New hardware upgrade problem.

[sadbilly]

I’m trying to upgrade my 10-12 year old computer tosomething more modern and faster. Theold hardware being replaced is Intel Celeron single core 2.93mhz CPU, BiostarP4M900-M4 motherboard with 4GB of DDR2 ram. I’m keeping Win 7 Pro 32 bit and the500GB Western Digital hard drive I installed a few years ago when MS murderedXP. The new hardware consists of Intel i3-6300 CPU, Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3Hmotherboard and 4GB of DDR4-2400mhz ram, Crucial CT4G4DFS824A. Removed the oldequipment and installed the new. Pushed the start button and everything lookednormal until it got to the Win start screen. It started as expected then thecomputer restarted, and restarted, and restarted….

It appears that I’m in the dreaded infinite boot loop. Triedthe repair option nothing worked (does any Microsoft repair option everwork???) Tried to boot to safe mode, F8 doesn’t do a thing, neither does Winkey + R. F9 which is Gigabyte system info does not work. F12 Gigabyte safe modedoes not work. The only thing that does work is selecting the delete key andgoing into the BIOS menu. Looked around there and see only 1 anomaly, the CPUVAXG voltage is 0.00 volts. The boot set up is set to the hard drive C: andsomething else was set correctly (per many forum suggestions to ACHP I believe)I have tried to boot from the original disk, which I have, no joy. I have triedall the special instructions I could find online. I was ready to do a cleaninstall (last resort) but can’t do that until I get some kind of working Win 7screen. I did find a way into safe mode using the command prompt but it yieldednothing more than being able to watch Windows load the start files. No optionto do anything else. Of all the forums and help sites Microsoft and Gigabyteare the worst. U-Tube only shows me how to do everything I already tried. Ihave temporarily given up on the upgrade and reinstalled the old Mobo, CPU andRam. It works! At least I have a computer for now, albeit slow. Please, anyhelp would be greatly appreciated!

 

[samuria]

Welcome to the forum. As it's a completely new system you would expect nothing to work as every driver will be wrong you could try a repair install but you really need to do a complete clean install did you check that all parts have drivers for your windows?

 

[Megahertz07]

Samuria is right. You must do a clean install. As a clean install deletes all disk partitions, you must first do a backup of your data.
My suggestion is to buy a small SSD (128G) for windows and programs and use the HDD for data.

As the new i3 CPU is a Skylake CPU and the MB chipset is a Kabylake, they require drivers that aren't on Win 7 installation disk. You must add the USB3.x and SATA drivers to the Win 7 installation disk.
Read my tutorial Create a Windows 7 USB flash installation with new drives for new MB's - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Pete4]

There is a way to do it, I did it couple times myself and it works most of the time (but not always). You have to manually remove chipset, usb, video card and maybe couple other drivers. Win will use generic drivers to boot up and then you should be able to install proper drivers without reinstall. It may not be worth the headache, but if you have paid programs and lost original codes to activate, or something similar, just search google, you'll find detailed instructions, if you handy with computers, it shouldn't be difficult at all. Actually come to think of it you can remove drivers on old system first, then swap mobo and boot then.

 

[Megahertz07]

Pete4 suggestion won't work as you need the new SATA drivers required by the B250 Chipset to boot.

 

[TechnoMage2016]

The ability of Windows 7 to be moved from PC to PC was/is very disappointing. It can require lots of jumping through hoops, and then might fail.

However, if you can first upgrade to Windows 10, and then change your hardware, you will probably find that Win-10 will install compatible drivers and then come up normally. I've done that here several times and every time I'm amazed at the Inter-PC compatibility of Win-10.
MS is only about 20 years late in incorporating that capability into their OS. But it sure helps users who experience a motherboard failure.

Having your motherboard drivers disk can to a long ways toward a successful transition.

Y'all have a great 2018 now, Y'hear?

TechnoMage

 

[johnhoh]

The problem is your hard drive controller. Follow the below guide and you should be good to go. That will get you able to boot to the desktop. But before doing that, if you are still booting on your old computer, download the drivers for the new motherboard and put them on the desktop. That way once you boot to the desktop on the new motherboard, you can easily install the new drivers.

The only reason windows 7 fails to migrate from one motherboard to another is because windows is trying to boot the new motherboard using the hard drive controller from the old motherboard. The guide below replaces the old motherboard hard drive controller driver with the generic, which allows it to boot to the desktop on a new motherboard, so you can then install the new drivers.

How to Replace Motherboard without Reinstalling Windows. - wintips.org - Windows Tips How-tos

 

[Megahertz07]

John, not sure it will work.
When you boot from the installation disk, if you don't add the SATA drivers, you won't even see the SATA disks.

I'm a big enthusiastic of Clean Install. I have an disk image from a basic fresh install (with all updates and Office) that I use every two years to replace my current installation. Then I install all up to date software and the security only Windows updates. The performance gain is huge.
An old installation has a lot of trash all over from programs that has been uninstalled or updated, not to mention that an old motherboard has completely different drivers. My suggestion is still to do a Clean install.

 

[sadbilly]

Megahertz07, I like your suggestion to add the SSD to the system. Since this is not going to be as easy as I thought I'm reviewing my options.

Definitely moving to Win 7 64 Bit. Stuck with Win 10 at work and DO NOT like it.
SSD for OS and programs makes sense, old HDD for data.
Will probably add 4 GB more ram (Dual Channel) since 64 bit can handle it.

Can I add SSD to old system and Download Win 7 64 bit to it and add the necessary drivers before installing the new mobo & CPU.

 

[Megahertz07]

Definitely moving to Win 7 64 Bit. Only install Win 64 if you're going to have more than 4G of memory.
Stuck with Win 10 at work and DO NOT like it. Most of us don't like Win 10

Can I add SSD to old system and Download Win 7 64 bit to it and add the necessary drivers before installing the new mobo & CPU. Won't work

Installing Win 7 on a SSD is the same job as installing on a HDD.

Your main problem will be to add the USB3.x and SATA drivers to the Win 7 installation disk.
Did you read my tutorial?
Do you have a PS2 keyboard?

 

[sadbilly]

I did read your tutorial, was looking for a shortcut, no joy.
Will add 4GB more ram.
From the tutorial, what's best, USB or disk, to add the Win 7 and drivers?
PS2 keyboard, maybe somewhere around here. Might be able to borrow one from work, just upgraded many computers (How I got stuck with Win 10) Will the keyboard from my old IBM 8086 machine work? Still have it here, Fire it up every few years, still works just don't remember how to use it.

 

[Megahertz07]

As you're going to modify the Win 7 installation disk, use the USB flash disk.
Don't think the old IBM 8086 keyboard will work as it uses a DIN connector.

- If your MB has a PS2 connector and you have a PS2 keyboard (purple connector) you can use Intel creator Download Windows 7* USB 3.0 Creator Utility to add the USB3.x drivers to the installation disk.
- Copy the modified win 7 installation to a USB flash disk (FAT32 formatted).
- Enter BIOS and disable Secure Boot (can be as OS=Other or CSM=on) and select the SSD as primary disk.
- Boot the computer, during POST enter BOOT options (F12) and choose UEFI USB flash disk.
- It will claim for a driver on CD/DVD. Browse to the SATA driver on the CD that came with your MB. You can use another USB flash drive with the SATA drivers http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Driver/mb_driver_intel_bootdisk_irst_64_200series.zip
- Proceed with Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums
- When you finish installation you won't have mouse as it hasn't the USB drivers, (that is why you need a PS2 keyboard) so you will have to navigate with the keyboard to the CD that came with your MB and install the USB drivers.

As the computer has a SSD and a HDD and you're going to do a fresh win 7 install, i suggest you move C:\Users to D:/Users. Use Kari tutorial. Very easy. All the needed files are here https://www.sevenforums.com/attachments/general-discussion/399687d1499298283-my-computer-freezes-randomly-while-hdd-light-turns-solid-red-relocate.zip

M$ installs an update that prevents Updates on Kabylake.
So set WU to Manual on services and Never check on WU page.
For Windows I only install the Security only updates.
I manually run WU to look for office updates.

Disable Windows updates and use the offline updates MS releases SP2 for Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Megahertz07]

From another thread
Noticias - ISO Media Installation for Windows 7 SP1 x64 English/Spanish June 2016 Slipstreamed with NVMe, USB 3.0 y 3.1, Thunderbolt support and all updates until June 2016

 

[TechnoMage2016]

Like so many other FREE download sites, it absolutely Demands that you down their fast downloader and will not let you (me) opt out. I'm really sick of that CRAP, as I have my own "Internet Download Manager" that I pay for, and I don't want anything else, that may contain any number of malware.

Good Try, but NO CIGAR!