-install-windows-on-your-computer-f489c550-f8ec-b458-0a64-c3a8d60d3497

a273 · Answer

I tried to clear it using the diskpart application from command line, but it didn't recognize the SSD either.

Inspiron

Can't install Windows 10 on SSD

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