How to install Windows 7 on a Surface Pro 1

Will I be able to slipstream network and touchpad drivers as well? I don't want to have to use an external USB network adapter.

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It freezes on boot animation. Does not restart.

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[QUOTE=regrettiupsetti;3516916]Will I be able to slipstream network and touchpad drivers as well? I don't want to have to use an external USB network adapter.
I tried it, stuck on Starting Windows. When setup was done, it made it to the boot animation but it was stuck on setup is updating registry settings screen. Restarted to the Starting Windows and froze.

[QUOTE=regrettiupsetti;3516916]Will I be able to slipstream network and touchpad drivers as well? I don't want to have to use an external USB network adapter.

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It freezes on boot animation. Does not restart.

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regrettiupsetti said:

Will I be able to slipstream network and touchpad drivers as well? I don't want to have to use an external USB network adapter.
I tried it, stuck on Starting Windows. When setup was done, it made it to the boot animation but it was stuck on setup is updating registry settings screen. Restarted to the Starting Windows and froze.

I looked up your card (Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac) on drp.su. There are drivers for this card: Download Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Adapter drivers for Windows 7 x64 | DriverPack. Did you use the FlashBootPro EFI files? The reason why it freezes could either be because the NVME drivers don't work, or because the UEFI files aren't working, or maybe because Secure Boot is off. You could try debugging to see what is causing the problem. If the UEFI files are the problem, boot a Windows 8/10 PE, and try entering these commands:
rem disable vga.sys 640x480 16 colors
ren C:\windows\system32\drivers\vga.sys *.off
set Services=HKLM\loaded_SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services
reg.exe load HKLM\loaded_SYSTEM C:\Windows\system32\config\system
reg.exe add "%Services%\Vga" /f /t REG_DWORD /v "Start" /d 4
reg.exe add "%Services%\VgaSave" /f /t REG_DWORD /v "Start" /d 4
reg.exe unload HKLM\loaded_SYSTEM

If that's not working, you can try the UefiSeven files, or you can try this method (though I haven't had success with either method): [TIP] Windows 7 UEFI install without CSM | My Digital Life Forums. It also could be the case that it's not working because of the lack of graphics drivers. You can try installing the NTOSKRNL_Emu_Extender (NTOSKRNL Emu_Extender for Windows XP/2003 - Pinned Topics regarding Windows XP - MSFN, Problem with the newer version of Intel HD Graphics 4000 driver on Windows Vista Extended Kernel with NTOSKRNL Emu_Extender - Windows Vista - MSFN) and installing the graphics drivers, however, you have to use the tool on Windows 7. You will either have to use a VM, or a PC that successfully boots Windows 7.

If the "Starting Windows" screen freezes, but doesn't restart, does that signal an NVME or UEFI issue? Because I have tried different ISOs and it restarts and shows that my system failed to boot.


What Windows 8/10 PE ISO do you recommend? I will be using Gandalf's Windows 8.1 PE.

regrettiupsetti said:

If the "Starting Windows" screen freezes, but doesn't restart, does that signal an NVME or UEFI issue? Because I have tried different ISOs and it restarts and shows that my system failed to boot.

It could be either one of them. It would probably be UEFI, because if NVME was the issue, it would give you the 0x0000007B BSOD. Try the method I suggested above. If it still doesn't work, try UEFISeven.

regrettiupsetti said:

What Windows 8/10 PE ISO do you recommend? I will be using Gandalf's Windows 8.1 PE.

Any Windows 8.1/10 PE. You can use the vanilla 8.1 and 10 setup.

Apologies for asking too many questions, but will this work if dual-booted alongside Windows 10, since I thought that the method used to install this would only work if it's only Windows 7.

I think it will. I will try this on my SP1 and see what happens.

alright thanks

regrettiupsetti said:

alright thanks

It should theoretically work. Follow the same steps but keep Windows 10 partition. If Windows 10 doesn't boot (which it didn't for me with the FlashBootPro files), you will need to install a graphics driver in Windows 7 (so it can boot w/o FlashBootPro) and rebuild the BCD.
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2W10 said:

It should theoretically work. Follow the same steps but keep Windows 10 partition. If Windows 10 doesn't boot (which it didn't for me with the FlashBootPro files), you will need to install a graphics driver in Windows 7 (so it can boot w/o FlashBootPro) and rebuild the BCD.
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My Windows 10 boots just fine. Windows 7 doesn't, however, and instead freezes slightly earlier in the animation with UEFISeven. Without it, it gets slightly further into the startup animation and still freezes. Safe Mode stops at disk.sys.

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regrettiupsetti said:

My Windows 10 boots just fine. Windows 7 doesn't, however, and instead freezes slightly earlier in the animation with UEFISeven. Without it, it gets slightly further into the startup animation and still freezes. Safe Mode stops at disk.sys.

Also tried the debugging option, still doesn't work.