Problems with installing Windows on FreeDos HP laptop

[TurboX31]

Hi,

I would be grateful if someone helps me with this problem. I failed to install both Windows 10 and Windows 7 from bootable flash drive on my brand new FreeDos HP Probook 430 G4.

When I try to install Windows 10, I immediately have this error saying:

"windows has failed to load because of either a recent software or hardware upgrade...

file  \EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BCD

status 0x000014c

boot configuration data for your pc is missing or contains errors"

When I try to install Windows 7 , the installation begins but ends up very quickly with the problem "No device drivers were found".

I just have no idea what to do, so I am looking forward to your proposes.

Thanks in advance.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I can't help with why W10 isn't installing.

With W7, you need to do a few things...

1.  No support from Intel, Microsoft or HP for W7, 8 or 8.1.  Only W10 is supported.

Also, besides W10, only W7 x64 has any chance of working on your notebook.  

No 32 bit OS will work because Intel did not develop any 32 bit graphics drivers--not even for W10.

2. You need to go into the BIOS, enable legacy mode, and disable secure boot.  W7 is not compatible with secure boot.

3.  You are getting the no drivers found error because you have to run this utility to install the USB3 drivers into your W7 installation flash drive.  There is a readme file on the page for how to use the utility.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25476/NUCs-Windows-7-USB-3-0-Creator-Utility

4.  As I posted, there are no W7 graphics drivers, so after you get W7 installed, you can modify the W10 Intel graphics driver to work on W7.

Here's how...

Modify this W10 graphics driver as follows to work on W7 64 bit.

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp78501-79000/sp78781.exe

During the install it will ask if you want to upack the files to a folder (the second option), do this, and then it will say that "your system does not meet the minimum requirements" - click ok

Browse to the C:\SWSetup\sp78781\Graphics folder, and open the igdlh64 setup information file with notepad, and edit the below section:

[Manufacturer]

%Intel% = IntelGfx, NTamd64.6.1, NTamd64.6.2, NTamd64.6.3, NTamd64.10.0, NTamd64.10.0...14310

;=====================================================================
; Windows 7 Install - DT Only
;=====================================================================
[IntelGfx.NTamd64.6.1]
;SKL HW
%iSKLULTGT2% = iSKLD_w7, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5916&SUBSYS_8231103C
%iSKLULTGT2% = iSKLD_w7, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5916&SUBSYS_8231103C
%iSKLULTGT2% = iSKLD_w7, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5916&SUBSYS_8231103C
%iSKLULTGT2% = iSKLD_w7, PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_5916&SUBSYS_8231103C

Get the hardware IDs from the device manager if yours doesn't match the one above, and change everything after the _w7,  -- do not include the &REV_xx section

Save the file, and then the installer will work as usual.

Use this guide for how to find the hardware ID.  

You need the ID for the device labeled as a Standard VGA Adapter under the Display Adapters device manager category.

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

However, the graphics adapter ID in your notebook should be the same...

[TurboX31]

Thanks for such a detailed answer! I will try to install Win 7 now.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Since the 430 G4 is only supported for W10 64 bit, other than the BIOS firmware and graphics files, you can probably use the W7 x64 drivers and software from the 430 G3...

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-probook-430-g3-notebook-pc/7834547

[TurboX31]

Maybe it will be helpful for someone. The problem was with the flash drive . I made it by means of Windows7 USB/DVD Download Tool on a computer with Win 7 32-bit version. When I used a computer with Win 7 64-bit version, the flash drive became bootable and Windows was installed on my new laptop. 

Good luck !