Solved Installing 7 on a windows 8 laptop. Do i need to worry about drivers?

[computergeekguy]

As it says above trying to install 7 on my HP pavilion 17-e049wm witch has windows h8.

I cant stand windows 8 it is way past saving for me. Plus I don't have a touch screen so there is really no need to have windows 8 anyway.

I will save you from the large rant about all the things I cant stand but if anyone would like some entertainment you may ask for the full rant and rage pakage.

Any way do I need to worry about drivers for this machine? I went to hp's website looking for drivers for 7 but they only have it for 8 and 8.1.

If I needed to download drivers what would it be for and were do I get it.

Thanks

Edit: as much as I don't like windows update could it get me the drivers?

Thanks again

 

[computergeekguy]

well i did some looking around and this seems to be a lot deeper than I first realized. Windows 8 uses the new UEFI bios.

That means it wont be as easy as format the hard drive install windows 7. I dont think 7 will work with uefi alone. I have to figure out how to make the bios turn on legacy mode somehow. I don't know all the technical terms that they use as i only stated learning about this new UEFI bios today.

Basically i need new bios to talk to old windows 7.

I may need to go to 8 forums as they might be able to walk me through UEFI. I have created a windows 8 recovery disk so if i screw it up good i should be able to get back were i was. Supposedly. icnic:

Wish me luck

 

[Ztruker]

Not what you want to hear, but just installing a Start button program like Classic Shell (free) or Start8 ($4.95) will allow you to make Win 8 look and feel like Windows 7 yet still get the performance gains Win 8 provides (in some/most cases).

You can completely disable all hotspots if you want so you have to work at it to get to the Metro desktop. This is how I have mine set up. The only way I can get to the Metro Desktop is via Windows key + C.

For instance, this is what my Windows 8 desktop looks like:



Note the Quick Launch area of the Taskbar next to the Start button.

 

[computergeekguy]

Thank you for the suggestion Ztruker. It is not that i hate windows 8 (Though i must admit i was not impressed at first glance) but my work needs to run a program on it and it is not compatible.

I would much rather just leave it alone (as it will be a massive headache to get 7 to run) but I got to get this to work for my job.

Thanks for your help

 

[whs]

This may help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[gregrocker]

I am doing the same thing right now on a Pavilion 17-3019dx 17 3" laptop w/Core i3 -4000 (Haswell) I got off Best Buy for $399 on Cyber Monday. I want to test it first with a Dual Boot 7/8 so I can easily revert to take it back for full refund by Jan 15 (holiday return policy) if it isn't what I want. So I shrunk C by more than half to create a new partition, entered BIOS setup to disable Secure Boot and enable Legacy Mode on the Boot tab.

Then I booted a Win7 installer on a UEFI flash stick I'd formatted with Rufus as shown in UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows - although DVD install should work OK too. It installed fine and configured a Dual Boot menu with no problem.

What you don't have to do with an HP is delete all partitions as shown in the UEFI install tutorial. It will configure a Dual Boot just by installing Win7 to its separate partition.

When it started it had no wireless driver so I used the WIndows 8 wireless Realtek driver from the HP Support Downloads webpage, got online and installed 138 Important and Optional Upates. You might increase your chances of starting up online if you plug in by wire.

It also took the Win8 chipset, Intel Management Interface, Rapid Storage technology, and Video driver. So far I notice no performance deficits but I'm just finishing those final driver installs now.

Let me know how it goes for you. We can compare notes as we go. If Win7 works fine then I may leave Win8 on here but hide it, or we can help you remove it if you decide you want Win7 on the full drive or just want rid of Win8.

 

[computergeekguy]

Thank you whs That link will help me out a lot. And thanks greg you got me some driver info.

You got windows 8 drivers to work on 7?

I think I will go with the 7 only option for now but wont that mean I will need to reformat the hdd? I don't remember it saying that in any of the instructions provided by whs. Whenever reinstalling an os I would always reformat. But I haven't reinstalled an os since windows 2000 lol so maybe things have changed.

I made the 6 part recovery dvd of windows 8 recovery partition and hp tech support said it would install even on a blank hdd. So if I wanted to dual boot later on, or even install it on a different computer could I? It wouldn't be on this machine anymore so I should be able to put on one of my none work machines im hoping.

Well windows seven install disk should be here today as I had to order it from amazon. Walmart/Best Buy/Office max/Home Depot no longer sell it lol.

Thanks for you help guys

 

[theog]

Downgrade to Windows 7.
Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7
Warning you must have the UEFI/BIOS firmware setting in Step Three set.

Make sure you read the NOTE at Step three.

Boot the DVD in UEFI Mode.

 

[theog]

I am doing the same thing right now on a Pavilion 17-3019dx 17 3" laptop w/Core i3 -4000 (Haswell) I got off Best Buy for $399 on Cyber Monday. I want to test it first with a Dual Boot 7/8 so I can easily revert to take it back for full refund by Jan 15 (holiday return policy) if it isn't what I want. So I shrunk C by more than half to create a new partition, entered BIOS setup to disable Secure Boot and enable Legacy Mode on the Boot tab.

Then I booted a Win7 installer on a UEFI flash stick I'd formatted with Rufus as shown in UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows - although DVD install should work OK too. It installed fine and configured a Dual Boot menu with no problem.

What you don't have to do with an HP is delete all partitions as shown in the UEFI install tutorial. It will configure a Dual Boot just by installing Win7 to its separate partition.

When it started it had no wireless driver so I used the WIndows 8 wireless Realtek driver from the HP Support Downloads webpage, got online and installed 138 Important and Optional Upates. You might increase your chances of starting up online if you plug in by wire.

It also took the Win8 chipset, Intel Management Interface, Rapid Storage technology, and Video driver. So far I notice no performance deficits but I'm just finishing those final driver installs now.

Let me know how it goes for you. We can compare notes as we go. If Win7 works fine then I may leave Win8 on here but hide it, or we can help you remove it if you decide you want Win7 on the full drive or just want rid of Win8.

Looks like HP have updated the UEFI/BIOS firmware at last.

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, you can use some Windows 8 drivers in Windows 7. You may need to search for Windows 7 drivers for other devices.

If it's Unknown Device use Hardware Identification.

Then use Google or visit the manufacturer's Support Downloads webpage for the device.

If you have a driver you can't find post it in our Drivers forum where they will find it.

 

[computergeekguy]

well windows 7 installed like a charm but like i was saying there are no drivers what so ever. Not even the lan driver so i can not connect to the internet. I tried the windows 8 drivers and i don't think they worked.

Ill keep working at it.

 

[computergeekguy]

well i got windows 7 installed and working. Got the internet up and working and finally got the driver to work. Now i need to download all the other drivers so does anyone know a good program for downloading drivers lol

Thanks

 

[gregrocker]

Stick with the same steps in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7
to get and keep a perfect install.

For drivers, first enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3) then Check for Updates, install all Important and Optional, restart when requested, then go back to check for Updates after each restart until there are no more.

Only then would I import any drivers still missing in Device Manager,, unless there are performance issues traced to drivers. If you need help ask back here in our Drivers forum where they can find any driver.

 

[theog]

Check out those threads on HP, HP Pavilion 17 - e000sq & HP PAVILION 17-E020DX

HP Pavilion 17 - e000sq - HP Support Forum - 3173413
installed windows 7 ultmate 64 on my HP 17 e020dx E4W3... - HP Support Forum - 2988379

 

[computergeekguy]

Im going to go ahead and mark this as solved as windows 7 is up and running. Infact im using that laptop to type this message

The only problems left are a few illusive drivers but other than that im up and running.

Rep For evryone

 

[gregrocker]

If you cannot find drivers, ask in our Drivers forum as they can find any driver.

 

[Win7genius]

No not really

you do not need to worry about the drivers if that is a new computer because i was able to fully run both Windows 7 and Windows 8 dual-booted on a 7 year old laptop designed to run windows vista and has out-dated drivers

Hopes this helps