“Drivers could not be found” when installing Windows 10 from a USB flash drive on an Acer laptop: a complete troubleshooting guide

Are you trying to install Windows 10 from a bootable USB flash drive to a laptop Acer (be it Aspire 5, Swift 3 or Nitro 5), but at the disk selection stage the system gives an error: “We were unable to find media drivers. Click the "Browse" button to download them"? This problem is familiar to many users, and its causes do not always lie in the lack of drivers - BIOS settings, an incorrect Windows image, or hard drive features are often to blame. In this article we will analyze all possible scenarios and give step by step instructions, which will help you complete the installation without errors.

Error with drivers when installing Windows 10 on Acer may appear on new laptops (due to lack of support NVMe in the standard installation image) and on older ones (due to outdated BIOS or incompatibility with UEFI). In 80% of cases, the problem is solved without downloading additional drivers - just change a few parameters in the BIOS or properly prepare the installation flash drive. But if you have already tried the standard methods and nothing worked, below you will find alternative solutions, including manual driver integration and bypassing restrictions via the command line.

Why doesn't Windows 10 see drivers when installed on Acer?

Before moving on to the solution, it is important to understand root of the problem. The "drivers could not be found" error occurs not because there are no drivers for the keyboard or USB ports (as many people think), but because the Windows installer cannot recognize storage device, on which the system should be installed. Here are the main reasons:

• 🔹 SATA/NVMe mode in BIOS: On laptops Acer often enabled by default RAID or Optane, which is not supported by the standard Windows 10 installation image.
• 🔹 Lack of NVMe drivers: If the laptop has an SSD with an interface NVMe (for example, in Acer Swift 3 or Nitro 5), the standard installer will not see it without additional drivers.
• 🔹 Wrong boot type (UEFI vs Legacy): The flash drive is recorded in Legacy, and the BIOS is set to UEFI, or vice versa.
• 🔹 Damaged Windows image: The bootable flash drive was created with errors or an unofficial image was downloaded (for example, from torrent trackers).
• 🔹 Disabled Secure Boot or TPM: On some models Acer (For example, Aspire 7) These parameters affect the visibility of drives.

It's interesting that on laptops Acer with hybrid drives (for example, Intel Optane + HDD) the problem occurs most often. This is due to the fact that technology Optane requires special drivers that are not included in the standard Windows 10 distribution. If your laptop is equipped with such a drive, the solution will differ from conventional SSD/HDD.

First thing to check: BIOS settings

In 60% of cases, there is an error with drivers when installing Windows 10 on Acer is being decided changing BIOS settings. The main thing is to know what parameters affect the visibility of drives. Below is a list of key options to check.

To enter BIOS on a laptop Acer, when loading, click F2 or Del (on some models - F1 or Esc). If the key doesn't work, try disable fast boot in Windows (if the system is still running) or reset the BIOS by removing the battery for 10 seconds.

BIOS setting	Recommended value	For which Acer models is it relevant?
SATA Mode Selection	AHCI (not RAID or Optane)	All models with SSD/HDD (Aspire, Swift, Nitro)
Secure Boot	Disabled (disabled)	All models except Predator (may need to be enabled there)
Fast Boot	Disabled (disabled)	All models (interferes with booting from a flash drive)
TPM Security	Enabled (included)	Acer with Windows 11 or new BIOS firmware
USB Configuration → Legacy USB Support	Enabled (included)	Old models (Aspire E15, V3-572G, etc.)

After changing settings be sure to save them (key F10) and reboot your laptop. If after this the installation of Windows 10 went further, the problem was in the BIOS. If not, continue to the next step.

⚠️ Attention: On laptops Acer Predator (For example, Helios 300 or Triton 500) shutdown Secure Boot may result in download blocking. If the laptop does not start after changing the BIOS, reset the settings to factory settings by holding F9 when turned on.

How to properly burn a bootable USB flash drive for Acer

If the BIOS settings do not help, the problem may be incorrectly created installation flash drive. Many users burn a Windows 10 image using Rufus or UltraISO, but select the wrong parameters, which is why the installer does not see the drive drivers. Here optimal settings for laptops Acer:

If you are using Rufus, be sure to select:

• 🔸 Partition scheme: GPT (for UEFI)
• 🔸 Target system: UEFI (non-CSM)
• 🔸 File system: FAT32 (not NTFS!)
• 🔸 Cluster size: 4096 bytes (default)

If the flash drive is written in mode Legacy (MBR) and the BIOS is set to UEFI, the Windows 10 installer will not see the drives. Also note Rufus version - in older versions (before 3.11) there were bugs with support NVMe-disks.

An alternative way to write a flash drive is through command line (without third party programs):

diskpart
list disk
select disk X (где X — номер вашей флешки)
clean
create partition primary
format fs=fat32 quick
active
assign
exit

After that, mount the Windows 10 ISO image and copy all the files to the USB flash drive.

⚠️ Attention: If you have a laptop Acer with Intel Optane (For example, Aspire A515-54), a standard USB flash drive with Windows 10 will not see the drive. In this case you need either disable Optane in BIOS (switch to mode AHCI), or integrate the driver Intel RST into the installation image.

Manually adding NVMe/RAID drivers during installation

If the previous methods didn't work, it's likely your laptop Acer equipped NVMe drive or works in mode RAID, which requires additional drivers. In this case you will have to manually download the driver during Windows 10 installation.

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. When the "drivers could not be found" error appears, click "Overview".
2. Connect a second flash drive (or download the driver in advance to the installation flash drive in the folder Drivers).
3. Select the folder with the driver (usually a file with the extension .inf).
4. Click "Next" - after this the installer should see the disk.

Where can I get the driver?

• 📁 For NVMe drives: Download Standard NVM Express Controller from the Microsoft website (Update catalog) or use a driver from the drive manufacturer (for example, Samsung 970 EVO).
• 📁 For RAID/Optane: Download Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) with Intel website (select the version for your processor model).
• 📁 For older Acer models: Driver SATA AHCI can be found on the official website Acer in the support section for your model.

If you don't know which driver you need, use universal package:

List of universal drivers for Acer

1. **Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology)** - for RAID/Optane systems (download from Intel website).

2. **Standard NVM Express Controller** - for NVMe drives (included in Windows 10, but may require manual installation).

3. **AMD RAID Driver** - if you have an AMD Ryzen processor (download from the AMD website).

4. **Acer AHCI Driver** - for older models (search by exact laptop model on the support site).

After downloading the driver, the installation should proceed further. If not, check if you selected the correct file .inf (sometimes there are several of them in the archive, and the one you need has a type name iaAHCI.inf or nvme.inf).

Alternative ways to install Windows 10 on Acer

If none of the previous methods worked, there are still radical solutions. They take more time, but are guaranteed to help bypass driver errors.

Method 1: Installation via command line

If the installer does not see the disk, but you are sure that it is working, you can try break it manually through DiskPart:

1. On the error screen, tap Shift + F10to open the command prompt.
2. Enter the commands:

   diskpart
   list disk
   select disk 0 (или другой номер, если диск не 0)
   clean
   create partition primary
   format fs=ntfs quick
   assign
   exit

3. Close Command Prompt and refresh the list of drives in the installer.

Method 2: Integrating drivers into the Windows image

If manually downloading drivers does not help, you can add them directly to the ISO image using the program Dism++ or NTLite. To do this:

1. Download the required driver (for example, Intel RST).
2. Open the Windows 10 image in NTLite.
3. Go to section "Drivers" and add the downloaded file .inf.
4. Save the new ISO image and burn it to a USB flash drive.

Method 3: Install Windows in Legacy Mode

If your laptop Acer supports Legacy (CSM), you can try installing Windows 10 in this mode:

1. Enter BIOS and enable CSM (Compatibility Support Module).
2. Switch Boot Mode with UEFI on Legacy.
3. Rewrite the flash drive in MBR (in Rufus select partition scheme MBR).
4. Try installing Windows again.

⚠️ Attention: Installing Windows 10 in Legacy on laptops Acer with UEFI may cause problems with the bootloader in the future. This method is only recommended for older models (pre-2017).

Common user mistakes and how to avoid them

Many users admit typical mistakesthat make it difficult to install Windows 10 on Acer. That's what can't doif you want to avoid driver problems:

• ❌ Use unofficial Windows builds - they often contain modified drivers that conflict with the hardware Acer.
• ❌ Disable Secure Boot on new models - this may block downloads (especially on Predator And Nitro).
• ❌ Install Windows 10 on a GPT disk in Legacy mode - this will lead to the error “Windows cannot be installed on this disk.”
• ❌ Ignore BIOS updates - on many laptops Acer older BIOS versions do not support NVMe.

Another common mistake is wrong driver selection when loading manually. For example, users download a driver for Wi-Fi or sound card, instead of the driver for SATA/NVMe-controller. Remember: the required driver always has the words AHCI, RAID, NVMe or Storage.

Updating the BIOS is a last resort

If all the previous methods did not help, it remains update BIOS. On many laptops Acer (especially 2018-2023 models) older BIOS versions do not support NVMe-disks or have bugs with Optane. Updating the firmware may solve the problem.

How to update BIOS on Acer:

1. Go to Acer official website to the support section.
2. Enter the exact laptop model (for example, Aspire A515-56G).
3. Download the latest BIOS version (usually a file with the extension .fd or .exe).
4. Follow the instructions:
   • 🔹 If the file .exe - run it from Windows.
   • 🔹 If the file .fd - copy it to the USB flash drive, enter the BIOS and select EZ Flash (or similar item).

After updating BIOS reset settings to factory settings (optional Load Default Settings) and try installing Windows 10 again.

⚠️ Attention: Updating the BIOS is a risky operation. If the power goes out or crashes during the process, the laptop may be damaged. Don't update BIOS over Wi-Fi - only via cable or with a charged battery.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about installing Windows 10 on Acer

❓ Why doesn’t Windows 10 see the SSD on an Acer laptop, although it is displayed in the BIOS?

This is a typical problem for NVMe-disks. The standard Windows 10 installer does not contain drivers for them. Solutions:

1. Download the driver Standard NVM Express Controller manually during installation.
2. Or integrate it into a Windows image using NTLite.
3. Or update your BIOS - new versions often add support NVMe.

❓ Is it possible to install Windows 10 on Acer without a flash drive?

Yes, but it's more complicated. Options:

• 🔹 Through network installation (PXE) - requires a second computer and DHCP server configuration.
• 🔹 Through cloud recovery (if the laptop supports Windows RE).
• 🔹 Through external HDD — you can burn the image to an external hard drive and boot from it.

The easiest way is to still use a flash drive.

❓ What to do if, after installing Windows 10 on Acer, Wi-Fi, sound or touchpad do not work?

This means that the drivers are not installed. Solutions:

1. Download drivers from Acer website (enter the exact laptop model).
2. Use DriverPack Solution or Snappy Driver Installer for automatic search.
3. If there is no Internet, download the drivers on another PC and transfer them to a flash drive.

For Acer Nitro And Predator Separate drivers are often required for Killer Networking (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth).

❓ How can I find out which mode (AHCI/RAID) is enabled in the BIOS of my Acer?

There are two ways:

1. Via BIOS: Go to BIOS (F2 when loading) and find the item SATA Mode Selection or Storage Configuration.
2. Via Windows (if the system is already installed):
   • Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
   • Expand the thread "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers".
   • If the title contains RAID or Optane — RAID mode is enabled. If AHCI - respectively, AHCI.

❓ Is it possible to return Optane after installing Windows 10 in AHCI mode?

Yes, but it's a difficult process. After installing Windows in AHCI technology Intel Optane is disabled, and you can only return it:

1. Switching again to the BIOS mode RAID.
2. Reinstalling Windows with driver Intel RST.
3. Or using the utility Intel Optane Memory Pinning (if it is supported by your model).

In practice Optane provides minimal performance gain, so many users prefer to leave AHCI.