Drivers and Pre-installed (necessary) Software

[RJ_]

Hello everyone,

I'm going to be doing clean install of Windows 10 Professional on a new SSD. This will be the first time I've ever reinstalled or upgraded Windows without using HP's built-in tools or recovery. My worry is that none of the needed drivers and programs will be carried over since the recovery partition will by bypassed (and eventually formatted for good >_< )

Obviously drivers can be downloaded from HP, but the first issue is that the majority of them seem to be the original versions from over seven years ago. I know I've updated most of them many times over the years. The more worrisome issue is that this PC was/is a "Configure-to-order" machine. A higher-end GPU (2GB ATI Radeon HD 5570) for example was chosen and is not listed on the drivers/software page. There's also things like that fact that Intel's Rapid Storage Technology came on the PC which won't be carried over obviously. Plus whatever else performance-increasing software I'm not even aware of that comes standard on a HP machine.

I'll be using a bootable USB drive with Win10 Pro. Is there a way to find these programs and (current) drivers and inject them directly into the ISO? Maybe from the recovery partition before it's gone? Am I stuck using all the original firmware from HP? What are my options?!

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

> I'm going to be doing clean install of Windows 10 Professional on a new SSD.

Until you try installing Windows 10, you'll never know which device-drivers for your own hardware already are included on the Windows 10 Installation Media, and which device-drivers will automatically be loaded by Windows Update (running in the background the first time that your Windows 10 gets an Internet connection).

> My worry is that none of the needed drivers and programs will be carried over

The hope is that the needed device-drivers will be installed, automatically.

Are you installing from a "generic" Windows 10 system downloaded from Microsoft?

Or, will you be installing Windows 7 or 8, and then updating to Windows 10?

This "update" should identify the older applications (both HP and non-HP) that are compatible with Windows 10.

> Obviously drivers can be downloaded from HP, but the first issue is that the majority of them seem to be the original versions from over seven years ago.

Huh?  Windows 10 is not seven years old.  I would expect that Microsoft has updated the device-drivers to be compatible with Windows 10.

> A higher-end GPU (2GB ATI Radeon HD 5570) for example was chosen and is not listed on the drivers/software page.

Either Windows 10 does not have any support for the GPU,

or the Windows 10 Installer includes support for the GPU,

or Windows Update will automatically download & install the support for the GPU,

or you will need to download the device-driver directly from ATI's web-site.

[krzemien]

Your PC was shipped with Windows 7 - what's wrong with it if I may ask?

[mdklassen]

Your computer: https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02532957

was introduced on 17-Sep-2010, with an Intel Core i7-870 processor -- lots of CPU-power. 

> Your PC was shipped with Windows 7 - what's wrong with it if I may ask?

It's the "past" operating system from Microsoft -- not the "future".  There will not be a "Windows 11".

If the original disk-drive is still installed, it is just days away from being SEVEN years old -- definitely ready for "retirement" -- way beyond the end of its warranty.  So, proactively replacing the disk-drive is a good idea, and going with a SSD will increase the computer's performance -- a "mid-life-kicker", as they say.

The "sunset" date for Windows 7 is January 2020 -- less than 2.4 years away.

So, at or before that date, it will be necessary to install Windows 10.

Note that the author did not say whether the offer for the free upgrade to Windows 10 was accepted (that offer ended in July 2016).  If it was accepted, then the author is already familiar with Windows 10.  Further, by installing Windows 10, the author received a "digital entitlement" to reinstall Windows 10, at any time, at no cost.  So, there is no need to purchase a "retail" copy of Windows 10.

Also, the author may no longer have the software necessary to re-install Windows 7.

If you want, we can continue this discussion about the merits of Windows 7 in the "HP Cafe' and Lounge" corner of this HP Forum.  The author needs assistance to their specific questions.