Resolving ‘A Media Driver Your Computer Needs Is Missing’ error

‘A media driver your computer needs is missing’ is a common error which usually appears when users are trying to install Windows, using an installation media such as a CD, DVD, USB or hard drive. The error message reads in full:

“A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB or Hard disk driver. If you have a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive with the driver on it, please insert it now.”

A few years back, installing Windows was a task only technicians could do. However, Microsoft has been trying to make the process simpler by allowing users to upgrade to Windows 10 through system updates.

That said, there are users who still prefer to use installation media, and if you encounter this error message during the installation process, don’t panic. This post shares several solutions on how to fix the ‘A media driver your computer needs is missing’ error.

What causes the error message?

One of the following reasons is responsible for this error:

• The installation media is removed before the setup process is complete.
• The installation DVD used is of low quality.
• A faulty installation media.
• A missing media driver.
• A corrupt ISO file.

How to fix ‘A media driver your computer needs is missing’ error

Solution 1: Plug the USB flash drive into a different port

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it could be a quick fix to resolve this issue.

Follow the steps below:

1. When the error message appears, click “Cancel”.
2. Unplug the USB drive used as the installation media from your computer.
3. Plug the USB drive into another USB port, and then try to repeat the installation process, again.

Additionally, try to plug the USB drive into another computer to check if it’s readable and to determine whether or not your USB drive is corrupt. You should also try to use a different USB flash drive to rule out if the one you are using is faulty. Hopefully, this works. If it doesn’t, try the next solution.

Solution 2: Check your computer’s hardware requirements

Your PC must fulfill the basic system requirements for you to be able to install Windows 10. If your device fails to meet the hardware requirements, you might run into difficulties while installing Windows.

The minimum system requirements include:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or a faster processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
• RAM: At least 1 gigabyte (GB) for a 32-bit operating system (OS) or 2 GB for a 64-bit OS.
• Hard drive space: A minimum of 16 GB for a 32-bit OS or 32 GB for a 64-bit OS.
• Graphics card: At least DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver.
• Display: At least 800×600.

If your PC meets all these requirements but you still get the error message, then it’s time to dig deeper.

Solution 3: Change the format of the ISO file

An incomplete or corrupt ISO file on the installation media could be the cause of this error. Try to change the ISO file format to see if it helps to fix the problem.

Use the following steps:

1. Check the file format of the extracted setup from the ISO file.
2. If the ISO file is in NTFS format, you can extract it in FAT32 format and repeat the installation process, using this setup.

Additionally, you should verify if the ISO file in the installation media is complete. To do this:

• Insert the disk into any system.
• Right-click the CD/DVD drive, and select “Properties”.
• Compare the size of the ISO file on the installation media with the size stated on the Microsoft official website.
• If you notice any difference, you can download another installation file and create a new installation media. This time, use a high-quality media drive.

Solution 4: Change the BIOS settings

A wrong BIOS configuration may cause the “A media driver your computer needs is missing” error. Changing a few settings in the BIOS may help resolve this issue.

Note: Opening the BIOS Setup Utility varies depending on the manufacturer of the device you’re using.

1. Change the USB 3.0 settings to “Auto”.
2. The “Legacy USB” and “Legacy BIOS” settings should be disabled.
3. Make sure that your computer is using IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) instead of SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment). To make these changes:

• Boot your PC into BIOS, and then depending on your machine, select “Advanced” or “Storage Configuration” (or “Drive Configuration” or “IDE Configuration”).
• Locate “SATA Mode” (or “Set SATA As” or “SATA Configuration”).
• Select “IDE” or “Compatible” or “ATA”.
• Save the changes, and then try the installation process again.

Solution 5: Update your device drivers

A missing USB hub driver is another culprit that could prevent you from installing Windows on your PC. Likewise, there’s a possibility that the device drivers in your system are outdated or incompatible. A device driver is a bridge between your operating system and the installed hardware, and most devices will become unstable or even stop functioning if you fail to update the drivers.

That’s where Auslogics Driver Updater comes in. It’s a tool that allows you to update all the drivers automatically, saving you the trouble of updating each driver separately. More importantly, Driver Updater only installs the official drivers directly from the manufacturers’ websites.

This eliminates device conflicts and compatibility problems. What’s more, the tool creates backups before installing any drivers to make it easy to revert the changes if you are not pleased with the new driver version.

The tool is easy to use, and it detects missing, corrupt and outdated drivers after scanning your computer comprehensively.

Solution 6: Use Rufus instead of the Windows Media Creation Tool

If all the above methods fail, you can start the process from scratch by downloading the ISO file again. Only this time, you’ll use Rufus. Although the Media Creation Tool should work fine, Rufus is also another tool used to create bootable USB drives.

We hope one of these solutions helps you to fix the ‘A media driver your computer needs is missing’ error on Windows 10. Share your thoughts, questions or alternative solutions in the comments below.