I need help installing Windows 7 on this laptop

OK, so the laptop is an Acer Aspire One Cloudbook. It has 1x USB3 and 1xUSB2 port and no DVD drive.

It came with Windows 10 which is awful to me, so I want to put Windows 7 on. I've found the correct drivers for all of the components (no thanks to Acer) but I can't get the actual thing to install.

What doesn't help is the fact the only large USB drives I have are some Sandisk USBs which only show up as fixed local disks (not removerable) so I can't boot from them.

So I tried in UEFI mode, and Windows installer boots up. However, when it gets to "Starting Windows" I get a weird pink block at the top of the screen, and apparently this is caused by "Graphics Output Protocol" as opposed to Int10h/VBIOS. The only way to get it to not use GOP is to switch to legacy mode, however, the USB doesn't show up (because it's a fixed drive)

So I installed Easy2Boot to my USB, and put Windows 7 on there, and then made a "helper drive" with another 1GB USB I have, and I got E2B to boot up, and selected Windows 7 ISO.

It boots up, but then at the same point UEFI fails, it says "This BIOS does not support ACPI" or something similar. I google'd around and some people mentioned this is a problem with the disc.

Then I remember I have an external USB drive (just a normal desktop PC drive but I have a SATA -> USB and external power adapter)

When I first boot up, the drive doesn't show (not initialised in time?) but if I boot into something then reoot, sometimes the drive shows up. However, when I boot from the drive it says "Operating System wasn't found"

Any ideas?

 

you can't install Windows 7 in UEFI on conventional laptop BIOS

check in your BIOS if you can switch to legacy and/or enable CSM at least along with UEFI

 

I have either UEFI or Legacy.

In Legacy mode it fails with a BSOD saying "BIOS does not support ACPI"

 

you need to setup the ISO file properly for BIOS/Legacy

first, format your current USB Flash Disk

Download rufus, then run it as admin, then set it up as per the below image

For BIOS-Legacy:



now, when you are selecting the Flash Disk from the boot devices, if you get 2 options for the USB Flash Disk as in, one that says UEFI : Flash Disk name or just the Flash Disk Name, select the latter not the UEFI option

if you don't get 2 options then it's fine, just boot off the USB flash disk directly

then follow this guide:

NBR Windows 7 Clean Installation Guide

 

Thanks for the help, but I just tried that, and again I got past "loading files" and then during "Windows is starting" I get the BSOD with "Stop 0x000000A5"

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I've tried to get used to Windows 10, but it's just such garbage.

After removing as much bloatware as I could, the OS has now started installing apps by itself (Candy Crush Saga, Minecraft, etc.)

I can't even get Debian to install on it

All I wanted was a cheap laptop with a 14" screen that lets me browse and watch videos, and with Windows 7 I think this would be perfect, but I'm within the 14 days return period, so if I can't find a solution I'll have to return it and get something else.

 

My guess is your hard drive is formatted with GPT, and not MBR. Follow this guide, and you can convert to MBR.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26203-convert-gpt-disk-mbr-disk.html

 

Most drives come MBR and GPT is only recommended for 2tb or bigger drives.

 

Then this means you will not be able to use Windows 7 this is part of the hardware block that you can't over ride.

 

yeah you didn't use O&O ShutUp10 that's why

 

Wrong, GPT is recommended for UEFI Systems. Other than the benefit of having more than 2TB for a partition, it is slightly faster to initialize a GPT partition vs an MBR one for a UEFI system

GPT's other advantage:

but yes, when installing an OS on a Legacy / non-UEFI system, MBR is recommended and can actually cause issues if the drive was not initialized as MBR

simply running the diskpart / clean command as shown in this guide: NBR Windows 7 Clean Installation Guide

will ensure that the Windows Setup wizard will initialize the drive as appropriate, if you cleaned the drive via the diskpart / clean command, then Windows 10 will initialize the drive as GPT by default, windows 7 will initialize the drive as MBR automatically *if* one booted off the USB Flash disk in regular mode not UEFI

 

So not at all, even with workarounds? Or you just mean it's not supported natively? I've found people on Google saying using a different disk fixed it for them, but I tried different USBs

Thanks for letting me know about that app, but I just don't want an OS that does shady stuff in the background and requires a third party app to disable it.

When you talk about MBR/GPT are you talking about the installation disk, or the SSD I'm installing it onto?

 

Well put this way Windows 10 is here to stay - you can disable the options if you have Pro version and find tweaks and software online to further control Windows 10 controls. MBR/GPT are disk format that the drive is formatted to and not sure. Here's more read on it.
http://www.howtogeek.com/193669/whats-the-difference-between-gpt-and-mbr-when-partitioning-a-drive/

Google can say or do what they want but you need to find relevant information that provides good information. And examples to take control of Windows 10 controls.

 

Follow the link in Phoenix's guide and you can install windows 7. StormJumper thinks he has control of Windows 10, but he doesnt. There are many sites showing the flow of data does not stop, even with O&O installed.

 

What do you think of this script?

Block Telemetry Rules file using Windows Firewall for Windows 10

 

Hahaha, thats ingenious.

 

And you think other O/S are not doing it either...that's alot of guessing to assume that. UEFI will prevent Windows 7 install and you don't get to go around hardware blocks. You can dream about it but that will not work there is no support for Windows following 2016 hardware release doing so isn't going to improve your computing performance.

 

UEFI does NOT prevent Win 7 install, I have already proved you wrong, and so has Phoenix. I do not know why you keep rehashing something that is not true. Hardware blocks? WTH are you talking about? No such thing exists, and drivers for everything released to date has support for Win 7, so saying everything following 2016 has no support, is simply false.

Keep drinking the MS Kool-aid.

 

I (kinda) fixed the problem...

I simply returned the laptop and bought another, but thanks for the suggestions anyway guys.