Looking to install Windows 7 on my nx9420

[GArnold]

Has anyone tried this yet with the beta or RC? Was also wondering how much of that HP security stuff I really need? I'd like to keep this as lean as possible and don't use any of the security stuff that HP offers. This laptop is just for messing around.

[Daniel_Potyrala]

Hi,

Your Vista drivers should work under Win7. All drivers for Your model avaible here.

Vista 32bit -> Win7 32 bit

Vista 64bit -> Win7 64 bit

[EWong]

Tried 5 times to install Windows 7 RTM on my HP NX9420 notebook PC. (Clean install. Not an upgrade process)

In Summary

For anyone reading this post: Windows 7 will NOT work properly in a HP NX9420. HP need to update its drivers and write a detailed set of upgrade procedures for this series for W7 (if they do write drivers for it). STICK with XP sp3 or VISTA.   

If you do however want to go ahead and experiment. GOOD LUCK and keep me posted on your results.  

Here is what I went through: 

- Formatted HDD using W7 disc.

- Installed W7 using normal procedures.

- Install is successful. W& found most crucial drivers like network card & display. You will need to - Install SoundMAX audio drivers for audio to work. 

- Updated drivers using Windows Update.

- Restarted PC. All works fine.

- Load programs such as AV software (Avira Personal - FREE), Messenger and other personal software. All OK.

Problem arises when I shutdown the PC & leave it for longer than a few hours (eg. overnight or unplug from AC power and move laptop to another location), try to start the PC again and it will go into Startup Repair mode. From there I'm unable to go into Windows 7 at all. It will ask me to Restore to earlier point... which allows me to choose a restore point, proceed with the process, then bring me to the same situation: "Startup Recovery/Repair". Diagnostics show the Registry is corrupt.

I suspect it is a hardware or driver problem that is causing this. I'm alo wondering if the battery may be the cuase of the problem as my battery is old & tired. 

Other issues:

Drivers from HP support site (specific for NX9420 hardware) does not work properly under W7. Unless there is a specific install procedure, simply going to the HP website, downloading the SoftPaq Downloader; downloading the VISTA (32bit) drivers and going through normal install process. Windows 7 OS will tell you certain portions of the driver will not work properly.

Other drivers I could not get working were the biometric fingerprint scanner, Embedded Security Tools, 3D HDD Protection and a bunch of propreitary technologies within the laptop. 

Specs of PC:

Standard NX920 specs with upgraded Samsung Spinpoint HDD (320GB). 

NOTE: I suspect no one at HP has tested this particular model with Windows 7 RTM. 

[Fathex]

I installed Windows 7 Professional 64bit RTM (MSDNAA) on my nx9420 and everything works fine.

1. Partitioned HD (120GB) with Parted Magic and installed Windows on a clean 45 GB partition.
2. Run Windows Update and updated drivers.
3. Everything works fine and remarkably faster than on Vista. (Bizarre: system score is now 4,3 instead of 4,2 on Vista...)

However, Windows Update didn't find all the necessary drivers. The following are missing:

• Mass Storage Controller (PCI-Bus 2, Device 6, Function 2)
• PCI Communications Controller (PCI-Bus 2, Device 6, Function 4)
• Unknown Device (PCI-Bus)
• Unknown Device (Microsoft ACPI-compliant System)

If anyone has a hint which drivers to use, let me know.

As I do not need all the security features there is no need to install the huge security suite. However it would be nice if HP offered some updates through its SoftPaq Download Manager but there is no option for Windows 7. I fear HP avoids all the trouble adapting the drivers so we'll have to stick to the Vista ones.

And there is another particularity: Sometimes after entering the standby-mode windows asks during the following boot for a HD integrity check but does not find any errors. 

[Daniel_Potyrala]

@Fathex,

Hi,

Go to Control Panel -> Devices Manager

Click with right button of Your mouse on each yellow sign and choose properties. Then go to bottom details and paste here Hardware Ids. This way we will know what it is.

Below You've got example how to do it:

[Fathex]

Hey Daniel

thank you for your help. I already managed to install the first three devices by using the XP drivers for the Texas Instruments Card Reader and the HP Launch Buttons.  

The application for the launch buttons is not compatible with Win7 and I get a warning from the os, however I have not encountered any problems yet.

The one missing has the hardware IDs

ACPI\HPQ0004
*HPQ0004

so it seems to be a HP-specific component.

Thanks in advance. 

[Daniel_Potyrala]

ACPI\HPQ0004
*HPQ0004

It's Hp 3D Drive Guard. Try this (Your Vista driver). If this will not work then try this driver.

[Daniel_Potyrala]

@Ghost7755

Hi,

Please start new thread with Your problem.

When You will do this You will get Your help for sure from one of the users.

Why I ask You to do something like this?

If any other user with this model will also have this problem it will be easier tohim to findYour thread.

Message Edited by Daniel_Potyrala on 10-10-2009 03:29 PM

[Fathex]

Indeed, it works. Thank you very much.

The first file did not work. Windows sent an error message "bootstrap 32/64 does not work any more" and shut the program down. The second (sp44320) made no problems at all. After a reboot a HD chkdsk check (which occurs sometimes during the start of Windows 7, perhaps after hibernating or standby mode?) all devices are correctly identified and work, except for the strange warning of the HP Launch Buttons application.

However, I would highly appreciate the possibility of using SoftPaq for Windows 7 updates. But perhaps it is only a matter of time as Windows 7 has not been released to the open public yet. 

[Daniel_Potyrala]

...all devices are correctly identified and work, except for the strange warning of the HP Launch Buttons application.

Can You write more informations about this problem?