| Issue | Primary Cause | Primary Solution |
|---|---|---|
| “We couldn’t find any drives” Error | Missing RAID or Storage Controller Drivers | Download and Load Drivers via USB during Setup |
What is Windows Server 2022 we couldn’t find any drives fix?
The “Windows Server 2022 we couldn’t find any drives” fix refers to the process of troubleshooting a common installation error. This error occurs when the Windows Setup wizard cannot detect any physical or virtual disks available for installation.
This typically happens because the installation media lacks the specific storage controller or RAID drivers required for your hardware. Without these drivers, Windows cannot communicate with the storage backend, resulting in a blank list of available partitions.
The fix involves identifying your hardware controller (such as PERC, HP Smart Array, or VMware Paravirtual), downloading the driver files, and injecting them into the setup process manually.
Step-by-Step Solutions
Method 1: Manually Load Storage Drivers
This is the most common resolution for physical servers and advanced RAID configurations.
1. Identify your server hardware or RAID controller model (e.g., Dell PERC, Intel VROC).
2. Download the 64-bit “F6” or “Floppy” driver version from the manufacturer’s website.
3. Extract the ZIP or EXE file contents onto your Windows Server 2022 installation USB drive.
4. On the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen, click Load driver.
5. Click Browse and navigate to the folder on your USB containing the .inf files.
6. Select the driver and click Next. Your drives should now appear in the list.
Method 2: Change Virtual Machine Controller Type
If you are seeing this error in a virtual environment like VMware or Hyper-V, the disk controller type may be unsupported by default.
1. Shut down the Virtual Machine.
2. Edit the VM settings and locate the Hard Disk controller.
3. Change the controller type from Paravirtual SCSI or LSI Logic SAS to SATA or NVMe (if supported).
4. Alternatively, if using VMware Paravirtual, attach the VMware Tools floppy image to provide the driver during setup.
5. Restart the installation process.
Method 3: Initialize Disk via Diskpart
Sometimes the drive is detected but cannot be seen because it has an unrecognized partition table or is “Offline.”
1. On the installation screen, press Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
2. Use the following commands to clean the disk:
diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean
exit3. Return to the setup screen and click Refresh. The unallocated space should now be visible.