Windows 7 Pro OEM install freezes at initial startup

[obieephyhm]

Machine is a MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Plus updated bios set to UEFI with i9-9900kf with128gb RAM, 1 SSD (Samsung 2tb) and one 10TB WD Gold HDD attempting to clean install Win7pro from purchased OEM disk (Amazon) after four failures getting Win10Pro to run after clean install (machine ran for various lengths of time -weeks to months -- post-install with varying degrees of software installation in progress -- each time the machine would freeze and, upon reboot, it would be unable to boot, go to safe mode, or do any form of repair) The intended machine use is DAW/DVW. I am reverting to Windows 7 in an attempt to make use of this expensive hardware and because I own two OEM install disks.

I have read and printed the tutorials for 1) clean win7 install, 2) installing to a UEFI and 3) moving profiles to a different drive during install (Kari's).

When I went to install Win7pro today, all that happens is that it boots from the DVD then freezes as the Windows "Flag" does its thing. Machine will access the optical drive periodically, disk access light periodically flickers but nothing else appears to happen.

I am not clear on what I'm doing wrong; does anyone have any useful suggestions?

 

[SIW2]

csm on
secure boot off

There are no win7 igpu drivers for intel 10/11th gen . There is a mod for 9th gen (which I havent tested ), but your 9th gen F cpu doesnt have igpu anyway.

1.You need to apply the win7 image to the target partition.

2. Install the win7 drivers for your video card offline into the applied image using e.g. dism++

3. EDIT: I just checked my settings - if csm is off, then load the system hive and set vga.sys to start type 4 ( better do both controlsets) . Because you have an F cpu, you might need to turn csm off and disable vga.sys.

I do not have an F cpu, so I have csm on and vga.sys is at the deafult start type 1.

But if you turn csm off, you will also need to replace the files on the esp partition, because the win7 boot files require csm. I have tested this by turning csm off , disabling vga and replacing the win7 files on the esp partition with win11 files and it works perfectly.

4. Then you need to add a boot menu entry pointing at the win 7 partition.

That means when you boot up into that partition, win7 has the video card drivers.

If you were using 8th gen ( non F ) cpu, it is straightforward because we have the 8th gen igpu drivers from biostar. I am using them as I type.

You can not use the standard win7 install media because your cpu has no graphics support in win7 boot.wim

You can prepare the disk as above on a different machine, then put it in and boot up.

OR you can use win10/11 boot media or pe or similar to do the job.

You can borrow this:
1904v3.iso
extract the iso to usb with this:
View attachment Usb7ice.zip

You can plonk your win7 video card drivers on the same usb stick so you can navigate to them with dism++

 

[ian50]

"If you were using 8th gen ( non F ) cpu, it is straightforward because we have the 8th gen igpu drivers from biostar"

Yes. Now there is also a collated Win7 driver:

Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 (video cards) drivers for Windows

This has prepared entries in the Win7 section inf file for Amber Lake, Coffee Lake, Comet Lake, Whisky Lake series. I'm using the (unsigned) WHL EA0 entry now.

 

[SIW2]

Are you using the 5164 from that link?

 

[obieephyhm]

say . . . what?

I'm sorry, I have no idea what language you people are using.

You appear to be saying that the windows install can't because it can't use the Nvidia card that is installed?

I've never encountered that situation before. The rest of your response is utterly lost on me as I haven't ever had to do some sort of customization to do a Win7 install. That issue appears to arise from having a chip that Windows 7 can't handle?

I'm confused.

 

[SIW2]

Because of the cpu you have chosen , you will need a couple of workarounds for win7. It doesnt officially support win7.

Neither does mine, though it works beautifully.

 

[ian50]

"Are you using the 5164 from that link?"

Yes. Unsigned on installation but "Install anyway" works perfectly. The EA0 entry in the Win7 WHL section of the inf file is chosen on my PC (HP 250 i5-8265U).

 

[obieephyhm]

Sigh.

Clearly, I'm out of my depth. I thought it would be trivial to revert to 7 since 10 wasn't working.

 

[SIW2]

It is not that difficult. Millions of people do it.

8th gen and newer:

For any body with a non F cpu, install as normal with csm on and secure boot off. Then add (unofficial) drivers for the on cpu graphics, or the official win7 drivers for a graphics card.


The F cpu adds a small complication.

Some of the machines churned out by dell and similar oems dont have csm support which needs a workaround. But as far as I know that isnt an issue with non oem mobos which do have csm support

 

[Megahertz07]

I'm sorry, I have no idea what language you people are using.

You appear to be saying that the windows install can't because it can't use the Nvidia card that is installed?

I've never encountered that situation before. The rest of your response is utterly lost on me as I haven't ever had to do some sort of customization to do a Win7 install. That issue appears to arise from having a chip that Windows 7 can't handle?

I'm confused.

New MB+CPU requires new drivers that are not on the Win 7 installation drive. You have to add them to the Win 7 installation drive.
6th Intel generation (skylake- 2015 - 2016) was the last generation officially supported for Win 7.
That doesn't mean that Win 7 can't be installed on new generations, but it's not trivial and has restrictions.
Win 7, 8 and 10 can be installed as Legacy-MBR or UEFI-GPT. As you have a new MB, you should try to install as UEFI-GPT
obieephyhm, If you have no idea of what SIW2 is talking about on post #2, I think you should install Win 10 as it is plug and play.
If you're having trouble installing Win 10, post a thread at Installation and Upgrade - Windows 10 Forums and we will help you.

 

[obieephyhm]

I have tried installing Win10pro. Four times. Fails at different intervals but the same symptoms. Have asked for help here (in the proper forum) and the basic result is 'do another clean install' -- which I've done three times and end up in the same place each time with varying degrees of time wasted installing DAW software only to have it fail when applications are used.

It smells like a hardware problem to me but I'm unable to find information that tells me anything meaningful. I supposed I could have a 'lemon' component but it hasn't shown in the limited diagnostics (which can only be run in pre-failure mode). So far, I'm considering: 1) something funky in the power supply (EGA 850 gold) which should be enough to drive the system as configured); 2) some sata/M.2 conflict on the 'shared' port; 3) some conflict with the sata port replicator I installed to get me additional drive capacity; 4) some conflict involving both 2) & 3); 5) something weird happening in the 128gb of installed ram; 6) something heat-related with the CPU (which isn't overclocked).

Problem is, I haven't any way of narrowing the field of competitors here and I desperately (for whatever is left of my vanishing sanity) need to find a way to break the gridlock -- in one way or another I've been dealing with this problem for nearly a year without anything but heartbreak when it fails again. I would like to spend my impending retirement doing creative work with the 'puter, not bashing my brains with a brick.

 

[SIW2]

"Are you using the 5164 from that link?"

Yes. Unsigned on installation but "Install anyway" works perfectly. The EA0 entry in the Win7 WHL section of the inf file is chosen on my PC (HP 250 i5-8265U).

Do you have uhd620?

That 5164 doesnt work for my uhd630. The biostar drivers work for me.

- - - Updated - - -

I have tried installing Win10pro. Four times. Fails at different intervals but the same symptoms. Have asked for help here (in the proper forum) and the basic result is 'do another clean install' -- which I've done three times and end up in the same place each time with varying degrees of time wasted installing DAW software only to have it fail when applications are used.

It smells like a hardware problem to me but I'm unable to find information that tells me anything meaningful. I supposed I could have a 'lemon' component but it hasn't shown in the limited diagnostics (which can only be run in pre-failure mode). So far, I'm considering: 1) something funky in the power supply (EGA 850 gold) which should be enough to drive the system as configured); 2) some sata/M.2 conflict on the 'shared' port; 3) some conflict with the sata port replicator I installed to get me additional drive capacity; 4) some conflict involving both 2) & 3); 5) something weird happening in the 128gb of installed ram; 6) something heat-related with the CPU (which isn't overclocked).

Problem is, I haven't any way of narrowing the field of competitors here and I desperately (for whatever is left of my vanishing sanity) need to find a way to break the gridlock -- in one way or another I've been dealing with this problem for nearly a year without anything but heartbreak when it fails again. I would like to spend my impending retirement doing creative work with the 'puter, not bashing my brains with a brick.

Do the logs tell you anything?
Windows setup log file locations - Windows Client | Microsoft Docs

 

[ian50]

SIW2

"Do you have uhd620?"

Yes. Identifies as Intel Iris Plus 655 with both the Biostar and 5164 driver versions.

I have come across a 5164 version that says both the igdkmd64.sys; igdlh64.inf files are modified for UHD630 chips. I still have a copy of that zip file but I've not tested it (don't have a UHD630 chip) and I have no idea where I got it from now. Probably Win-Raid. If you can suggest a way, I'll supply it to you for testing.

 

[SIW2]

It is worth a try, always interesting to find as many useful drivers as possible. You could upload it in a zip file to onedrive or mega or similar.

Easy to set up an account at either place and get some free storage, if you havent already.

I also tried canonkongs drivers here - not working for me, though apparently they work for 9th gen.
graphics for intel 9th gen UHD 630
password: xiaofengmod

 

[ian50]

SIW2

Ok.

https://mega.nz/file/JsJWxBxb

aLycG_n2MtQthHsROVE7Y6XAXZd9mgbes3BEHs0ZJ8Y

As is. Untested by me but modded for UHD630 chip.

DriverVer=08/06/2020,21.20.16.5164

[AVG Anti-virus scanned, no flag found]

 

[SIW2]

You can normally include the decryption key as part of the link instead of separately.

 

[ian50]

All these cloud sharers have little itsy bitsy detox rules. I'm not much bothered.

You should be able to download the zip, I did test it before posting here.

Whether this actually works for you is of interest, though.