Try to Installing Windows 10 on Intel NUC7i5DNKE

[JEFFREYS]

I was gifted a Intel Nuc7i5DNKE, and quite frankly have never felt more out of my element then i do right now.  

I downloaded Windows 10 to a USB flash drive and try to install Windows, however after i enter the product key for windows it pops up saying "We couldn't find any drives".

This cute little black box has 32gb memory, 256gb hard drive, or so it claims to have, and a few more bells and whistle from what I have read about it, however in the BIOS under SATA it says "not installed" so what am I missing. 

I thought I was pretty **bleep** smart when it came to computer but maybe that only applies to HP. 

Is there anyone out there that is willing to help an old guy out here point me in the right direction, i sure would appreciate it allot.

Thanks Jeffrey

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @JEFFREYS 

Please follow the instructions in my post and you will be able to install Windows. Important, prepare your USB, using Microsoft Media Creation Tool and use the UEFI option from Boot Menu.

Leon

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @JEFFREYS 

I've read your post again (this time more carefully) and better understand what you are you asking. 

For your information since you have NUV7i5DNKE (the low version of Dawson Canyon NUC), there is no place in the case to install 2.5" HDD. For storage only M.2 SSD can be used, inserted into PCIeM.2 slot on the board. So, if you have 32 GB RAM installed (I assume that you have, since you can boot into BIOS), check in BIOS Advanced > PCI if M.2 slot is enabled and if it is populated. If you have the SSD, you should see it there. You can unscrew the four screw in the rubber legs in the NUC bottom side and then remove the bottom cover to see the board with the SO DIMMs and the SSD. In case that you don't have SSD and/or RAM you may buy one (I suggest that you buy parts from the list of validated by Intel parts).

Once you have your NUC assembled, you may continue with Windows installation as explained in my post above.

Leon

[JEFFREYS]

Good morning, Leon

When I go through the install process as you outlined, I click on no product key as stated and accept terms, but the next screen pops up where there are usually drives to select from as to where you want to install Windows but in my case the box where the drives are is EMPTY and asks for disk to install a drive to install Windows to.  

First off thank you for answering my post and your willingness to help me out, I doubled checked and I have only 16gb of ram, not 32 as i previously mentioned. 

Secondly, I looked in the BIOS under 

PCI Tab

• M.2 Slot  -  has a check mark in the box.
• M.2 Slot  -  Not Populated
• M.2 Slot Vender ID: Device ID  <FFFF.FFFF>

Under the TAB Onboard Device:  the following items have check marks.

• HDMI/Displays Port Audio
• LAN
• Trusted Platform Module 2.0 Presence
• PCIe port in M.2 Wireless Slot (For WLAN)
• USB Port in M.2 Wireless Slot (For Bluetooth)

SATA Tab, - Chipset SATA Controller Configuration 

• Chipset SATA - check mark in the box
• Chipset SATA Mode - AHCI
• S.M.A.R.T. - Check mark in box 
• SATA Port - Check mark in box 
• SATA Port - (not installed)
• Hard Disk Pre-Delay - 0
• HDD Activity LED - check mark in the box 

Under the TAB Add in Config. 

• iSCSI Configuration, -- Configure
• Intel(R) Ethernet ConnectionI219-LM - 54:B2:03:11:57:45       Configure

Not sure if this will help you in assisting me or not.  Hopefully it will and if you have more questions please do not hesitate to ask and I will do my best to give you the information you need to help me get this NUC up and running

Thanks Jeffrey.

[LeonWaksman]

Hello Jeffrey,

From the information provided in your last post, it occurs that your NUC is missing a storage drive (M.2 SSD). I came to this conclusion from two facts:

- in BIOS settings, the PCI slot is not populated

- you can't see the storage drive during Windows installation.

Could be that the SSD is not properly inserted into M.2 slot and/or not fastened with the fasting screw. So, to ensure this, please remove the bottom cover and check the SSD status.

Please refer to fig. 2, page 16 in the Technical Product Specification.    The SSD should be fully inserted in M.2 socket (item "L") and fastened with the screw on Wifi Adapter (item "G") standoff. Please refer to page 4-5 in the User Guide. 

If you have the SSD installed, unscrew the fastener, remove the SSD and reinstall it again.

Leon

[JEFFREYS]

Leon,

I opened up the device and took a picture for you to evaluate, hopefully you will be able so see what all is here.

Thanks Jeffrey

[LeonWaksman]

Hi Jeffrey,

Yes, I can see that you have an 256 GB Intel Series  760P NVMe SSD. However, it looks to me (looking at the first and the third image), that it is not properly inserted into M.2 socket.  It is inserted not up to the end and it is inserted crooked. When you inserting this SSD, you should push it into the socked, util you fill a click and the contacts are covered uniformly. Please see the attached images from my NUC.

Leon

[JEFFREYS]

Leon, 

I don't get it, never been this stumped before in my life.  It still shows "not installed" is there a chipset that I can download and install or a drive that i can force on it.  i can send you more info and pictures if you need, but i don't know what to do.  SCREAM LOL.

I appreciate you helping me and one way or the other there has to be a solution

Thanks Jeffrey

[JEFFREYS]

Leon, 

What about updating the BIOS and other things before even trying to attempt the Windows install.

i also just noticed on the bottom of the deviced it looks like at some point it may have had a Windows 10 IoT ent2016 installed not sure if this might be a issue.

Thanks Jeffrey

[LeonWaksman]

Hi,

1. "on the bottom of the deviced it looks like at some point it may have had a Windows 10 IoT ent2016 " Well, I don't know the "history" of this NUC. But if this an used NUC, Windows installation should not cause any problem, however, a hardware failure in the board or SSD can. If you followed my instructions from how to insert the SSD into the M.2 slot and BIOS Advanced > PCI, the M.2 slot shows still "Not populated", it can indicate failure in SSD or in the board.

2. Updating BIOS to the latest version is always good idea. The latest BIOS version is Version 0075. You can check which version you have installed on the BIOS Main screen. See the attached image.

3. If you want update your BIOS follow the instructions:

3.1. Prepare USB stick fully formatted to FAT32 . Format your USB with Quick Format option unchecked. Do not format your USB in MAC (OS) or Linux machine. Use Windows. Download the DNi50075.bio file. Copy the DNi50075.bio file to the root of this USB.
3.2. Insert the USB with the DNi50075.bio file into rear USB slot.

3.3. Power ON you NUC and when you see the Intel NUC logo, repeatedly click on F7. NUC will boot into storage menu. You should select your USB stick (mass storage device) and then the DNi50075.bio file. Click enter the update will start and end during 2-3 minutes.
3.4. When update ends, the NUC will reboot.
3.4. Power your NUC ON.
3.6. Enter Bios setting by pressing F2 during boot process.
3.7. Press F9(followed by Enter), to set Bios to default settings. Press F10 (followed by Enter), to save the settings and exit to O.S. Let the NUC fully reboot.

Leon

[JEFFREYS]

I updated the BIOS without any problems.  Always a good thing here is a series of picture i just took maybe you will see something that isn't set the right way.  

I really do appreciate your efforts in helping me. 

Thanks Jeffrey

[JEFFREYS]

here is one more let me know if you need any others 

jeffrey

[JEFFREYS]

this is what the screen looks like when i try to install windows 

thanks jeffrey

[LeonWaksman]

Hi Jeffrey,

I'm sorry, but I can't help any more. The BIOS is not causing the problem. You can boot from USB installation Media and you set it to default settings. The problem is in the M.2 socket (check for damaged contacts) or in failed SSD.

Leon

[ramble3458]

So I think this is an issue with the NUC7i5DNKE with NVMEs. I've got two of them and neither will accept an NVME drive and I no there is someone else on here who is having an identical problem to me with several different NVMEs. The intel answer is to use a 'supported' NVMe drive, but they haven't updated there list in forever and none of the supported drives appear to be commercially available now. I've tried encouraging intel to sort it, but I suspect they arent interested in the NUC7s any more!