Solved UEFI-GPT dual boot Windows 7 Ultimate x64 setup on brand new SSD

[GuiRitter]

Hi everyone.

I've got a new laptop (the information that I filled out when I registered should be around here somewhere) and I replaced it's 1 TB HDD by a 240 GB SSD. I want to have a Windows/Linux dual boot setup, so I started installing Windows. I have the Windows DVD ISO, but the DVD itself is pretty damaged so I have to use an USB stick.

I want my drive to be partitioned in UEFI-GPT, because I want to use UEFI and I read somewhere* that GPT is a better combination for Windows/Linux dual boot setups.
*(Dual boot with Windows - ArchWiki)

I'm following this tutorial:
How to install Windows 7 in UEFI Mode with a USB

It took a while, but I got the USB stick to boot and Windows to install. However, when it boots after the setup, it hangs at the "Starting Windows" screen. If I forcibly turn it off and on again, it briefly shows the "Resuming Windows" screen and quickly goes to a black screen forever (I've left it like that overnight).

If I open the setup USB stick, go to the repair tools, go to File Manager and delete the hiberfil.sys and pagefile.sys files (imagining it wouldn't brick the installation, but having nothing to lose anyway), I managed to get to the Safe Boot screen. Upon trying to safe boot, it hangs on a classpnp.sys.

I've tried to mess with the drive settings in the bios (enable/disable AHCI, etc), but it only kept the drive from being found. I've also tried to remove the USB stick before the first reboot, but it makes no difference.

I tried Rufus 2.12 and it didn't change a thing

What else can I try? Other than not using UEFI-GPT?

EDIT: further information:

Found a Brazilian website that suggests to do the diskpart thing right after booting from the USB, then reboot and continue with the setup as is explained in the tutorial above. That too didn't work.
(Como instalar o Windows 7, 8 e Windows 10 em modo UEFI)

Thanks in advance.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome GuiRitter I am a little confused as to what machine you are posting about is it the one in System specs at bottom left hand corner of this post?? see pic

Now I suggest you follow these and make yourself a fresh ISO from the link in the clean install tutorial - it will need to be made int a bootable form first though.
Clean Install Windows 7

After first making the drive is made a GPT disk
Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk

Having said that I think you need to clean the drive first before you do anything
Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

You will need access to another machine to do those though.

Now instead of following that "tutorial" you linked you need to follow this one instead
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with

Whichever way you decide to go personally I would make sure the drive is cleaned at least.

One ,ore thing you will need to do is follow this quote

Please change the option "Secure Boot" to "disabled" and the "UEFI Boot" to "CSM Boot" in order to allow the system to boot from external devices.

 

[Megahertz07]

To install Win 7 on a UEFI-GPT:
- Your BIOS must be UEFI (It seems to be as it's a 5th generation i5)
- You must disable (on BIOS) Secure Boot and Fast boot (until installation end) and enable CSM.
- On CSM (Compatible System Mode) you must set boot priority to UEFI)
- You must boot the Win 7 installation USB disk under UEFI, not legacy.
- Boot the Win 7 installation USB disk under UEFI, go to advanced - Delete all partitions - Create new 180G.
Win 7 installation will create 3 partitions.
- UEFI - 100M -Fat32
- MSR - 120M - RAW
- Large NTFS (~180G)
Will remain 60G RAW partition (to install Linux)
Install win 7 on the Large NTFS (~180G)
When you finish installation, please report.

To install Linux, you must also boot the installation disk as UEFI. Install it on the 60G RAW Partition.

 

[GuiRitter]

To install Win 7 on a UEFI-GPT:
- Your BIOS must be UEFI (It seems to be as it's a 5th generation i5)
- You must disable (on BIOS) Secure Boot and Fast boot (until installation end) and enable CSM.
- On CSM (Compatible System Mode) you must set boot priority to UEFI)
- You must boot the Win 7 installation USB disk under UEFI, not legacy.
- Boot the Win 7 installation USB disk under UEFI, go to advanced - Delete all partitions - Create new 180G.
Win 7 installation will create 3 partitions.
- UEFI - 100M -Fat32
- MSR - 120M - RAW
- Large NTFS (~180G)
Will remain 60G RAW partition (to install Linux)
Install win 7 on the Large NTFS (~180G)
When you finish installation, please report.

To install Linux, you must also boot the installation disk as UEFI. Install it on the 60G RAW Partition.

I managed to do it by disabling CSM before reading your reply. I didn't tried it before because I thought it would screw up the Linux installation. Turns out Windows installed OK with CSM, then Linux installed OK without CSM (installing GRUB in the EFI partition created by Windows), and then GRUB can boot both systems with CSM on.

Funny thing is that, when I boot Windows with CSM, it freezes at "Starting Windows", but I can hear the tune that plays when it boots. Then I type my password and hit Enter, and I can hear the tune that plays when it logs in, still with the screen frozen at "Starting Windows"...

I'm only replying now because only now I've managed to verify that what I needed working in each OS is indeed working.

Thanks for all the help.