[Rehan]

Hello People, I am trying to install windows 7 on my laptop but it shows errors.This laptop was issued by the PM of Pakistan for students.A Professional Windows 10 was installed in it.I was very irritated of windows 10 auto updates.I tired different methods to stop that updates.At the last i decided to go back to windows 7.

First i made a windows 7 bootable usb.When i tried to install windows 7 using Bootable usb.It shows " No drivers found for installing windows 7. " I searched out google and found that if the windows installation shows that error you need to unplug your usb and try again if does not works try changing the usb port.I tried both methods but failed to load the disk.Then i bought a windows 7 DVD.The error that was  showing with usb was fixed.When i formatted the hard disk partition to install the windows.It shows "windows can not be installed on this partition. I thought that it is the problem with the system partition that windows create automatically.Windows 10 create 500 MB partition for system files but windows 7 creates 100 MB.So i decided to delete the whole hard drive and create partitions again.I deleted the partitions and created again.Now a 100 MB additional partition was created by windows automatically.But still i was getting the same message again.Then i decided to call a computer expert.He told me it is possible by updating the system BIOS.He said to take the laptop to him.I thought if he can install i can also.I searched google again and found a latest BIOS for my laptop from the dell's official website.I updated the My System BIOS with a flash drive.Now i decided to install windows 10 first because i was scared.Windows 10 was installed successfully.After that i put the Windows 7 DVD again and gave boot to system.Now system goes auto restart immediately on windows 7 logo. I tried again and again but same problem.Restart immediately with the windows 7 logo.This problem was with other dell system also but it was fixed by changing the SATA Drive option to " Auto RAID /ATA ".But there is no option in this system BIOS.It shows only disable and AHCI. I am very tired of this.Please help me if anybody know how to fix that error.It shows blue screen immediately with the restart.    
Please Help!

[deanhills]

Your efforts reminds me of my own with Dell Bios (however with a desktop) during early 2017. As far as I know you need to upgrade your BIOS first. Why not take your laptop to the guy who suggested you take it to him so he can fix it for you and then he could load Windows 7 for you at the same time? That would be my first recommendation - particularly after how I also struggled to fix the BIOS last year.

If there is a specific reason why you don't want to do it, I'd start from scratch with first upgrading the BIOS from the laptop BIOS downloads of the specific laptop you have. Then completely reformat the hard disk first before you load Windows 7. Don't load Windows 10. Best way usually is to do it directly from the Dell Website where they ask you for your model and your serial number.

Here are the steps for updating the BIOS:
http://www.dell.com/support/article/za/e...em?lang=en

And here are the steps for reformatting the hard disk of the laptop - note it asks you to get the Microsoft CD that was given when you purchased the laptop - maybe the laptop is looking for a CD instead of a flash disk - if that is the case make sure you have set up BIOS to select from CD first:
https://www.dell.com/community/Storage-D...-p/3192088

Also check the rest of the above discussion as someone gives links to how you can install the drivers and operating system and also reformat the hard disk completely so it can start from scratch. In my own experience Dell prefers you to give them the serial number of your laptop and then provides you with the exact drivers you need direct from their website. The latter is usually the best way to fix anything of a Dell Device.

[Rehan]

Thanks for your reply. As you said i should update my system BIOS.I already have posted in 1st post that i have updated the latest BIOS from the official Dell Website.On the other hand, If that man can fix the issue i can also.So i want to fix it myself.And Off course I shall success very soon.Lets wait for some other replies.

[deanhills]

Thanks for your reply. As you said i should update my system BIOS.I already have posted in 1st post that i have updated the latest BIOS from the official Dell Website.On the other hand, If that man can fix the issue i can also.So i want to fix it myself.And Off course I shall success very soon.Lets wait for some other replies.

OK got it.  Have you checked through the discussion in the link below as there are a great variety of suggestions you could try out and feedback and response to some of the suggestions has been positive:
https://www.dell.com/community/Storage-D...-p/3192088

[Mashiro]

a) I'm going to assume that the notebook that you have received is a very recent one and is using the newest technologies.
b) I'm also going to assume that the drive in that notebook is probably an M2 NVMe device or a similar very new storage technology.
c) New hardware these days usually comes with NVMe SSDs or other M2 SSD drivers that are based on very new technology generations.


Taking a, b and c into consideration and the fact that Windows 7 installer doesn't show any drives means that Windows 7 simply doesn't support the storage technology used in the notebook because it lacks the necessary drivers. So what you have to do is simple. Get the proper drivers for the storage device from the site of the notebook company. Put them on the same USB thumb drive where you have the Windows 7 installer, or on a different USB thumb drive or burn them onto a CD.

Start the Windows 7 installer and at the disk selection screen open the advanced options and then load drivers. Select the drive where you have the drivers on and there select the folder with the drivers. The installer will perform a scan and look for a matching driver for the storage device. Select the matching driver from the list and it will install the driver. After that you should be able to see the disk and use it for the installation.

This is a common issue when you install Windows and Windows Server on a KVM VPS with Virtio drives and network cards. You don't see any drives until you load up the Virtio drivers and install them during the Windows installer screens. I also experienced it at work when we got brand new HP Z240 SFF workstations that had a 256 GB NVMe SSD as their main drive. We used SCCM to install Windows 7 images onto it. It always only installed on the 1 TB storage HDD and never showed the SSD in the OS until I simply let Windows do a local scan for drives on our network share and it found the NVMe driver in the driver folder of the Z240 SFF folder. We forgot to include it into the driver package and the boot image. After doing that the installation went onto the SSD just fine.


A hint: Don't disable AHCI in the BIOS.

AHCI is pretty much a default standard these days to get the maximum performance out of the storage devices and furthermore it is a general requirement for SSDs to work properly.

IDE mode is almost ancient technology now and will cause issues with SSDs and other modern storage technology (mainly degraded performance and higher latency). RAID is probably not even necessary in your case as you may have only a single storage device and you may not even want to use a RAID.


Alternatively you can try and see if that works: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind...ea815ce551

Although I really think it is rather issue due to lack of drivers.


My two cents about issues with Windows 7 on new hardware below:

A general thing about Windows 7 and new hardware. Just don't try it. You need to be aware that Windows 7 is really old by todays standards and doesn't support a lot of hardware technologies and in addition to that hardware companies like Intel and etc together with Microsoft have come to agreements to NOT support Windows 7 and other OSs on new hardware. So even you manage to install it and you have issues with it... No one will give you support.

I experienced this with my 6th generation Intel CPU and the chipset on the mainboard. I can't install Windows 7 because the input devices simply won't work. I even spent hours slipstreaming USB 3.0 drivers (even though I have two USB 2.0) drivers into a Windows 7 ISO but after installing it the input devices didn't work. So I could do absolutely nothing on the system and had to install Windows 10 back.

I did research after that and it's simply very bad luck for me. 6th generation of Intel and some chipsets that come for it simply don't work with Windows 7. Windows 8.1 did work though.

Another reason not to use Windows 7 is the massive performance degradation when comparing it to Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 on new hardware.

[xdude]

I have a Dell lapton with which I had similar problem. I ended up installing Windows 8.1. I'm a big fan of Windows 7 and still have it in my Desktop but I had enough with messing with BOIS and everything in that bloody Laptop.

[Rehan]

Thanks for your reply @Hidden Refuge , Yea you are right the laptop has the latest specs and does not support the old windows version.As i asked at the dell website community.They told me to buy a old pc for windwos 7.
I think there's no way to install windows 7 but i shall try all of the ideas you gave me.
Thanks once again.

[Mashiro]

If you don't wish to receive feature updates like the one with big version changes I only have a single hint for you: Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB. It is a Windows 10 version with extended support and therefore it only receives security updates and no big major upgrades. In addition to that it doesn't have all the Microsoft Store apps, it doesn't have Cortana and etc. Telemetry can be disabled and updates can be controlled via GPOs.

The ISO is freely available online. Here is a free high speed mirror of the official MSDN ISOs of Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB.

32 Bit: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...060085.iso
64 Bit: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...060114.iso

32 Bit - N Version: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...058321.iso
64 Bit - N Version: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...058303.iso

Activation hint: google for nsaneforum hwid.mk3

[Rehan]

If you don't wish to receive feature updates like the one with big version changes I only have a single hint for you: Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB. It is a Windows 10 version with extended support and therefore it only receives security updates and no big major upgrades. In addition to that it doesn't have all the Microsoft Store apps, it doesn't have Cortana and etc. Telemetry can be disabled and updates can be controlled via GPOs.

The ISO is freely available online. Here is a free high speed mirror of the official MSDN ISOs of Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB.

32 Bit: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...060085.iso
64 Bit: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...060114.iso

32 Bit - N Version: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...058321.iso
64 Bit - N Version: http://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20...058303.iso

Activation hint: google for nsaneforum hwid.mk3

Ah Thanks for your reply . I shall try your methods but i need a more question .
Is it possible to install a older version of the system BIOS ? If yes i shall try searching a old BIOS for my Laptop .I think it will be possible if I will success in going to old BIOS .

[Mashiro]

A bit of resource has brought up this site: http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/e...em?lang=en

Try to look up something like "Downgrade BIOS Dell <your model here>". You may find some guides or threads on forums.

You didn't provide any other details about your device than that it is pretty new and from Dell. You didn't mention what model it was, its specifications or anything else helpful... So searching for helpful and working information is quite an adventure.