Windows 7 installation on UEFI computer, URGENT help needed.

Hi

I have a laptop with windows 8.1 pro x64 but i never was comfortable with windows 8.1 or 8. I am more comfortable with windows 7 but the problem is that this is a UEFI laptop with secure boot enabled and obviously partitions must be GPT (not sure).

I deleted all the partitions by taking out the drive from machine, attaching it with my desktop system (windows XP) and used EaseUS partition manager to delete all the partition table and made simple partition style of 1 primary and 3 extended logical drives. (It also deleted the recovery and system reserved partitions).
My C drive is 50GB now.
For installing windows 7, i did some settings in BIOS:

Secure boot - disabled
boot type - legacy boot type (other options are UEFI boot type and dual boot type)
Intel rapid start - disabled
Intel rapid storage - disabled
Intel anti-theft - disabled
AHCI type - SATA (other option is RAID)

However my question is something else. If i want to install windows 7 in UEFI mode, i know i have to use RUFUS to make it UEFI bootable and install it. BUT i want to know something:

1. For installing Windows 7 in UEFI, DO THE PARTITIONS need to be in GPT mode?

Because as far i THINK now that i made partitions again so it must be in BIOS mode and not the GPT mode. Am i right?

2. Installing OS still, WITHOUT UEFI (disabled UEFI boot from BIOS) and partitions in BIOS mode, will the OS windows 7 function normal or not?

1 Yes,they have to be GPT.Otherwise,you may render your system unbootable in UEFI mode.

2.Windows 7 will function normally,but you won't get the advantages UEFI has. If you want them,boot from the USB in UEFI mode,set Boot Mode in UEFI and install Windows 7 normally.

If you encounter any problem,let us know as soon as possible.

VistaUltimate said:

1 Yes,they have to be GPT.Otherwise,you may render your system unbootable in UEFI mode.

2.Windows 7 will function normally,but you won't get the advantages UEFI has. If you want them,boot from the USB in UEFI mode,set Boot Mode in UEFI and install Windows 7 normally.

If you encounter any problem,let us know as soon as possible.

Thanks for your kind reply.
If i still enable UEFI and install windows 7 (by UEFI bootable USB using RUFUS) but the partition table is BIOS mode and NOT GPT mode. Won't it make problems? I mean system unstable or unbootable?

You will receive errors that the disk is of the MBR partition style. Delete all the partitions,select your drive (Disk 0) and continue installation normally:)

Thanks for all the kind info dear. I am very much obliged.

There`s no such thing as a C drive.

Do you mean C partition ?

Yes, pardon my mistake. I meant C partition.

And why is it ony 50 GB ?

I partitioned the whole drive into parts. I don't see the need of one big 460gb C partition, because in case the OS goes nuts, the whole data is also lost. So, i made different partitions and made the C drive 50gb.

I really see no benefit to windows using the UEFI bios.

I want to know more of this. I am not a technical person. I do understand the things but not in extreme depth because it's not my field.
Why then so much hype is being created that UEFI is something "inception" of something new and it is so much helpful to systems and blah blah blah, when there is really no positive aspect of it.

AddRAM said:

50 GB is too small for windows.

I`ve installed in UEFI and Legacy, I myself just see no advantage of UEFI once you`re in windows, so I see no point of going through the hassle.

Exactly right. I totally agree with it. Once you are inside windows, what good is UEFI anymore. You are not going to use BIOS for doing works, you are going to use windows. THOUGH there might be some advantages to booting times etc. but i can wait 10 seconds more for windows to boot up if there is faster booting time with UEFI and better security. AND i can also wait even 15 seconds more for windows to boot up even compared with SSD boot times. LOLLz sorry that was a joke.

Thanks for your kind helping.

Every BIOS is different so blanket statements about UEFI do not apply.

Try installing first to UEFI while deleting all partitions during install which is normally enough to reset disk formatting. If not Run Diskpart Clean Command from Troubleshooting Steps below, Followed by Convert GPT.