Win 7 install to UEFI / GPT

[gregrocker]

As the Boot Mode is set to UEFI then you must format the stick using only Option One of UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows. If it was correctly formatted exactly as shown in the pictures in Option One then it would show up as a UEFI SanDisk Cruzer in the BIOS Boot Priority order and also in the BIOS Boot menu. If this does not happen after several attempts then try another stick or use a DVD.

Then boot the stick as a UEFI flash stick from the BIOS Boot menu key at boot. Once again, do not use the BIOS Boot Priority menu to boot a flash stick as it will then autostart the install again during the install reboots. Set the Windows Boot Manager first to boot in BIOS Boot Priority order.

 

[sjordash]

Instructions for Rufus Option 1 were followed and the result is as in the image of Boot Priority Mode, after a number of attempts I have never had a stick show up as designation UEFI only as USB! On this laptop you can not select a boot device you have to move it up the priority list and save, so upon re-booting I had to change the boot priority order. I shall attempt a re-install on another stick.

 

[gregrocker]

I see you have a CD ROM driver installed in list. Does it support DVD's? If so I would burn a DVD from confirmed ISO with Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool
and look for it as a UEFI device.

If all else fails you can also Change boot to CSM, boot the device as a plain stick or DVD with no UEFI, put HD at top of list. But unless some other USB settings are set incorrectly in BIOS setup, the stick should show up as UEFI if formatted that way.

 

[sjordash]

I have just bought a brand new DVD RW & an 8gb USB. I used Rufus to prepare the USB & the Windows USB tool to prepare the DVD. Booting to each device they both start up and stop at the Windows logo. There is no further HDD activity going by the LED.
In neither case do they show "UEFI" in the boot list - should they? I changed from AHCI to IDE but no joy
Changed to Legacy, but not what I want, and can boot from the DVD but of course I get the warning disk is GPT.
SJ

 

[gregrocker]

I see the F12 boot menu key is still Disabled in BIOS even though I've told you twice now to enable and use only it to boot the stick.

Yes, if the disk and stick are configured correctly there should be UEFI DVD and flash stick choices to choose from the F12 boot menu.

Did you delete all partitions during the Legacy install to see if it would proceed? This is how the disk formatting is cleared to allow installer to format it MBR for Legacy. You'd need to use the disk for this or reformat the flash stick for Legacy/MBR install. If deleting partitions isn't enough then wipe the hard drive to Troubleshoot Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums

Is there a BIOS firmware update? If so this may be required to install Win7 to UEFI.

 

[sjordash]

Just to let you know that I finally gave up and took the laptop to a local computer shop. They tried for about 7 hours to carry out the installation and they too got as far as the Windows 4 squares logo but could not get any variation of their installations to complete. So for now I am at a complete stop.

 

[gregrocker]

Do you have the latest UEFI Firmware for your BIOS?

If you have UEFI enabled then as I've repeatedly said you must boot the flash stick as a UEFI device. There is no point in even bothering to select it unless it is specified as a UEFI device as it will not work as a plain flash stick unless you turn off UEFI>

Did you turn off UEFI to try booting the flash stick? Here's another catch: The UEFI formatted flash stick will not work for a Legacy install. Instead use Rufus to reformat the stick for Legacy for MBR, or use the method that always works for me UltraISO Software To Create Bootable USB Flash Drive.

Then try both UEFI and Legacy install with DVD burned using Imgburn at 4x speed.

Did the shop use their own installation media so you know a known-good ISO has been tried? The next suspects are the ISO or the Hard drive. Do you have another hard drive to try? If not test your HD with the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan.

Try booting free Partition Wizard CD burned to CD using Windows Image Burner, delete all partitions, run HD Surface test, create a new Primary partition, mark it Active. Then try booting the disk or stick with UEFI set to Legacy.

Are there any other settings at all besides UEFI and Legacy pertaining to UEFI, CSM, Legacy BIOS - anywhere on any BIOS tab or sub-section? Remember that most BIOS' will show you what the settings are for on the right side so you can study them with some interpretation. Ask back if in doubt at all.

 

[sjordash]

Well my saga continues. I have been awaiting a new SSD disk so that I can continue this project and still use my laptop so hence the delay (live in Caribean).
I attempted to install Windows 7 to the new SSD using Rufus and as many other tools as I could find but every time it freezes at the Windows logo. I swapped back to the original hard disk and cleaned initialised to GPT and same freeze. I then installed to MBR (not the wanted GPT) and everything installs ok. Fully updated and runs no problem. I then used Aomei and other convert methods found online to convert the drive to GPT and Win 7 boots up and starts as you can hear the windows start up sounds but the screen is blank. If you press the key combination you can get “narrator” running so Win7 is installed just can’t see it! Running Safe Mode stops at ClassPNP.
I have looked for the black screen issue but without access to Win7 I cant use any fix methods I have found.
I did make a bootable recovery CD from the MBR version but cant get this converted to run under UEFI. I also cant find a reliable way to make a bootable UEFI USB Win7 Recovery Environment so that I can start from the USB and run the repair to see if I can fix what I am guessing is a driver issue. I have got a USB WinPE 8.1 to boot from but don’t know how to add Win7 RE to this (if of any use anyway)
As I now have two drives I just keep swapping back to the Win7 drive to test but should I be able to boot the laptop with the SSD installed and the Hard Drive on a USB cable?
Any further help will be appreciated.
Thanks
SJ

 

[gregrocker]

Did you follow exactly the steps in Option One of UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows
making sure when you load the ISO that the other settings shown in the picture don't jump around?

Did you boot the stick then as a UEFI device?

If so and it works on another PC (if you have one to test) then it next goes to the UEFI Firmware settings. Let us know back the settings choices for UEFI, EFI, CSM, Legacy BIOS, Secure Boot and BIOS Boot priority.

You can't convert a finished MBR install to GPT as this is a destructive process. We need to get everything set correctly so it proceeds with UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums

 

[sjordash]

Yes I followed the steps and I know what you mean by the settings can jump around as that happened but corrected and yes it boots as UEFI and install up to the point it freezes. I can only test it on this laptop by removing the SSD and replacing with my Hard Drive. Am at work now so will send boot settings later.
As for the conversion as this is so annoying I have searched for everything and one way I found is to use Aomei Partition Assistant to convert the drive over. It is after this that Win7 boots but with the black screen.
Should this method also work as have Acronis True Image. Install Win7 in MBR / Image partitions / convert partitions to GPT / install Win7 via UEFI / copy back previous image over newly installed partition? Sorry but grasping at straws here.

 

[justzarak]

There is a very simple answer, just create bootx64.efi in Boot folder in Efi folder at root, actually its a bug or what should I say an intentional work by microsoft to not letting people install 7 in new systems now may be. they want to promot win 8 and 10. Boot folder is not present in Efi folder by default, We Have to make it ourselves.