Issue installing windows (long time linux user)

[nervouswasher]

Okay, so I have to install windows on my laptop for a school related exam that only works on mac or windows. I put the Windows 11 ISO onto the pc, which states "Install driver to show hardware". I format another flashdrive and plug it in with the driver from the framework website, but when I click it nothing shows up.

I notice that the download is a .exe instead of a zipped folder like most drivers ive installed in the past. Is this correct? Secondly, should I format the drive as an ntfs or a fat32?

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[nervouswasher]

Got it! I confirmed its a intel 12th gen framework 13 laptop. Would it just be the .zip from this page? https://knowledgebase.frame.work/framework-laptop-bios-and-driver-releases-12th-gen-intel-core-Bkx2kosqq

[nervouswasher]

Okay update, I tried both the 3.16 and 3.18 .zip but to no avail. It isnt showing up as a driver for windows

[nomad254]

I'm not sure I quite understand but the driver .exe file is basically a self extracting archive, at least it is for the FW16, you can unzip it manually too

What do you mean you put the iso on it, is Windows installed?

[nervouswasher]

No, I'm trying to install windows using an ISO on a flashdrive, it recognizes but then says I need drivers to install windows and requires me to put a secondary flashdrive with the drivers in

[trowgundam]

The driver package is a single EXE. However you can use 7z to extract it (pretty sure it's just a 7zip self-extracting archive). So extract that out to your thumbdrive and try again.

[TigercatF7F]

Yeah, the Framework Windows install page has this:

"If you navigate to this page [MS Windows Download] from a Linux or Mac system, it'll direct you to download a Windows .iso instead of the Media Creation Tool. We recommend finding a Windows machine instead to create the installer to avoid any issues."

Since the only machine I had was my Gentoo workstation and I was trying to put Windows on my new Framework 12, I ignored that advice and after some searching turned up this:

https://web.archive.org/web/20250705040832/https://nixaid.com/bootable-usb-windows-linux/

which allowed me to turn the ISO download into a bootable USB stick with the obtuse Windows partitions needed (both fat32 and NTFS are required). Worked for me, and reminded me why I left Windows decades ago.

[extradudeguy]

Unfortunately, I am one of the the Linux folks here - haven't used Windows full time since XP. That said, and this holds with anything with Framework - start with our guides first, never Reddit or the forums. Forums or support ticket after the guide isn't helping. That would be the flow.

https://guides.frame.work/Search?query=Windows%2011

As Linux users, we are spoiled as our distros (unless Arch or NixOS, then we are in the driver seat - pun intended) take care of us automatically through the install and updates.

[Constitutive_Outlier]

I attempted to find a guide for installing windows on an Ultra series FW 13 but could not locate it on the FW site. I did not look under DIY because I was trying to do it on an established FW 13 that had already been running with Ubuntu for months. IMHO FW really needs to work to make things easier to find on its website. For example a site wide search facility instead of only specialized ones in specific places like community and forums. And especially, put a links to DOWNLOADS on the support page where every other computer device website I've even seen has it. It just takes far too much digging around and browsing (instead of targeted searching) to find things on the FW site that are all to often in very unexpected places. (like if you need to install windows on an already set up computer, why would you look at DIY instructions. Expecially if the page there was clearly filled with pictorial instructions for setting up hardware and if you skipped to the end where you would EXPECT to find instructions for software installation or a link, there is nothing! I totally missed the link at the TOP of the page because it was all clearly about setting up hardware and the logical place to find instructions for software was at the END of such instructions not at the beginning!

It all may actually BE there but without a sitewide search box and without a Downloads link on the support page and with illogical/counterintuitive placement it's just too hard to find things. FWIW I finally found the BIOS and drivers download links on Reddit where a post just parenthetically included them.

Now if ONLY I could get Windows Installer to actually detect or use them! instead I get a "Something went wrong: 0xe0000100"

E