windows 7 pro install issues with drivers

[mogans]

I  used usb bootable disk with usb3.0 drivers to install windows 7 pro. It installation went through without any issues on probook 440 G4 7th Gen laptop. Now the issue when I installed I had the usb 3.0 drivers in the usb but once installation is over. I do not have drivers for usb, LAN etc., Not able to access the usb port to install tge drivers. I have seent posts about installation of windows 7 on probook 440 G4 but no one has given step by step procudere to overcome the drivers issue. Anyone please guide me. thanks a ton.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

If your model has a DVD drive, burn the drivers to a CD and use that to install them with.

USB:  Download, unzip and run the setup application from the driver below.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/22824/Intel-USB-3-0-eXtensible-Host-Controller-Driver-for-...

Graphics:  You will have to modify the W10 driver as shown in the link below...see BruceBTS's modification instructions.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Video-Display-and-Touch/Windows-7-VGA-drivers-Probook-450-G4/...

If your notebook does not have a DVD drive, then you will have to remove the hard drive, get a notebook sata to usb cable,

Plug the drive into a working PC, download and copy the drivers you need to a folder on the notebook's hard drive and then you can install them after you reinstall the HDD.

No other way I know of...USB don't work, ethernet don't work, wireless don't work, bluetooth don't work and the card reader don't work.

[mogans]

Thanks for the reply. I did take out hdd but when i plug to a working pc, it needs to initialized and then only it assigns a drive letter to access it. All the data is lost. I pluged in to windows 7 ultimate pc. The laptop where i need to install windows 7 is probook 440 G4 7th generation. File system is gpt. So it has problem recognising it another pc. 

Could you elaborate further about what file system should i use to install windows 7 on 440 G4 probook? So that i could take it out to another working pc to load the drivers. Where would i get the LAN drivers? Thanks.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

You should be able to use all of the W7 drivers and software from the 450 G3 (except the graphics and BIOS).

Now, here is another idea... if you have lost everything...format the drive in MBR-NTFS, using the disk management tool in another PC.

Install it in your G4 with the BIOS set to Legacy mode enabled, secure boot disabled.

Then install W10.

You can make your own plain W10 installation media by using the media creation tool at the link below.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Make the USB flash installation drive.   Since W10 has the USB3 drivers incorporated into the installation media, it should just install.

Once that is done, get the wireless to work, and download the W7 drivers you need from the G3 support page (wireless, ethernet, card reader, usb (or use the newer one I posted for you from Intel).

Save them to a folder in your user account like the downloads folder or something.

Then install W7 using your installation media that you had used the USB creator utility on.

Now this is the important part...when you are asked where do you want to install windows, install it over the current W10 installation, and it will create a Windows.old folder.

After W7 is installed, you can easily explore the Windows.old folder and run the drivers you need from there.

Then you are home free.

After you get things to work, you can delete the Windows.old folder by using the disk cleanup utility>click on the cleanup system files button that is located on the bottom left side of the disk cleanup utility window when it appears.

[mogans]

Thanks Paul for your valuable feedback on the issue I am facing. I have two 440 G4 laptops and I have already installed Windows 10 Pro in one of them. Now as per your idea I need to do the following..

1. Windows 10 Pro laptop..download all the Windows 7 drivers for 450 G3 except the two you have mentioned.

2. Now with the USB Bootable disk that has Windows 7 Pro with USB 3.0 drivers, I need to install windows 7 over the existing Windows 10 laptop? Correct Paul?

3. After the installation I would have all the downloaded drivers in the windows.old folders? correct?

Paul, is there anything I missed out...I am waiting for your confirmation before I proceed..

thanks once again Paul.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Correct in all respects.

Should go this time around without any problem, since you will have the drivers you need to connect to the wireless, USB, card reader or ethernet.

Now after you get W7 installed, if you have any difficulty finding a driver or so, please post the hardware ID for those device(s), and I will be happy to try an find them for you.

Don't forget to do the graphics driver mod.

Use this guide for how to find the hardware ID.

https://www.howtogeek.com/193798/how-to-find-drivers-for-unknown-devices-in-the-device-manager/

It's after 11:15 PM in this neck of the woods, so I am knocking off for the night, and will read your progress report in the morning.

[mogans]

Thanks Paul. Would let you know once I am done.

[mogans]

Paul,

I tried to install windows 7 onto the windows 10 installed hard disk,but it does not allow as it says the disk is GPT. When Itry to convert to MBR the whole disk is formated losing all the file of windows 10. Even I tried to install windows 10 again with converting on the install windows to MBR by CMD DISKPART...but when continuing the installation of windows 10 it again converts from mbr to GPT automatically. I do not know what to do now? Any suggestions Paul. Windos 7 does not allow to install on a GPT disk.

Thanks and waiting for a solution.

[mogans]

paul, I did succed in converting the file system from GPT to MBR without loosing any data. Now I am installing windows 7 over the windows 10. Let me see  and post the results.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

That is good news.

You should be on the road to success now...