Hi. I'm trying to install Windows 7 on my Dell Inspiron 3147 which shipped with Windows 8.1. I'm using a universal Windows 7 SP1 x64 iso image on USB stick prepared by RUFUS for UEFI. Have tried several other variations on the installation media with same result: Just as the "Starting Windows" animation begins, I get BSOD with "BIOS not fully ACPI compliant" error message. Am currently using latest Bios A07 from Dell. Any suggestions on what to try? My end goal is really to get an activated Windows 7 Pro on here for upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. I'm currently running the Windows 10 Home, but was curious if I could get 10 Pro running without buying it... Also, just curious if there's any way to get Windows 7 x64 on the machine. Any downgrade option from Windows 8.1? Any knowledgeable responses from the forum much appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks. I'm a complete newbie to DSDT, but I plan to dig in and see what I can learn. Can you point me in right direction for tools to use to try to make mods?
some laptops come with acpi 5.0 which is not compatible with windows7. i had some acer laptops which had an option to change it to version 4.0 but even this didnt help.
You'll need to access your bios and disable Secure Boot in order to install windows 7. If you also have a csm setting in your bios, set that to Legacy OS.
Thanks for all the input guys. Unfortunately, none of it so far was helpful for this machine. I was using gpt formatted x64 Win 7 USB media for UEFI install, secureboot disabled, latest available bios A07 from Dell. I would really love to hear if anyone has successfully installed any version of Windows 7 on the Dell Inspiron 11 3147! The only report I've been able to find via Google is that Win 7 Enterprise might install, but there is no detail to that report, nor discussion of why it might be so. Thanks again!
Something I may try... If I do a win 7 install on a machine with similar hardware, eg multiprocessor x64 HAL, run sysprep, and move the drive to my Inspiron 11 3147... Will it likely have the same ACPI complaint that the installation CD has? Is there a chance that could boot? Thanks for your opinions.
Windows 2009 (WIN7) in DSDT Attachment is my DSDT dump from rweverything. I uploaded as .txt, but extension should be changed to .7z. You can see that Windows 2009 (WIN7) is referenced in the ASL code, so I don't think its removal is the problem, but thanks for getting me to looking and learning. I would sure appreciate if someone could help me beat this. I'd love to learn enough to patch the UEFI or the responsible windows code to allow a windows 7 install on this laptop. Your expertise is appreciated.
Can you point me to more info on this. How can I tell which ACPI version my UEFI has implemented? Thanks, JunglePig
I would suggest not touching the BIOS, neither making mods/test/hacks if you don't know exactly what you are doing. What is your intention ? to upgrade to W10 pro for free or to install W7 with the possibility to brick ? If the first, then the best deal would be the following: If you want to use W7 because of another reason you can do so via VMware or other virtualization software.
Can rufus do that on its own? Normally you have to insert the file called: "bootx64.efi" to the iso/usb to be able to boot UEFI with windows 7 (x64 only).
No good reason other than foolishness. I just found it annoying that I couldn't install Win 7 on it. There's no valid reason I can find that the hardware won't run it. It was just not supported in the uefi code, intentionally or not. Now I want to make it let me, if I can. I'll learn something in the process.
Yes RUFUS will prepare a uefi capable installer from a win 7 ISO image. I've used this same method on several successful UEFI installs on real and virtual machines.
Hello! I know it's bad form to revive an old thread with a follow-on question, but I, too, want to install Win 7 Pro on the same model Dell 3147 laptop, and junglepig didn't return to report if successful. If so, HOW is it done??? I imagine the question is relevant to other makes and models. I've searched and read any number of threads, but I'm still a confused noob, so please forgive me if I'm asking something that's obvious to the initiated. My 3147 came with Win 8.1 home edition. I know I can get the "free upgrade" to Win 10 basic level if I act fast, but I'm interested in Win 7 Pro because I need some programs and accessories that don't work in 8 and therefore not 10 either. I'll do the in-place upgrade to 10 and then revert back just to get the laptop registered with MS in case I want 10 later, but I'd prefer the ability to upgrade to Win 10 Pro (not basic level), so it makes more sense to me to install Win 7 Pro (which is useful to me), rather than trying to install Win 8 Pro (if that's even possible) to qualify for Win 10 Pro upgrade. In any case, I need to install Win 7 Pro if possible. If not, I'll keep using this laptop for other work in Linux as I am doing now. I don't know if this is relevant: Running RWE on my Dell 3147 laptop shows me the MSDN table with my baked-in Win 8 key, as expected, but no SLIC table. My older Dell Win 7 laptop has SLIC 2.1 but no MSDN table. I also have a Dell 660 desktop, which Dell sold with choice of Win 7 or 8 about 5 years ago. Mine came with Win 8 (updated later to 8.1) and it has both MSDN and also SLIC 2.1. I think the presence of SLIC 2.1 allows to install Dell OEM Win 7 on my 660 desktop, and MSDN table with baked-in key allows Win 8.1. Is the absence of a SLIC 2.1 table the reason why the OP and I are unable to install Win 7 on our Win 8.1 Dell laptops? If yes, should I request a bios mod that will insert a SLIC table? Or are the ACPI tables for a Win 8.1 home PC backward-compatible to allow install of OEM Win 7 Pro? Or do I need a loader to downgrade from Win 8.1 to Win 7? Please help this clueless noob, or point me to the relevant threads! Many thanks.