Windows USB Driver Load Missteps | Generated by AI

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Question: Why does Windows still fail to find/load drivers from my FAT32 USB during installation on Lenovo Xiaoxin 14 IAH8 even though BIOS is already set to AHCI?

Answer:

Good check — if AHCI is already enabled, then we can rule out Intel VMD/RST as the blocker. In that case, the issue is not a BIOS storage mode problem, but a misunderstanding of what Windows Setup can load as a “driver.”

Below is the correct root cause analysis for your situation.

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1. Windows Setup Does Not Load .exe Files (At All)

This is the key point.

During installation, Windows Setup:

• cannot execute .exe installers
• only scans for .inf driver definition files
• ignores everything else silently

So when you plug in a USB that contains only files like:

• chipset-KZSC030FLWDYANE0.exe
• intelVGA-KZSG0A0FT22GJNE0.exe
• audio-*.exe
• RTKwlan-*.exe

Windows Setup will show:

• empty list
• or “No signed drivers were found”

This is expected behavior, not a fault.

Even if the SSD is visible, the Load Driver dialog will never show .exe files.

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2. With AHCI Enabled, You Usually Don’t Need Any Driver at All

Important clarification:

• Windows 10 / 11 already include a generic NVMe + AHCI driver
• If BIOS = AHCI
• And SSD = standard NVMe
• Then Windows Setup should detect the disk automatically

If the disk does appear, then:

• You do not need to load any driver
• Just delete partitions and continue install

If the disk does NOT appear, then one of the following is true.

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3. Why the SSD Still Might Not Appear (Even in AHCI)

Case A — Windows installer is too old

If you are using:

• Windows 10 1809 or earlier
• Or a heavily modified ISO

Then NVMe support may be incomplete.

Fix

• Use Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2+
• Recreate USB with Microsoft Media Creation Tool or Rufus (GPT + UEFI)

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Case B — You are confusing “Load driver” with “missing disk”

Many users do this:

• Disk is visible
• But Windows warns: “Windows cannot be installed to this disk”
• User clicks Load driver, thinking a driver is missing

In reality, the problem is:

• Partition style mismatch (MBR vs GPT)
• Leftover Intel RAID metadata
• Or Secure Boot leftovers

Fix At disk screen:

1. Press Shift + F10

2. Run:

   diskpart
   list disk
   select disk 0
   clean
   convert gpt
   exit
   

3. Close CMD → Refresh → Install

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Case C — Secure Boot + non-official ISO

If:

• Secure Boot is ON
• ISO is unofficial / modified

Then Windows may block disk access.

Fix

• Temporarily disable Secure Boot
• Install Windows
• Re-enable Secure Boot later

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4. Why Lenovo Driver .exe Files Are Useless During Setup

Lenovo drivers are designed for post-install usage:

Driver type	Purpose	Setup usable?
Chipset	Enables devices	❌
VGA	Graphics	❌
Audio	Sound	❌
WLAN	Network	❌
Camera / FP	Peripherals	❌

They:

• contain installers
• extract files dynamically
• require Windows services

Windows Setup environment (WinPE) cannot use them.

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5. What You Should Do Right Now (Checklist)

Since AHCI is already correct:

1. ✅ Ignore “Load driver” entirely
2. ✅ Use latest Windows ISO
3. ✅ Delete all partitions (diskpart clean)
4. ✅ Install to unallocated space

5. ✅ After first boot:

   • Install Lenovo Vantage
   • Let Windows Update pull drivers
   • Then manually install Lenovo .exe drivers if needed

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Bottom Line

• Your USB is fine
• FAT32 is correct
• BIOS AHCI is correct
• The issue is that .exe drivers are not drivers in Windows Setup terms
• You almost certainly do not need to load any driver at all

If you want, tell me:

• Windows version (10/11 + build)
• Whether the SSD is visible or invisible
• Exact error text (if any)

I can pinpoint it in one step.

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