I have been trying to install both Windows 7 Professional x86 & x64 for about 2 months off and on, and always encounter the same problem. I've done multiple searches on "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing” & have read through multiple forums. Usually the advice that people get looks something like this:
Quote:
Fixes
Change BIOS boot order The most successful fix for this issue is to set the optical (DVD) drive as the first boot device in the BIOS. To do this, first enter BIOS mode as follows:
Enter your system’s BIOS mode. This is accomplished by pressing a specific key repeatedly as soon as your computer is turned on (or right after it is restarted). For many computers, the key is F8, but it may be F1, F2, F10, the Delete (del) key or the Escape (ESC) key. Consult your computer or motherboard’s manual or try different keys until you find the right one.
Find the screen or option for changing the boot order. Follow the instructions for changing the boot order. This is sometimes accomplished by using the + or – buttons.
Update ITE ATA driver Failing the above, try booting back into Windows Vista or XP. Launch Windows Update and install the ITE ATA driver update before attempting the upgrade. The upgrade advisor may not find this driver.
Switch from SATA to AHCI Follow the aforementioned instructions for booting into your computer’s BIOS, then check your HDD or storage settings. Turn off SATA, switching to AHCI, and reboot normally, then re-attempt installation of Windows 7.
While these seem like logical fixes to this problem, none of them work. The problem, I think, is that this error "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing” is not really caused by a problem with the CD/DVD drive device driver. The reason I believe this is because, in frustration after trying with the DVD, I tried to install it from USB (used this tutorial: http://maketecheasier.com/boot-and-install-windows-7-from-usb-flash-drive/2009/01/23) & got the exact same error. So the error is there even if I'm not using the DVD drive!!
Also, I've read on other forums where people have had this error when they have a DVD drive that doesn't have a driver at all.
I downloaded Windows 7 (both x64 & x86) via the MSDN Academic Alliance.
Then I changed the BIOS settings on my computer to boot from the DVD Drive (or USB drive when I tried that), and it boots and then starts. When I press the Install button however, it says it's starting the install but then quickly the following message appears:
"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.
Note: If the Windows installation media is in the CD/DVD drive, you can safely remove it for this step."
The message also allows me to browse for said missing drivers, so I took a CD that had all my drivers on it, courtesy of Double Driver. See http://lifehacker.com/399097/double-driver-backs-up-your-systems-drivers. I then inserted the CD, which had copied the drivers when my system was running Windows 7 RC. (Why didn't I just keep Windows 7 RC???). I inserted the CD, browsed to the folder that contains my CD/DVD driver, & .... nothing! It shot back an error saying I didn't have the drivers I needed.
If you've gone through installing Windows 7, gone through & overcome this issue, please respond. Thanks!
My Laptop Specs:
Compaq Presario C776NR
Intel Pentium Dual-Core Mobile Processor T2390 (1.86 GHz)
Webcam
160GM Hard Drive
3072MB DDR2 SDRAM (2 Dimm)
Super Multi 8X DVD R/RW with Double Layer Support
Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) with SP1
802.11 b/g WLAN
5-in-1 Digital Media Reader