UefiSeven: Easily boot Windows 7 on UEFI class 3 devices

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by manatails, Aug 3, 2020.

  1. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    I changed out the windows 7 boot.wim for the windows 10 boot.wim with no slipstreamed drivers as suggested and it boots to install screen but then immediately wants a driver. I assume it wants a usb 3 driver as i have video and it can see my msata ssd. Although I also have mouse support via the usb3 port and hub. I originally assumed it wants usb 3 drivers but I'm not 100 percent sure sure what exactly driver it wants because the keyboard and mouse work. I do believe this was the same behavior on the other systems though although all of them have built in keyboards or docking stations with built in keyboards so once again not 100% sure if it wants the usb driver or not but I'm thinking most likely.

    I tried to add the usb driver i have that is supposed to be specifically for this chipset and it says no driver available, i also tried the usb3 driver I've used on every other usb3 only system with a win 7 install and it says the say thing, no driver found. What I do know is windows 7 doesn't like the usb3 drivers I'm providing because it wont list a compatible one period. I have tried the chipset drivers, the video and audio driver just for testing purposes and immediately compatible drivers pop up in the list to choose from. Of course they arn't the drivers the installer wants though because it doesn't move forward with the install. What a PITA.
     
  2. andreidi

    andreidi MDL Novice

    May 24, 2020
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  3. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    I'm not going to format my hdd as I explained a couple pages back, its not an option period.

    As I stated in that same post, If I was going to format the msata I would just install windows 7 in mbr mode legacy or whatever you want to call it, pull all the drivers and reinstall as uefi with all the correct known good drivers to slipstream into windows 7 uefi iso. OR id install windows 7 in legacy and then convert the drive to gpt using something like paragon hard drive manager without having to erase the whole disk and then just copy over the efi partition files to the newly created efi partition.

    if i had another msata i could take the slate apart again and swap the msata out for a blank one and then do what i suggested above but thats a giant pita and i risk breaking the lcd etc. if this was a normal laptop or desktop I'd have this solved already because I could use a real sata pinned ssd or hdd and easily swap the drives out at will for testing what I suggested above.
     
  4. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    #104 polygaryd, Aug 21, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2020
    Now I have found that in the giant drivers bundle I downloaded from acer for windows 7 there is an issue with one driver in particular and I have read a long time ago before I knew about int10h that there is an issue on some systems with windows 7 where you can install in legacy just fine and the disk controller installs fine but when in uefi mode it will not (I wish I had a link). This all came back to me as I went through the list of drivers that came with the driver bundle from acer.

    Every driver installs fine but doesn't proceed forward with the install (i assume because they are already loaded OR not needed at this stage) EXCEPT the sata ahci controller driver. It gives and actual error about installing the driver and will not do it. It tries to install pantahci.sys. when i go into windows 10 and check my device manager i see that iastorA.sys is the driver loaded under ide/atapi controllers and that's it. so I've downloaded all sorts of drivers for windows 7 that match the dev/ven ids and contain the file iastora.sys and all will error out.

    Id love to see what driver is loaded by windows 7 in legacy mode under ide/atapi controller but id have to swap my drive unless i can make some sort of live windows 7 usb like a windows to go scenario flash drive which I'm not sure if that even exists or is doable
     
  5. #105 Deleted member 190847, Aug 22, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2020
    You can try my solution.
    I have made script which integrates generic USB3, generic NVMe, various AHCI/RAID and literally all updates (up to 08/2020).
    The script also uses Windows 10 Installers and injects Windows 10 boot loader (to Windows 7 install.wim).
    In effect, you get installation media that simply installs and works on UEFI class 3 device.

    The only drawback is that recovery mode is now working. However you can get working recovery mode, by adding UefiSeven from this topic later, after installation, if you really need it.
     
  6. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    in your method safe mode doesnt work either without uefiseven correct? it sounds like its the same as the registry "hack" to turn off vga.sys and disable vga in bcd also but just automated and easier because of integrating the windows 10 installer.

    can you disable the updates? I dont really care about the updates and don't want to take the time to download and slipstream them all just for testing purposes. I liked that windows image updater let you skip the updates if you wanted to.
     
  7. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    Nevermind I found it set InstallHotfixes=1 set to 0 will skip the updates.
     
  8. #108 Deleted member 190847, Aug 22, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2020
    1. Yes, safe mode doesn't work without UefiSeven.

    2. It is not only registry hack. vga.sys, vgapnp.sys, display.inf and display.pnf are completely removed. This prevents automatic installation of legacy VGA driver, when you privide unsigned vendor specific graphics driver.

    3. BCD is not changed. It is completely unnecessary when using Windows 10 bootloader.

    4. Yes it is automated and a lot easier. However you can still add UefiSeven manually, later. UefiSeven does NOT conflict with Windows 10 bootloader.
    You can but you don't have to, because with it or without it, Windows 7 simply works.

    Correct! But you should remember that Microsoft generic NVMe driver is also one of hotfixes.
     
  9. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    well i tried this method with my windows 10 enterprise x64 and my windows 7 enterprise x64 isos and it freezes at the windows logo... yes i put the graphics driver in the correct folder and watched your script slipstream it . i didnt install the updates. ill try again with updates installed and report back.
     
  10. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    tried it this time with all the updates and still freezes right at the windows logo... I dont understand why this is happening. when i replace windows 7 boot.wim with windows 10 boot.wim using the same two iso's im using with your script, i get at least to the install screen...
     
  11. #111 Deleted member 190847, Aug 23, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 23, 2020
    I have tested it and it works!

    Here is content of my Integrate7 folder after unpacking Integrate7_v3_13_USB3_AHCI_NVMe.7z and adding Windows 7 and 10 to it:

    Here is content of my Integrate7\add_these_drivers_to_Windows\x64 folder:

    Then I have edited Integrate7.cmd and changed:

    Then I have run Integrate7.cmd as Administrator

    After integration, I had following files inside Integrate7 folder

    I don't use DVDs, so I simply unpacked (with 7Zip) content of the Windows7_x64_pl-PL.iso to my FAT32 formatted PenDrive.

    I have wiped my HDD to erase all partitions (KillDisk, MBRWiz or similar software can be used to do this).

    I have booted my pendrive through UEFI (CSM disabled, SecureBoot Enabled).

    I have installed Windows on my HDD. First stage is Windows 10 installer, second stage could be blank screen (because of lack of video driver at this stage), third stage is the rest.

    Everything works. Boot logo works, Windows 7 works.
     
  12. Space Dandy

    Space Dandy MDL Junior Member

    Jan 3, 2017
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    Another interesting project to keep an eye on!
     
  13. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    I have done those exact steps, put the files in the correct folders as shown and it doesn't work for me. Freezes at the install screen which it shouldnt do regardless of if i had video drivers or update slipstreamed by your script or by my own doing. The windows 10 installer doesnt need video drivers to work for the initial part of the setup process. Yet its not working. I'm going to check and see if your script is actually integrating the windows 10 setup in the windows 7 boot.wim or straight up copying the windows 10 boot.wim over the windows 7 boot.wim file.
     
  14. It is done automatically. If it is not, something has failed.
    I have tested it many a time on Windows 7 host (with UAC disabled) and it works.
    No need to manually replace Windows 7 boot.wim with Windows 10 one.
     
  15. Lometon6254

    Lometon6254 MDL Novice

    Nov 8, 2018
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    I have an issue with my system. I boot into the Windows Boot Manager. It says that it cannot find bootmgfw.efi.original even though it exists, and I press enter, then i see some text about modes and IVT info, then "Could not find Windows Boot Manager at '\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.original.efi' Even though it exists.
     
  16. andreidi

    andreidi MDL Novice

    May 24, 2020
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    You seem to be mixing "mgfw" and "x64" terminations of the filenames and maybe also wrong folders where you installed uefiseven.

    Are you trying to install uefiseven on the win7 installation bootable usb (so within the iso)? Then you have to use "x64" termination for both files. The correct path is "EFI/BOOT".

    Are you trying to install uefiseven on an already installed win7 (mbr or gpt)? Then you have to use the "mgfw" termination for both files, so you must also rename the "bootx64.efi" to "bootmgfw.efi" otherwise it will try to look for "bootx64.original.efi" instead of "bootmgfw.original.efi". The correct path is "EFI/MICROSOFT/BOOT".
     
  17. polygaryd

    polygaryd MDL Novice

    Nov 7, 2016
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    @wkeller, I have pm'd you with the output from your script. The output doesnt show any loading of my known good windows 10 enterprise x64 iso at all. Please take a look and see if you can see what is going on.
     
  18. #118 Deleted member 190847, Aug 24, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 24, 2020
    @polygaryd

    I saw your output, and I see that the script failed to find Windows 10 ISO and so it does NOT used it. In effect, You have Windows 7 with Windows 7 installer and with Windows 7 bootloader, which is NOT UEFI class 3 compatible.

    Windows 10 ISO should have name Win10something.iso and should be put to Integrate7 folder, because dir /b /o-n "Win10*.iso" command is used to find that ISO.
    In other words, You should have 2 ISOs inside Integrate7 folder - first: Win10something.iso (Windows 10) and second: anything.iso (Windows 7).

    PS. Also use 3.13 version which is better, when you integrate just drivers (but without updates/hotfixes).
     
  19. NoTears

    NoTears MDL Member

    Aug 24, 2020
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    This step is not mentionned at OP.
    The step 7 mentions only to rename bootmgfw.efi at (HDD)\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\ to bootmgfw.original.efi after Finish initial installation. Renaming "bootx64.efi" to "bootmgfw.efi" is not mentionned at all.
     
  20. andreidi

    andreidi MDL Novice

    May 24, 2020
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    Yes, but step 8 says "Copy UefiSeven bootx64.efi to (HDD)\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi using EFI shell" which literally means copy bootx64.efi to the specified location and then rename it to bootmgfw.efi. If not, you'll get no boot or uefiseven will look for "bootx64.original.efi" instead of "bootmgfw.original.efi", thus error.