How to install Win7 on HP ENVY 15-as015tu

[PH74]

How can I install Win7 instead of Win10 that came with my laptop (HP ENVY 15-as015tu). I have a version of Win7 Professional. It needs drivers for this unit for Win7. Laptop has SSD only and also supports only usb3 with no dvd unit. Where can I get the drivers? Is any proven instruction to do this? Thank you in advance for the help.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Before you attempt to install W7, make sure you create the set of W10 recovery media first.

To install W7, you need to go into the BIOS, enable legacy mode and disable secure boot.

Then you need to run this tool to put the USB3 drivers into your W7 installation flash drive.

There is a readme file for how to use the tool.  Download the version for the operating system you plan to run the tool on.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25476/Windows-7-USB-3-0-Creator-Utility

After you install W7, you should be able to use the W7 x64 drivers and software from the 15t-ay000 on your model, except the BIOS and firmware files.

[PH74]

Thank you for the initial reply.

Do i need any special driver initially for SSD or Win7 installation software will handle it by itself?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

The only driver you should need are the USB3 drivers the USB 3 tool will install on the W7 installation flash drive.

[PH74]

I have started my Win7 installation today and right at the start i was presented with installer screen asking me for mass storage driver (browse, reload did nothing).  Screen shows no information about my hard disk at all. I have ssd 256Gb installed on my laptop - NVMe Samsung MZVLV256. Can somebody know how to load the driver?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Apparently you do need to do some special things when you have an M.2 SSD.

http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN300689/en

See if the info on this link is of help to you...you cannot change the BIOS drive controller setting.

I would assume the default setting is AHCI. 

You can confirm the drive controller setting by going to the device manager, click to expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers device manager category, and there you will find the Intel SATA AHCI controller listed.

If your notebook's drive controller setting is defaulted to RIAD, then you should see a Storage Controllers device manager category and under that section, an Intel SATA RAID controller.