Pavilion DV7 6100 series Windows 11

[Billydv1]

Just wanted to help out since I just completed this. Got a donor laptop circa 2011, Pavilion DV7 6100 series, dual graphics Intel Hd3000 and Amd Radeon HD 6490m. Installing anything on this in 2026 is challenging!!! Windows 11 runs well but the install is tricky.

1- Download Windows 11 iso to desktop

2- Download Rufus, create usb with Windows 11 iso BUT!!! In mbr mode!!! Choose defaults for bypassing tpm and secure boot. 

3- best to use a sata ssd and 2 4gb memory sticks for the laptop. Also graphics in bios should be fixed mode, not dynamic. Install Windows 11 from Rufus USB. VERY IMPORTANT!!! WHEN INSTALL COMPLETES DON'T CONNECT TO INTERNET!! Choose I don't have internet and complete install with an offline account 

4- Once on desktop, go to device manager, there will be 2 display adapters, first is Intel second is Radeon. Right click the second one and disable it.

5- Now with Radeon graphics adapter disabled you can connect to internet, complete all updates including driver updates. Also you can use your live login and activate Windows. After all updates and some reboots, you should be complete.

6- if you want to update bios, its possible.  Driverscollections.com has bios files available for retired hp products. Scroll through and find your model, download the bios. Now right click it and choose compatibility mode, run for Windows 8. Worked perfectly for me inside of windows 11!!

[Billydv1]

Just to clarify, the radeon hd graphics are NOT compatible with Windows 11. If it somehow gets enabled, you will have to boot into safe mode and disable it in device manager. Everything else works and all drivers will install through windows update with the exception of 3d shield,  a quick search for the hardware ID will lead you to an spp package with the driver 

[Billydv1]

Btw, you may get a popup saying vulnerable driver being blocked. Don't disable anything in memory integrity or core isolation. We don't want the radeon driver loading, it causes black screens and freezes.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

There is a post where someone claims to have gotten the AMD/Intel switchable graphics to work.

It may work for W11 as well since it worked for W10.

Solved: [FIX] HP Pavilion dv4 / dv6 / dv7 etc. Switchable Graphics i... - HP Support Community - 966...

[Billydv1]

Im surprised that someone got that to work but windows 10 is VERY different from 11. Microsoft introduces all kinds of security stuff in the last windows 10 version and window 11. I doubt it would still work and why bother, this is such old hardware, you can't game on this