How to Resolve "No Hard Drive Found" Issue When Installing Windows on Dell systems

When installing Windows on a Dell Inspiron system, the installer may fail to detect any hard drives. This issue often occurs due to incorrect BIOS settings, missing storage drivers, or mismatched partition schemes. The steps below outline how to resolve this problem.

Common Causes

• SATA Operation set to RAID by default, requiring Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) or VMD drivers.
• Partition scheme mismatch between USB installer and system boot mode (UEFI vs Legacy).
• BitLocker enabled, preventing BIOS changes.
• Missing or outdated IRST/VMD drivers for systems with Intel 11th Gen or newer processors.

Quick Fix Summary

• Switch SATA Operation from RAID to AHCI in BIOS.
• Ensure USB installation media matches the system’s boot mode (UEFI/GPT or Legacy/MBR).
• Load Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) drivers during Windows setup if required.

Error Indicators

• Windows Setup displays:
  “No drives were found. Click Load Driver to provide a mass storage driver for installation.”
• Hard drive is visible in BIOS but not in Windows installation screen.

Possible Causes

• BIOS set to RAID mode without appropriate drivers.
• USB installer created with incorrect partition scheme (GPT vs MBR).
• Missing Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver.
• BitLocker encryption preventing changes.

Resolution Steps

1. Check BIOS Settings

• Restart the system and press F2 to enter BIOS.
• Navigate to System Configuration → SATA Operation.
• Change setting from RAID to AHCI.
• Save changes and exit BIOS.

Tip: Use the BIOS search bar (top-right corner) and type “AHCI” to locate the setting quickly.

1. Verify USB Installer Compatibility

• Use Rufus or similar tool to create a bootable USB.
• For UEFI systems, select GPT partition scheme.
• For Legacy BIOS systems, select MBR partition scheme.

1. Load IRST Driver (If needed)

• Download the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver from Dell Support.
• Extract the driver files to a USB drive.
• During Windows installation, click Load Driver and browse to the extracted files.

1. Disable BitLocker (If Applicable)

• If BitLocker is enabled, turn it off before making BIOS changes:
• Go to Control Panel → BitLocker Drive Encryption → Turn off BitLocker.

1. Contact Dell Support

If still failing, contact Dell Technical Support. For systems under warranty, contact Technical Support.

Additional Notes

• For Intel 11th Gen or newer CPUs using VMD technology, IRST drivers are mandatory if RAID is enabled.
• Dell OS Recovery Tool or SupportAssist OS Recovery includes required drivers automatically.

References

• Original Discussion: No hard drive is showing up to install Windows

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