HP Spectre Win 7 Drivers

[jakehero]

I have spent over 2 weeks trying to get Windows 7 onto the HP Spectre x360 - 13-ae013dx. I have made some fantastic progress, and am almost there. All the HP drivers available from HP's website seem to work fine, but I can't get any of the Intel drivers to work.

The visible and important parts of the laptop that I cannot get to function are the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. Without these, the computer is greatly handicapped since there is only one other port which is a standard USB. This would prevent external monitors, etc. I would like the touchscreen to work too, but I can live without it worst case. I tried to call Intel, but they said the NUC drivers would be the closest thing. Those did not work. I've also tried the softpaq menitoned in this thread to no avail: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Software-and-How-To-Questions/Windows-7-drivers-on-Spectre-x3...

Can anyone help me find these last drivers to get this machine working? I'm posting here as a last resort, and getting ready to try a Mac...

Thank you so much for your help!

Jake

[Huffer]

So when you get the new Mac are you going to install OS 9 on it? It's an 8th gen Intel Core processor and Intel does not want you trying to run Windows 7 on it and Microsoft will deny you upgrades. So not sure there is a happy ending here. 

[jakehero]

So far, updates from Microsoft have no trouble downloading or installing on the device. And the OS doesn't seem to have any compatability problems with the processor either. I would also be open to a comparable PC that would let me install Windows 7 more easily, but I can't find one.

[EddyK]

"So when you get the new Mac are you going to install OS 9 on it?" :smileyvery-happy::smileyvery-happy::smileyvery-happy:

Hi jakehero,

I didn't even really read it, but I found this random article that is concidentally also from HP. It's a bit different from your issue but try utilizing the steps in the article to your advantage. There are also driver/article redirections in it.

"Installing Windows 7 through USB Type C"

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05098275.pdf

But yeah... you might struggle cause Microsoft and Intel don't support/like downgrades.

Regards,

kem579

[jakehero]

Thanks for sending this kem579. I was very hopeful this would work, but sadly it does not.

I did have to do a similar process to get the USB 3.0 drivers loaded into the Windows installer to load Win 7 in the first place. Installing these drivers and hotfixes still does not entice Windows to send data over the USB-C line.

Anyone other ideas or am I SOL?

[Huffer]

It is ultimately a USB interface so if the latest Windows 7 

eXtensible Host Controller Driver  5.0.4.43

doesn't make it work I am also at a loss. I googled around for Windows 7 usb-C support and those drivers kept coming up as the solution. 

[jakehero]

Huffer, one of these two driver sets worked! Thank you! I tried a Go-Pro over USB-C and it recognized the files on it.

1) However, it's not fully working because the USB-C monitor does not work. It appears as if a video card driver is also missing. And this also causes problem with certain software not being able to even open. Where might I find working video card drivers? My harware ID's for this model are:

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5917&SUBSYS_83B9103C&REV_07
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5917&SUBSYS_83B9103C
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5917&CC_030000
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5917&CC_0300

I found some drivers by googling this but the Intel® HD Graphics 620, but they did not work when I pointed the "update driver" function in device manager to the folder which they were extracted to, nor with the installer. The most recent version of drivers I can find are for the 7th Gen processors, and I have the 8th Gen.

This might be where this attempted setup falls apart - Intel does not seem to manufacture a video card driver for 8th Gen processors for Win 7. This causes programs to crash sometimes. I may try to locate a 7th Gen spectre if this is truly non-existent.

2) Is it possible to get the touchscreen on this computer to work?

3) I've also noticed the battery drains extremely quickly compared to Win 10. Perhaps this is the intel thermal driver, for which I could not find a Win 7 equivalent either

If there are Win-7 equivalents for any of the Intel drivers associated with this PC, I would greatly appreciate it. I've looked far and wide and found nothing.

[Huffer]

Video card will be the real problem as there is no Windows 7 driver for that new platform. 

You could perhaps reach back and see if you can force install a driver from the 6th gen platform from the Intel site.  Intel HD 520 video.

7th and 8th gen will have the same problems. 

[jakehero]

Strange, I submitted a reply, but it seems to have disappeared after being posted. Try #2.

I tried forcing the old drivers for the 520 (and a number of other hardware options from within the old driver), however the computer says it is not compatible with this version of Windows. The file specifies support for Windows 7, but when I dive into the readme, it says:

7th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) processor family (Codename Kaby Lake)
    Microsoft Windows* 10-64

6th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) processor family (codename Skylake)
    Microsoft Windows* 7-64
    Microsoft Windows* 8.1-64
    Microsoft Windows* 10-64
   

Is there any way to modify the driver somehow, or fake it out to think I'm using the 6th Gen Processor?

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Yes some people have successfully used a text editor to edit the .inf file. I have not found anything on 8th gen platforms but this speaks of 7th gen and may work for you. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w9JofZQkxI