Read on to learn the quickest and easiest fixes to “a media driver your computer needs is missing” USB error. After fixing the issue, you can install a fresh copy of Windows 10/Windows 11 easily.

Windows is a feature-rich masterpiece from Microsoft. It makes it a breeze to perform various tasks with your computer. However, its installation is a challenge in itself. Though Windows has made every effort to make it easy for you to install the OS, errors like “a media driver your computer needs is missing” often hamper the process of installing Windows 10/11.

If you are also troubled with the “a media driver your computer needs is missing” Windows 10 installation error, read this article with complete attention.

Through this write-up, we help you fix the Windows 10/Windows 11 “a media driver your computer needs is missing” issue quickly and easily.

However, before discussing how to fix this issue, it is crucial to learn why it occurred in the first place. If you know its causes, solving the problem becomes a walk in the park.

Causes for “a media driver your computer needs is missing” error

Below are the reasons you get media driver issues when installing Windows 10 or Windows 11.

• Extremely fast/slow-burning speed of installation DVD
• Your USB drive or DVD is corrupted
• Issues with the ISO file
• Your computer’s hardware uses IDE in the place of SATA
• The media you downloaded is incomplete or corrupted

Above were the prominent reasons Windows shows the “a media driver your computer needs is missing” error. Now, let’s begin troubleshooting.

Fixes for Windows 11/Windows 10 “A media driver your computer needs is missing” Issue

You may apply the following fixes to get rid of the error message that states “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.”

Fix 1: Plug the USB drive again

Sometimes, simple solutions like replugging the USB drive fix complex problems, such as the operating system installation error “a media driver your computer needs is missing.” Thus, below are the steps you can follow to re-plug the USB drive.

• Click on the Cancel button when the error message appears on your screen.

• Now, disconnect the USB drive from your computer.
• Connect the USB drive again to your system.
• Try to perform Windows installation again.

Also Read: How To Fix Discord Installation Has Failed In Windows 10 (Easily)

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Fix 2: Use other USB port

A faulty USB port may cause the “a media driver your computer needs is missing” Windows 10 installation error. Therefore, you may try another USB port. Following are the steps to do it.

• Cancel the error message when it shows up on your computer.
• Unplug your USB drive from the PC.
• Plug the USB drive you disconnected in the previous step to another port. It is recommended to use the USB 2.0 port, if available.
• Try installing the operating system again.

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Fix 3: Ensure the hardware requirements are met

All operating systems have certain hardware requirements your computer must meet. If these requirements are not met, you may encounter problems like “a media driver your computer needs is missing.” Hence, make sure your computer matches the following conditions to install Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Minimum requirements for Windows 10 

Processor: 1 GHz or better

RAM: 1 GB for 32-bit, 2 GB for 64-bit

Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit, 20 GB for 64-bit

Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 9 or later along with WDDM 1.0 driver

Display: 800 x 600

Minimum requirements for Windows 11

Processor: 1 GHz or faster with not less than 2 cores

RAM: 4 GB

Storage: 64 GB

Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later along with WDDM 2.0 driver

Display: 720p HD display (greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits/color channel)

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Fix 4: Change BIOS settings

Incorrect BIOS configuration may also result in “a media driver your computer needs is missing” Windows 10 USB issue. Hence, you may take the following steps to change your BIOS settings.

• Hit the F12, F10, F1, DEL, or F2 key (depending on your computer manufacturer) before the Windows logo appears to get BIOS settings.
• Find USB 3.0 support or any other USB setting.
• Change the USB setting to Auto or Disabled.

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Fix 5: Switch from SATA to IDE

If your SATA mode is not correct, you may end up with “a media driver your computer needs is missing” Windows 10 installation issue. It happens particularly when your device is using IDE, but the installation comes with SATA. Therefore, you may change the SATA to IDE by following the below instructions.

Note: The steps may slightly differ depending on your computer manufacturer. However, they are generally the same.

• Boot your device into BIOS.
• Now, select Advanced or Storage Configuration or Drive Configuration or IDE Configuration (whichever option you get).

• Select the available option from SATA Mode, Set SATA As, or SATA Configuration.
• Configure SATA as IDE.

• Save the new configuration.
• Perform Windows installation again.

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Fix 6: Make ISO file format changes

Windows 10 “a media driver your computer needs is missing” may also stem from using an incorrect ISO file format. Thus, you may change the ISO file format to fix the problem. To do so, follow the below directions.

• From the ISO file, check the extracted setup.
• If the extracted setup has NTFS format, perform the ISO file extraction in FAT32 format.
• Now, install Windows again using the setup.

By now, you must have fixed the “a media driver your computer needs is missing” Windows 11/Windows 10 installation error. Now, as a bonus tip for our readers, we would like to share how to avoid such annoying issues in the future.

Bonus Tip to Avoid Issues Like “A media driver your computer needs is missing” in the Future

Since the error message relates to media driver problems, it is beneficial to keep them updated to avoid future problems. You may update media and all other drivers automatically with just a click using Bit Driver Updater.

Bit Driver Updater offers many useful features, such as driver backup and restore, acceleration of driver download pace, and a lot more.

You may follow the below download link to try all the incredible features of Bit Driver Updater yourself.

After downloading Bit Driver Updater and installing it, let it complete the computer scan (it only takes a few seconds). After the scan is complete, you may Update All old drivers to their latest version automatically.

If you like to update only the media drivers, you may choose the Update Now option given next to them.

However, in experts’ opinion, updating all drivers is essential to ensure smooth computer performance.

Also Read: Windows 10/11 Update Error 0x80080008 [Step By Step Guide]

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Windows 10/Windows 11 “a media driver your computer needs is missing” Problem Solved

Through this article, we acquainted you with quick and easy solutions to the Windows 11/Windows 10 installation issue “a media driver your computer needs is missing.”

Along with this, we also shared a useful tip (updating drivers with Bit Driver Updater) to keep such irritating problems away.

If you have anything else to share about the issue, any questions, or confusion, you may get in touch with us through the comments section.