Can't Install Windows 7 on Lenovo G50 A required CD/DVD drive device is missing

[Twisted4000]

Hey there, I'm trying to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on a Lenovo G50-80 notebook that initially had Windows 8 64-bit on it. I have my W7 copy on a USB 3.0 flash drive, and although I'm able to boot from it successfully, when I get to the installation part, I get the "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now" error.

-I have Legacy Support turned on in the BIOS
-OS Optimized Defaults is set to "Other OS", not "Windows 8" in the BIOS (those are the only two options it has)
-I've tried all three USB slots (only one of them is 3.0, the other two are black-colored so I'm assuming those are 2.0)
-There's no option I see in the BIOS to disable USB 3.0 (although I don't know if that's necessary in this case)
-I've tried installing the Intel 3.0 patch onto the flash drive, which allegedly allows Windows 7 to be installed in 3.0 slots
-I've tried exiting out of the error message, going back and trying again
-I've tried exiting out of the error message, then swapping the flash drive to a different spot

These are pretty much all of the fixes I have looked up, and so far I still haven't had any luck. Does anyone have any ideas? Would using a CD/DVD to install Windows 7 work? Or is this a driver issue that has nothing to do with the USB slots? Thanks for reading.

 

[Alaric]

I think you have to install USB drivers for early versions of W7. If you have two USB ports you'll have to download the necessary USB drivers from Lenovo's site on a flash drive and insert it at the prompt. Alternately, you can burn the W7 to a DVD and install it that way.

 

[Mr.Scott]

Leave OS Optimized Defaults set to W8 and try it.
I'm thinking 'Other OS' refers to a non windows OS.

 

[Twisted4000]

Leave OS Optimized Defaults set to W8 and try it.
I'm thinking 'Other OS' refers to a non windows OS.

I tried that, and although W7 did load up as usual, I still got the same error. Apparently, according to the BIOS, "Win8" refers to "UEFI", and "Other OS" means "Legacy", which to me is odd considering I didn't notice any difference when trying it.

I think you have to install USB drivers for early versions of W7. If you have two USB ports you'll have to download the necessary USB drivers from Lenovo's site on a flash drive and insert it at the prompt. Alternately, you can burn the W7 to a DVD and install it that way.

I tried downloading setup files as well as setting them up onto a second flash drive I had (I tried the "Windows 7 Hotfix", the USB driver, as well as the "Windows 7 Driver Patch" and put them all on), but I still got the same error. Did I do something incorrectly?

 

[Alaric]

Is the USB drive formatted in FAT 32? Most, if not all, BIOS require FAT 32 formatting to utilize flash drives.

 

[Twisted4000]

Is the USB drive formatted in FAT 32? Most, if not all, BIOS require FAT 32 formatting to utilize flash drives.

Yes, it is formatted in FAT32.

 

[Alaric]

That rules that out. I can't think of anything other than the AHCI driver, which I recall needing to inject on early W7 installs. At this point I would look at burning the installation to a DVD unless someone else can chime in with something I may have missed.

 

[Robert17]

Is the storage drive that you wish to install upon formatted; I note that the USB is FAT 32, but is the drive 'clean'? Also, does the Lenovo have diagnostic utilities flash from a BIOS call? If so, can they be disabled? I had a Lenovo that wouldn't boot to anything other than the OEM disc due to the BIOS version with utilities that were looking for only their original setup. So maybe look at a BIOS flash as well.

 

[Twisted4000]

Is the storage drive that you wish to install upon formatted; I note that the USB is FAT 32, but is the drive 'clean'? Also, does the Lenovo have diagnostic utilities flash from a BIOS call? If so, can they be disabled? I had a Lenovo that wouldn't boot to anything other than the OEM disc due to the BIOS version with utilities that were looking for only their original setup. So maybe look at a BIOS flash as well.

The USB drive I believe was what you are referring to as "clean" (formatted it before the mounting of the ISO). As for the diagnostic utilities, I'll get back to you on that if I can...

That rules that out. I can't think of anything other than the AHCI driver, which I recall needing to inject on early W7 installs. At this point I would look at burning the installation to a DVD unless someone else can chime in with something I may have missed.

I read something about that earlier... I still don't know how to properly do the AHCI driver thing, but that being said, it sounds like using a CD/DVD will be my next best option. I'm going to try one last thing before doing so, though, and I'll let you all know how it goes as it's a bit unorthodox... stay tuned.

 

[Alaric]

It's a registry entry. I would upload the file but OCF is telling me it's an invalid file. It's not.

This is the registry entry

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci]
"Start"=dword:00000003

 

[Robert17]

The USB drive I believe was what you are referring to as "clean" (formatted it before the mounting of the ISO). As for the diagnostic utilities, I'll get back to you on that if I can...

Referring to the HDD on the Lenovo..

 

[Twisted4000]

Referring to the HDD on the Lenovo..

Yes, the HDD was also formatted.

 

[trents]

Did you disable "Secure Boot" and "TPM (Trusted Platform Module)"? The TPM keys may need to be overwritten.

 

[Twisted4000]

Did you disable "Secure Boot" and "TPM (Trusted Platform Module)"? The TPM keys may need to be overwritten.

Yes, I tried having Secure Boot disabled. I don't recall seeing an option for TPM or Trusted Platform Module.

 

[trents]

What is the year of manufacture of this laptop?

 

[Twisted4000]

Well, I got Windows 7 installed, but I did something completely different.

I just put the hard drive in another laptop that didn't have issues communicating with the flash drive when installing it, started up the installation for W7, and as soon as it restarted for the first time, I shut the computer down instead, extracted the the hard drive and put it into the Lenovo. From there it booted into W7 normally and continued with the installation and finalized everything, and now it's functioning perfectly, as far as I can tell so far. If anyone has any reasons they think this actually won't work properly down the line, feel free to let me know.

Thank you all for your time and suggestions.

 

[habbajabba]

Win7 iso's, from my experience, MUST be installed through a usb2 port. Rufus should work fine. The installs will initially work from a usb3 port until that very first reboot, whereupon the usb3 port will not be seen anymore.

 

[Alaric]

Win7 iso's, from my experience, MUST be installed through a usb2 port. Rufus should work fine. The installs will initially work from a usb3 port until that very first reboot, whereupon the usb3 port will not be seen anymore.

I have yet to have a W7 install that didn't have USB 3.0 quirks. Wifi antenna drops out, OS mistakenly thinks a flash drive is corrupted, my game controller (Logitech joystick) randomly just drops out for a second or two. I just figure that's the price I pay for being curmudgeonly and hanging on to my decrepit and ancient OS.