Just got our DIY Framework. We got the WD SN850 nvme drive. It assembled nicely (fun process!) and it booted as expected. We downloaded Windows from the Microsoft link and copied it to a USB thumb drive. Inserting that into our USB-A slot and booting, we get to the Install Windows selection. (This is Step 6 of the Installing Windows guide). At this point we get a “Select a Driver to Install” window with an alert explaining “A media driver your computer needs is missing”. At first I thought it might be the 250GB module, so I pulled that out and retried. Same thing. Then I thought it might be the USB thumbdrive I used, so I chose a different model, but same results. I looked on the WD site to see if they have drivers for the SN850, but there don’t seem to be any. I guess I’m stuck at this point. Ideas would be welcome!
Did you give the driver package, it’s in Step 2 of the guide
I had the same issue and another error (0x803000001) did you have any other drives connected (like the storage module?)
I switched where my USB-a port was AND pulled all the other modules out, it got past that error (then I got the next error but that was due to me leaving it on the product key page for too long)
I did also have to try multiple drives created with the Windows media installer. No idea why it had such a hard time.
Did you give the driver package, it’s in Step 2 of the guide
Yes, I both downloaded it, and tried inserting it at the point where Windows is asking for a driver. Nothing happened, as I sort of expected, because also at Step 2, it says “Don’t forget to install the Driver Bundle after you complete Windows 10 installation”
did you have any other drives connected (like the storage module?)
I’ve tried pulling them all out (except for the USB-A drive the Windows installer is on).
Thanks to you both for your fast replies!
Can you get into the bios(F2 on startup) Just wondering if its seeing the drive at all.
Also did you get the “Framework” and windows spinning icon on usb boot OR did it just go directly into the installer? I have no idea why but the times I was getting that error, I never saw the Framework logo. Made me think my USB efi partitions were messed up (why I tried another sitck I knew had worked on a previous install)
Yes, I’m seeing the Framework logo and spinning windows dots. Where in the BIOS would I see whether it’s recognizing the drive?
Yeah nevermind, I just checked my bios and nothing except for the EFI entries. I wonder if it shows up under F12 (though again, think it maybe just EFI entries instead of actual devices)
My last thought is just run a live distro (Ubuntu 21.04, etc but something that supports new Intel) and confirming it sees the drive. Always the worst when you try every software trick just to find out its bad hardware!
My last thought is just run a live distro (Ubuntu 21.04, etc but something that supports new Intel) and confirming it sees the drive
Great idea! (I’m glad I’m helping my son do this – I think he’d have given up by now)
The perils of DIY 
Getting windows installer to run was the slowest part for me as well. Good luck, let us know if Ubuntu see’s everything fine.
I have an external NVMe → USB C adapter, was able to verify the SN850 works, gave it a FAT32 format, and indeed it shows up when I try to “Browse” for drivers at this Windows install step. The odd thing is that it doesn’t say which device’s “Media drivers” it needs to allow the installation to finish.
I’m about to try the Ubuntu boot now - aand, it installed on the NVMe drive fine. So, it seems to be Windows-specific. I’m trying the Download Windows tool (I previously downloaded an ISO and used dd to get it on the thumb drive). We’ll see how that works.
OK - it’s working now, and the solution was to use an existing Windows machine and run the Download Windows // make USB tool. Microsoft’s website said the .ISO should be copyable to a thumb drive, and it got me as far as the screenshot above, but left me in this “Media driver needed” state. With the very same thumbdrive, written via the Windows tool, it’s now completing the installation. I don’t know what folks for whom this is their only available Windows machine are supposed to do. I’ll not forget to install the Framework Drivers as well. Thanks, @Davy_Bell and @jr123 (in another thread) for the help!
Glad to hear it! I only trust dd for .img files nowadays. The Windows media creator definitely creates a set of EFI style partitions so it probably has the installer on a pointer to the image in another partition, thus you lose parts of the installer?
Reminds me of custom EFI bootloader (coreboot) on Macbook Air, could have custom themes and easy other OS installs, but if a pointer got messed up, you had a few hours of trying to reorder partition GUIDs
Glad you were able to get it sorted! We definitely recommend using the Windows Media Creation tool to set up the thumb drive, since Windows has some pretty particular requirements about the boot/install media.
We definitely recommend using the Windows Media Creation tool to set up the thumb drive, since Windows has some pretty particular requirements about the boot/install media.
Following the link in your Windows Install Guide on a machine that isn’t running windows was my mistake: Microsoft’s site auto-detects your browser / OS and redirects you to downloading the .ISO. I’ve burned so many EFI - bootable ISO’s (for macOS and Linuxes), I thought “no problem”. Worse, it gets shockingly far into the install, then throws what seems to be an unrelated error. This is definitely Microsoft’s problem, but it’s a problem for folks starting the process without a Windows machine handy. It added 5 hours to my “getting the Framework going” process (!)
Sorry for the pain and thanks for sharing the solution. I would’ve been burning the ISO on Linux so… you saved at least one soul.
Ah! Got it. I’ll update the guide to note that.
Edit: At some point, we’ll also need to write a guide on how to create a Windows installer from Linux or Mac.
A great tool that works on both linux and windows is Ventoy - additionally, it lets you copy over as many ISOs, WIMs, and even VM disk images can be booted. While there is no MacOS ventoy installer, once ventoy is installed on a USB drive, ISOs can be added from any OS that can mount exFAT partitions. It’s also FOSS.
Here is how to use ventoy to create a bootable usb from linux:
- Install Ventoy onto a USB drive
- Mount the first partition created by ventoy on the USB drive (e.g /dev/sdb1)
- Copy the Windows 10/11 iso file to the first partition (exfat)
- Unmount/sync/safely remove the USB drive
- Insert the USB drive in your Framework laptop and turn on
- Boot from the USB drive
- Follow the instructions at secure . Ventoy to enable secure boot (Maybe you could disable secure boot in the BIOS, not sure)
- You should then see the ISO you added to the USB drive as a selection when Ventoy boots
I’ve had this issue with some USB installers, oddly enough cancelling the installation, going to the main install screen, and switching the USB drive to a new port worked, like some black magic.
It most certainly is!! My laptop has been collecting dust for a week while i try and find a windows machine to turn on my windows machine.