Common Issues & Fixes
USB not detected in Rufus:
- Try a different USB port (use rear I/O on desktops).
- Try another USB stick.
- Close other apps that may be accessing removable drives.
- Try another USB stick.
- Close other apps that may be accessing removable drives.
PC won’t boot from USB:
- Use the one‑time Boot Menu (often F12) to select the USB.
- Ensure the USB is the first boot option in firmware.
- Recreate the installer with Rufus.
- Ensure the USB is the first boot option in firmware.
- Recreate the installer with Rufus.
No drives in installer:
- Load Intel RST drivers (see section above).
- In firmware, try switching controller mode RAID ↔ AHCI (note: impacts existing installs).
- Use a different M.2 slot or check BIOS storage settings on desktops.
- In firmware, try switching controller mode RAID ↔ AHCI (note: impacts existing installs).
- Use a different M.2 slot or check BIOS storage settings on desktops.
Installation error during copying files:
- Recreate the installer; verify the ISO checksum/source.
- Replace the USB drive if errors persist.
- Test the target disk with vendor tools (SMART/diagnostics) if failures continue.
- Replace the USB drive if errors persist.
- Test the target disk with vendor tools (SMART/diagnostics) if failures continue.
Looping back to USB after reboot:
- Remove the USB after the first reboot or set the internal drive to boot first.