If you are trying to reinstall Windows and the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen is blank, it isn't a hardware failure.

If Acer’s site is down, you can fetch the universal driver from Intel:

You may have a different storage mode. Boot into BIOS and check SATA Mode:

The real nightmare began when she tried to reinstall Windows.

Under the tab, they looked for the IRST (Intel Rapid Storage Technology) Driver .

Once Windows is successfully installed on your Acer N20C5, ensuring peak SSD health and system stability requires keeping the storage controller software updated.

Turn on the laptop and tap repeatedly to open the Boot Menu, then select your USB drive.

The Acer N20C5 (the regulatory model number commonly associated with the Acer Aspire 3 and Aspire 5 laptop series) is a popular budget-friendly machine. However, many users face a frustrating issue when trying to clean-install Windows 10 or Windows 11 on it: the installation setup displays a blank screen stating, "We couldn't find any drives. To get a storage driver, click Load driver."

: Move the entire extracted folder onto the same USB flash drive you are using for the Windows installation. 3. Load the Driver During Windows Setup

The Windows installer cannot read a .zip file directly. You must extract the contents so the setup configuration can read the raw driver files ( .inf , .sys , and .cat ). Locate the downloaded IRST ZIP file on your working PC.

If your laptop packaging or sticker says Core i3/i5/i7-xxx, it is 10th Gen. If it says Core i3/i5/i7- 11 xxx, it is 11th Gen. If it says Core i3/i5/i7- 12 xxx, it is 12th Gen. Step 2: Download the Driver

For quick reference, the IRST driver for the is available at: https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Driver/IRST/IRST_Intel_18.6.1.1016_W11x64_A.zip . If your specific N20C5 variant is not listed, use the model-specific support page to ensure compatibility.

Open a web browser on a working computer and navigate to the official page.

Your SSD is not dead. Your installation media is not corrupted. You simply lack the .