“A Required CD/DVD Device Driver Is Missing” For USB Installs


You receive the error “A required CD/DVD device driver is missing” when installing Windows 7 or Windows 2008/R2 from a USB device. Furthermore if you browse to install drivers you will see that your CD/DVD drive is actually installed successfully.

You are using a USB 3 Port

The error is very misleading; the problem is not that the CD/DVD device drivers are missing, it is that USB 3 drivers are missing. Most likely you have plugged your USB drive into a USB 3 port but the problem here is that Windows 7/2008/R2 doesn’t ship with USB 3 support. The solution is very simple; just plug your USB drive into a USB 2 port and start the install again.

Why does this happen?

The initial boot up will work fine but once Windows starts installing drivers it will fail for the USB 3 hardware. At this point the installation can no longer see the USB pen resulting in the error. By booting up on a USB 2 port Windows has the required drivers to continue the installation successfully. As for the “A required CD/DVD device driver is missing” error I can only guess this is because the install expects to be installed from the CD/DVD drive. Once it can’t load the drivers for the USB device it is as if the CD/DVD drive has disappeared resulting in the “A required CD/DVD device driver is missing” error.

8 Responses to “A Required CD/DVD Device Driver Is Missing” For USB Installs

  1. Steve Jobs says:

    Your web site is very interesting to visit if I can be your partner?

  2. Bartq Rossa says:

    thanks so much!!!! switching usb3.0 controller off in bios did the trick :) bloody notebook`s

  3. SHAH SHEIKH says:

    yep you are a genius. I switched to USB 2.0 port AND THE INSTALLATION IS Running fine now

  4. gee says:

    fantastic, switched to usb 2.0 n its working

  5. Sirenetta says:

    I put my usb stick via a usb hub that i know dials things down to usb 1. This worked! Thanks,

  6. Anonymous says:

    i’m from brazil, YOU SAVE MY LIFE !!!! Thank you so much !!!!!!

  7. danny says:

    What if I have only USB 3 in my laptop???

    • Anonymous says:

      See if you can disable it in your BIOS. Some have the option to do so. If you don’t have it try this unplugging your USB ben when this error comes up then plugging it back. I’ve heard others say this works sometimes.

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