Clean install of Windows 7 pro on HP Z420 workstation using UEFI

[EWilson7]

     I have recently purchased an HP Z420 workstation that came with Windows 10 already installed.  All of our computers here in the ministry office use Windows 7 pro instead, so I would like to do a clean install of Windows 7 pro as UEFI if possible ?

    I have read a couple of articles on doing this, but I am having trouble with the install.
The installation process begins, but I am not able to reach the "Install Windows dialog box."  Rather the program stays at the Windows screen (colored logo), with "Starting" indefinitely.

     One article listed that the "Boot Controller Drives" may need to be updated.  Is this correct, and if so, where may I find these drives.

     I am installing to a brand new Samsung 860evo 1TB SSD.  This is un-partitioned.
And the Windows 7 pro that I am using is a brand new retail disk.

     Any help you may give is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Eric Wilson -  Isaiah Ministries

[EWilson7]

Good morning Paul,

     Thank you again for the tremendous help with the HP computer repair last year.

     I have recently purchased an HP Z420 workstation that came with Windows 10 already installed.  All of our computers here in the ministry office use Windows 7 pro instead, so I would like to do a clean install of Windows 7 pro as UEFI if possible ?

    I have read a couple of articles on doing this, but I am having trouble with the install.
The installation process begins, but I am not able to reach the "Install Windows dialog box."  Rather the program stays at the Windows screen (colored logo), with "Starting" indefinitely.

     One article listed that the "Boot Controller Drives" may need to be updated.  Is this correct, and if so, where may I find these drives.

     I am installing to a brand new Samsung 860evo 1TB SSD.  This is un-partitioned.
And the Windows 7 pro that I am using is a brand new retail disk.

     Any help you may give is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Eric Wilson -  Isaiah Ministries

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, Eric:

I have never installed W7 in EFI mode before.  It is not very easy to do but it is doable.

You can watch this video for how to do it...

How to Install Windows 7 in UEFI Mode (Complete Tutorial) - YouTube

You will need these links referenced in the video...

Rufus:

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

7-Zip:  1st file at the top of the page is for 64 bit.

7-Zip

W7 Pro 64 bit English ISO file...the link will be good for 24 hours from the time of this reply.

https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/6/3/06365375-C346-4D65-87C7-EE41F55F736B/7601.24214.180801... 

Good luck!

Paul

[TheOldMan]

While I have not had the problems posted, I did see others with those type problems.  Something about the Samsung drives and HP hardware.

Just as a test, try using a regular SATA drive to start the install.  Assuming that does OK and proceeds with the install, then that leaves some choices.

1) go ahead with the install on a regular SATA drive and then clone that completed install to the Samsung 860evo  using the Samsung migration software

2) try a different brand SSD to see if that completes

3) ask Samsung support for a solution,  If they (Samsung) will support Windows 7 installs, then they may have a solution

[EWilson7]

Good morning Paul,

     Thank you for your reply and for the links which you have shared.

     This is the article that I have been following from HP, but there is something that I am missing
which is preventing the install from completing.

https://https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/186875-uefi-unified-extensible-firmware-interface-inst...

     I will download the things you shared . . . But I  would like to use the new Windows retail disc that I have purchased
if this is possible.  And according to this article this can be done.
But there is a section ( 3 - 7) where I am struggling.  It says that  there may be "boot controller" drivers that are needed.

     Please let me know your thoughts with this.
And any guidance is greatly appreciated.  Thank you !

Sincerely,
Eric Wilson

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, Eric:

The link you posted is not opening for me.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to help you with installing W7 from the DVD you have.

Everything I have read indicates that you have to use a USB flash drive to install W7 in efi mode.

Here is another article on the subject...

Windows - Installing Windows 7 in native EFI mode from USB | bit-tech.net Forums

Unless you are dual booting a UEFI version of W10 along with W7, or you are using storage drives greater than 2 TB, there really is no need to install 7 in EFI mode.

It may boot up slightly faster, but that would be the only possible advantage I can think of.

Windows 7 does not compatible with secure boot, as far as I am aware.

[itsmyname]

@EWilson7 -- All of our computers here in the ministry office use Windows 7 pro 

Microsoft support for Windows 7 ended in January 2020.  Running an "unsupported" operating system is not advised -- the lack of security-updates since that date makes those computers more vulnerable to being "hacked", and maybe victims of "ransomware".  Can your ministry afford to pay the ransom fee?

I think that it is time for each of those computers to be upgraded to Windows 10. Currently, it is a free upgrade.

Some of the FAQ material for Windows 11 suggest that this free upgrade option for Windows 7 (and 8.0 and 8.1 ) will end in October 2022.

Or, consider installing some software like VMWARE into your Windows 10 system. Create a "virtual machine", and install Windows 7 into that virtual machine,  and run Windows 7 as a "guest" operating system.  I mention this only for the sake of completeness -- I do not recommend this option.

[itsmyname]

>> the link you posted did not work for me.

Nor for me.

The posted link starts with: https://https//www.sevenforums.com/tut ...

When I edited the link to start with: https://www.sevenforums.com/tut ...

it did work for me.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @itsmyname 

Yes, I did that too, and got the whole forum, not the specific article, just like you did,

I would have no clue where to find the specific link to the article.

@EWilson7 

You have given me a project to tackle, and I'm on it.

I have a HP W7 Pro 64 bit DVD that I am going to try to convert to an ISO file using imgburn, and then make a bootable UEFI USB drive out of it using Rufus.

My test PC will be an HP 8200 Elite CMT which has a UEFI BIOS.

I have a spare 120 GB SSD which I will use to see if I can install W7 with the modified USB flash drive created from Rufus with the ISO file imgburn created.

Wish me luck.

[EWilson7]

Good afternoon Paul,

     Here is the link, and the full article which I copied from the link site.
I pray that this will help.   I have highlighted the point where I am encountering a problem. And also, the Windows Install dialog box is not showing up.

Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Eric Wilson

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/186875-uefi-unified-extensible-firmware-interface-install-wind...

Article -

HP Z420, Z620, and Z820 Workstations - Installing UEFI-Based Microsoft Windows 7 (x64)

This document describes the steps required to install the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) version of Windows 7(x64) on the HP Zx20 (Z420, Z620, and Z820) Workstations. UEFI is a replacement for BIOS that provides a 64-bit interface between system firmware and the operating system.

The Zx20 firmware is capable of booting in UEFI mode by enabling the storage controller’s EFI driver in Computer Setup. These instructions assume that you are starting from a blank disk drive, or single- or a multiple-drive RAID volume, or one that contains a BIOS-based operating system (OS). To simplify the installation, you should unplug all disk drives except for the one you intend to use to install Windows. Note that installing from an optical drive connected to the Intel C602 SCU controller is not supported.

In UEFI mode, Windows requires a disk partitioning mechanism known as GUID partition table (GPT). GPT was introduced with UEFI, and allows for volumes larger than 2.2 TB. See the Windows and GPT FAQ for more details.

NOTE: 

The Zx20 restore DVD only supports BIOS-based OS installs. You need a Windows 7 (x64) DVD (for example, a retail DVD) to perform this installation in UEFI mode.

Installing the UEFI version of Windows 7

NOTE: 

If the install disk drive is currently partitioned using Master Boot Record (MBR), the standard mechanism for BIOS-based boot disks, the Windows installer states that Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The MBR partition table must be removed, which destroys the contents of the disk. Back up the disk before installing UEFI-based Windows 7 (x64).

1. If the target volume is a RAID array, then the array needs to be configured before the installation process.
   1. With all drives for the target volume installed, power on the workstation and press CTRL+I (Intel) or CTRL+C (LSI) to enter the RAID configuration utility.
   2. After RAID configuration, the system will automatically reboot.
2. To set the embedded controller option ROM selections to EFI:

   NOTE: 

   For the BIOS 1.x, the embedded AHCI SATA controller is identified as SATA RAID Option ROM Download. The embedded SCU controller is identified by SCU Option ROM Download. The embedded SAS controller, Z820 only, is identified as SAS Option ROM Download.

   NOTE: 

   For the For BIOS 2.x, all embedded storage controllers can be configured to EFI mode by toggling Mass Storage Option ROMs from Legacy to EFI.

   1. Power on the workstation and press F10 to enter the Computer Setup menu.
   2. Using the arrow keys, select the Advanced menu.
   3. Press Enter to select the Device Options menu.
   4. Change the state of all embedded controller Option ROM selections from Enabled to EFI.
   5. To save changes, exit Computer Setup by selecting File in the main menu and selecting Save Changes and Exit. The system reboots automatically.
3. To install Windows 7 (x64):

   NOTE: 

   If the boot controller is the 9212-4i HBA card or the LSI 2308 embedded controller, see: Advisory: HP Z-Series Workstation - Manual Windows 7 Operating System Installation May Fail.

   1. Insert the Windows 7 (x64) Installation DVD.
   2. The installation DVD supports both UEFI and BIOS installation modes. Because boot time is short, it might be necessary to press Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot the workstation.
   3. The Zx20 firmware defaults to the UEFI installer. You can also manually select the UEFI installer by pressing F9 to enter the boot menu, and then selecting the DVD drive under EFI Boot Sources menu.
4. If the loader prompts you to Press any key to boot from CD or DVD, press any key.
5. To continue the Windows installation:
   1. After the installer files are loaded, the Install Windows dialog box appears.
   2. Click Next to continue, and then click Install now.
   3. Accept the license, and select Custom (advanced).
   4. Windows shows the available disks.
6. Windows 7 does not recognize the embedded storage controller drivers on all HP Zx20 Workstations, so you will need to download new drivers. Follow these steps to download the HP Advanced System Diagnostics utility from the HP website to a USB key:
   1. Go to the HP Software and Drivers page.
   2. Enter the product name. For example, enter Z420 to search for the Z420 product media.
   3. Select the specific model of the HP workstation.
   4. Choose the software/driver language. English (International) is the default.
   5. Select the operating system.
   6. On the Quick jump to downloads by category list, click Driver - Storage.
   7. Locate the boot controller, and click Download and save the file.
   8. Double-click the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions.
   After you download the drivers, click Load Driver from the Windows 7 Setup menu.
7. Windows requires a GPT partition for installation. If all drive space is unallocated space, then continue with the installation of Windows 7.

   NOTE: 

   The standard partition for BIOS-based boot disks is the Master Boot Record (MBR) partition. A Windows cannot be installed to this disk error message is an indication that the disk has an MBR partition. Remove the MBR partition before installing Windows 7.

      WARNING: 

   Back up all data before removing the MBR partition. Removing the MBR partition removes all data from the disk.

8. There are two methods to remove the MBR partition, both destroy the contents of the disk.
   To remove the MBR partition:
   1. Select the partition to be deleted, and then click Delete and OK. For example, select Disk 0, partition 1.
   2. Repeat for all partitions on the disk.
   3. At the DISKPART prompt type List Disk to identify the MBR partition to remove.
   4. After deleting all partitions on the disk, continue with the installation of Windows 7.
   Remove the MBR partition using the Diskpart application.
   1. Press Shift + F10 to access a command prompt.
   2. Type diskpart and press Enter to launch the Diskpart application.
   3. At the DISKPART prompt and type select disk [disk number], and clean to remove the partition.
   4. To exit Diskpart type exit to exit the command prompt.
   5. Click Refresh to update the disk contents. Repeat these steps for all disks with the MBR partition, and then continue with the installation of Windows 7.
9. Select Disk 0 Unallocated Space, and then click Next. The UEFI-based Windows installer operates as a BIOS-based installer. The Windows installer automatically adds an option to the Zx20 boot menu, under EFI Boot Sources, labeled Windows Boot Manager, and makes it the first boot option.

Sincerely,
Eric Wilson