'no signed device drivers' can be found on windows bootcamp installation

Question

Level 1

1 points

'no signed device drivers' can be found on windows bootcamp installation

I'm pretty good with problem solving this sort of thing, but this one's got me stumped. I just bought a new MBP, and I'm installing Bootcamp on it, and no matter what, I'm stopped at the point of installing drivers on the Bootcamp drive during Windows installation with the message "no device drivers were found. make sure the installation media contains the correct drivers." I've tried multiple flash drives, multiple Windows iso images (8.1 and 10), directly downloaded from Microsoft, and from Apple's linked pages. I've tried formatting the virtual Bootcamp drive to MSDOS, I've tried resetting PRAM, I've tried using alternative methods to creating the USB install disk, I've downloaded fresh drivers from an Apple support page, I've even tried again in a different USB port. I've done everything anyone on any forum has ever said about this, and I've still got nothing. I must have attempted this installation around 15 times now, and I've run out of options here. I'm running El Capitan on a Mid-2014 15" MBP, and it says Bootcamp 6.0 should be able to install this without a USB disk, but I'm not given that option. If there's ANYthing besides new a iso, new flash drive, new Bootcamp, new partition format, or new USB creation method, I would love to hear your suggestion, no I need to hear your suggestion because I needed to use this Windows program four days ago.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Nov 17, 2015 6:47 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 17, 2015 7:12 PM in response to vulgarwizard

1. Pick either W8.1 or W10 and let us address the issues installing it. Trying both OS versions will confuse issues.

2. Does BCA want prompt for a USB?

3. If it does not prompt for a USB, it will create a partition called OSXRESERVED. Do you see such a partition? Check Applications -> Utilities -> Console logs.

4. From https://help.apple.com/bootcamp/assistant/6.0/#/bcmp173b3bf2 and Use Windows 8.1 on your Mac with Boot Camp - Apple Support , BCA will request a USB based on your Mac's Model Identifier.

Reply

Answer 2

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 17, 2015 8:24 PM in response to vulgarwizard

at the moment, I'm trying again with the Enterprise edition of Windows 10. Bootcamp does prompt for the USB drive which, as I mentioned, I have tried multiple. The OSXRESERVED partition is not part of my issue. I've read both of those posts, and followed to a T, without a clue as to why Windows is unable to discover the drivers on the Bootcamp-created USB drive. This is my real issue, here.

Reply

Answer 3

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 17, 2015 8:28 PM in response to Loner T

(oops, accidentally commented on my own post) at the moment, I'm trying again with the Enterprise edition of Windows 10. Bootcamp does prompt for the USB drive which, as I mentioned, I have tried multiple. The OSXRESERVED partition is not part of my issue. I've read both of those posts, and followed to a T, without a clue as to why Windows is unable to discover the drivers on the Bootcamp-created USB drive. This is my real issue, here.

Reply

Answer 4

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 17, 2015 8:36 PM in response to vulgarwizard

Can you post the 1-level structure of the BCA-created USB? Are you using the Nov (1511) W10 ISO?

Reply

Answer 5

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 18, 2015 12:13 AM in response to Loner T

here's what I'm looking at. Absolutely everything is normal, that I can tell. I can look at all of these drivers, but for whatever reason, Windows is unable to find them. I've tried scanning and browsing to find them myself. Any ideas?

Reply

Answer 6

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 18, 2015 3:55 AM in response to vulgarwizard

With this USB connected, if you power down/up your Mac and hold the Alt/Option key, do you see the USB as a selection? If yes, do you see both Windows and EFI Boot from the USB? Is your current USB a USB2 flash drive?

Can you post the output of

diskutil list

sudo fdisk /dev/diskN (where N points to the USB from the previous step's output).

Reply

Answer 7

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 18, 2015 8:01 AM in response to Loner T

Enterprise Edition is giving me the same issue.

I can select my drive from the list after booting with the option key, into Windows and EFI Boot. Also yes, both drives I've tried are USB2. The terminal command came back unable to identify the USB WININSTALL disk. It appears in the disk util list, but the sudo command wasn't able to find it. What's to be done from here?

Reply

Answer 8

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 18, 2015 8:21 AM in response to vulgarwizard

This is what it should look like.

diskutil list

/dev/disk0

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 741.7 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3

4: Microsoft Basic Data rMBPBCMP 258.0 GB disk0s4

/dev/disk1

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: Boot Camp *1.1 GB disk1

/dev/disk2

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: Apple_partition_scheme *17.2 MB disk2

1: Apple_partition_map 32.3 KB disk2s1

2: Apple_HFS Flash Player 17.1 MB disk2s2

/dev/disk3

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: FDisk_partition_scheme *16.0 GB disk3

1: DOS_FAT_32 WININSTALL 16.0 GB disk3s1

sudo gpt -vv -r show disk3

Password:

gpt show: disk3: mediasize=16008609792; sectorsize=512; blocks=31266816

gpt show: disk3: MBR at sector 0

start size index contents

0 1 MBR

1 1

2 31266814 1 MBR part 11

diskutil info disk3

Device Identifier: disk3

Device Node: /dev/disk3

Part of Whole: disk3

Device / Media Name: SanDisk Cruzer Glide Media

Volume Name: Not applicable (no file system)

Mounted: Not applicable (no file system)

File System: None

Content (IOContent): FDisk_partition_scheme

OS Can Be Installed: No

Media Type: Generic

Protocol: USB

SMART Status: Not Supported

Total Size: 16.0 GB (16008609792 Bytes) (exactly 31266816 512-Byte-Units)

Volume Free Space: Not applicable (no file system)

Device Block Size: 512 Bytes

Read-Only Media: No

Read-Only Volume: Not applicable (no file system)

Ejectable: Yes

Whole: Yes

Internal: No

OS 9 Drivers: No

Low Level Format: Not supported

Reply

Answer 9

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 18, 2015 12:03 PM in response to Loner T

those commands gave me the exact output as yours. I don't think the problem is with the drive, only that Windows is unable to correctly determine the existence of the drivers. I can browse the contents of the flash drive when searching for them, and look at the drivers themselves, but Windows simply won't recognize them.

Reply

Answer 10

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 18, 2015 12:25 PM in response to vulgarwizard

As a test, remove the AutoUnattend.xml file. Let Windows finish installation. Put the file back, and then when booted in Windows, run setup.exe from the Bootcamp folder and test.

Reply

Answer 11

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 18, 2015 1:10 PM in response to Loner T

I'm afraid I don't understand. I've removed the AutoUnattend file, and when booting into Bootcamp to install Windows, I'm presented with the option to Repair Windows or do a Custom Install. The custom install is the same deal I've been working with, and it can't find the drivers. The repair option asks me to eject the drive, then start windows normally, then run the files in Windows. But I can't do that, because Windows isn't even installed on my computer yet, and booting up without the flash drive doesn't allow me to choose what drive I boot into.

Reply

Answer 12

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 18, 2015 1:51 PM in response to Loner T

one more thing I should add maybe? the Bootcamp Partition tells me that it can't have windows on it because it is a GPT style drive, and even after formatting with the tool there, it still gives that error. It's given me that before, when I performed this installation on my old Macbook, and Windows still installed fine, but I wonder if it might be affecting the way the disk finds drivers.

Reply

Answer 13

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 18, 2015 2:26 PM in response to vulgarwizard

1. A 2014 Mac will support both types of installations, EFI and BIOS. EFI installations are only valid on GPT-only disks. BIOS installations require a MBR (or a Hybrid MBR on a Mac).

2. EFI or BIOS impacts how underlying hardware is exposed which has a direct relationship to drivers being provided and installed. EFI installations are generally faster to boot. You can choose which method is used by booting with Alt/Option key and selecting EFI Boot or Windows.

3. What year/model was your old Macbook (Pro?)?

4. If you remove AutoUnattend.xml, the BC drivers are not installed, only generic drivers are installed, which is the suggested method to debug driver issues. Since you do not have Windows installed yet, use BCA to remove the current partition, remove AutoUnattend,xml, use BCA to create the partition, and install Windows. Do not use Create USB/Download options, otherwise you will get a new copy of the AutoUnattend.

Reply

Answer 14

vulgarwizard Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 18, 2015 2:54 PM in response to Loner T

1 & 2. That's probably why it went off without a hitch on my previous Macbook which was

3. the Mid-2012 15" Retina. A cat peed on it and I lost everything...

4. Anyway. Tried removing and reinstalling the Bootcamp partition, same story as before, same message about restarting windows normally on one option, same error message as ever on being unable to find the drivers on the drive. What else ya got? 🙂

P.S. thanks for sticking with this one, I'm really grateful to have some help with this because I'd be losing my cool otherwise.

Reply

Answer 15

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 18, 2015 3:14 PM in response to vulgarwizard

Did you have any issues with removal using BCA? Since it is broken right now,

1. Are using EFI boot or BIOS? A quick way to check is to see if there is more than one entry in the output of sudo fdisk /dev/disk0 after the partition has been created. You can check now, for example.

2. After you remove the partition, can you mount your OS X disk's EFI partition, and checking if there is a Microsoft directory in the EFI partition? See the third page of Can't resize Macintosh HD partition to see who to mount the EFI partition.

3. You have tried this before, but run a SMC/NVRAM Reset after you remove the Windows partition and before you attempt a re-installation.

4. Are you on El Capitan (just to confirm)? There is one more set of steps we can test.

Reply