Downgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 7. Need Driver Help  

I have a Windows install DVD but I don't have a DVD drive in my laptop. I'm pretty sure even if I tried using a USB DVD drive it wouldn't work since the installer can't detect my USB ports.

My bad, i forgot that your machine don't have an optical drive.

Had an SSD in my OLD Compaq laptop with Windows 7 on it.

If this old laptop still boots fine, there is a way. Unplug your HP Envy's hard drive and fit in to the Compaq machine. Now boot the Compaq from your install DVD/USB and open a command prompt window as per the below instructions ( originall for 8 but the same applies to 7 ).

Command Prompt - Boot to at Startup in Windows 8


Now you need to use DISKPART utility to issue the CLEAN command. This will wipe out the GPT partition table created by Windows 8. Please refer step 3 and onward of the below guide.

Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

After cleaning the partition table, follow to install Windows 7 and partition according to your needs. After the file copying and expanding stage is over, system will restart. When the system restarts and BIOS screen appears, immediately power of the machine and disconnect the HDD. Then put back the HDD in HP Envy and power on it. The installation process will continue and hopefully will finish without issues.

This works because the first stage of installation performs nothing but merely file copy and creating necessary files required for boot in the system partition. The second stage will actually detect the system hardware and configure Windows to work with it.

Let's start with what i can see from your data. After that, i'm confused by some of the posts so maybe you can clarify

1. You already have Windows 7 Pro x64 installed at this point
2. Yes, your computer has an AMD CPU, graphics card and chipset (so you don't want anything from Intel)
3. From what i see, the USB 3.0 controller already has an AMD driver installed as well

All that said

• Are you saying your USB ports don't work??? USB flash drives and disks? Other USB devices? If yes, describe the problem. (Do hear the USB connect sounds? See any driver install failures? ,etc)
• You already have Win 7 installed, so how did you that?
• As to your CD/DVD, you're saying one exists but not being detected? Check your BIOS. See if it's listed there. If not, I'd remove and reseat the CD drive with a good push. If still not detected, it's probably failed

/* EDIT */
p.s. The "problem" device reported is a non-plug and play driver from AMD for web acceleration. I wouldn't worry about it at this point

If you open and look in Device Manager, do you see any devices with yellow icons? There may be one for the AMD web accelerator. I would right click on your USB 2 and USB 3 controllers, select Unisntall. Then in DevMgr menu click Action->Scan for hardware changes. Do the drivers reinstall without error?

I have Windows 7(from HP/Compaq) installed on an SSD from an old laptop but wanted to install a fresh copy on a newer SSD in the HP laptop. I tried the old SSD to see if the drivers would install Windows 7(and make sure everything was compatible) and it worked. If it worked, I was going to install a fresh retail copy of Windows 7 without all the bloatware on the newer SSD and use that.

I just can't figure out how it will load the AMD USB 3.0 drivers in the OS but not when it's in the installer. Just doesn't make any sense to me.

I think you have two different issues here
1. How would you do a clean Windows 7 install if you don't have a CD/DVD drive? and
2. How would you add AMD USB 3.0 drivers after you do a clean install Win 7 install?

Let's talk about the 2nd issue first: Many vendor drivers need to be installed after a clean Windows 7 installation. You can get find most on HP support site or Windows Update. But you're specifically worred about the AMD USB 3.0 driver? Before doing a clean install, start by backing up all the current drivers. Use DoubleDriver. The backup will include the AMD USB 3 driver you want.

Tip: The word "driver" is used loosely by vendors (and everyone). The word can refer to one of two different things
> The "driver package" or
> The "device installation app"

The "driver package" is the lean and mean set of files needed to install and get the device hardware to work. Driver packages are installed by INF files. (The driver package is what people usually think of when refering to "drivers")

The "device installation app" is the EXE file typically downloaded from vendor sites. These installation apps always include the driver package packed inside but can also include application level software (a good example is Catalyst Control Center). CCC isn't needed for the hardware to work. But is a software app from the vendor to help use/config their device.

Driver backup tools only backup the driver package, not the installation app. But once you get the packages installed (and h/w working) you can go find the apps as needed.

p.s. The AMD USB 3 driver is only a package. So you'll get it all from the backup...

So do the driver backup. Then can figure out how to clean install