Question Bios but no Boot

[patchberryman]

So today I finally upgraded from my I7 3770 to an I7 11700K (I know finally), and I put the computer together well and BIOS loads fine, but I have one small issue.
I still like running windows 7 over 10 because of the layout and simplicity in the menus, but now that I go to an 11th gen intel processor and motherboard with DDR4 ram (finally), I can get to bios and it sees my SSD as a bootable drive, but when windows starts to load and those famous colors swirl, it freezes half way through the animation and resets the computer and sends me back to bios. Even after messing with UEFI/Legacy toggles in bios, no luck. Motherboard: ASUS TUF Z590
So I wondered if it was the operating system being windows 7, so I pull out an empty SSD I had lying around and installed windows 10 I had on a flash drive, and of course it boots fine with windows 10, but not with windows 7.
is it finally time to say goodbye forever to windows 7 or can I hold out a little longer? Could it have something to do with AHCI (idk what it means but I remember that being an option in the past)? I’m open to any suggestions.
I7 11700K, 32gb 3200 DDR4, ASUS TUF Z590.
Thank you

 

[Darkbreeze]

Did you do a clean install of Windows 7 or are you trying to run the Windows installation you were using with the old hardware?

Additionally, Windows 7 is not supported on 11th Gen platforms, although some have managed to do so by slipstreaming certain drivers and other files into the Windows 7 installation disk, but it is REALLY not recommended as it's a huge security risk and the problems with drivers not just on that platform itself, but on any other new hardware you might upgrade to in the near or long term future, makes it a bad idea and much more sensible to simply do the Windows 10 upgrade now.

If you like the way Windows 7 looks and feels, you can easily make Windows 10 just like that, but with all the security and other improvements under the hood, by using Open Shell.

It will allow you to make the task bar, start menu and shell as well as many other aspects, act and look just like Windows 7, or 8.1 or even older Windows versions.

https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

 

[patchberryman]

Did you do a clean install of Windows 7 or are you trying to run the Windows installation you were using with the old hardware?

Additionally, Windows 7 is not supported on 11th Gen platforms, although some have managed to do so by slipstreaming certain drivers and other files into the Windows 7 installation disk, but it is REALLY not recommended as it's a huge security risk and the problems with drivers not just on that platform itself, but on any other new hardware you might upgrade to in the near or long term future, makes it a bad idea and much more sensible to simply do the Windows 10 upgrade now.

If you like the way Windows 7 looks and feels, you can easily make Windows 10 just like that, but with all the security and other improvements under the hood, by using Open Shell.

It will allow you to make the task bar, start menu and shell as well as many other aspects, act and look just like Windows 7, or 8.1 or even older Windows versions.

https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

I think you’re right. It might be time for me to switch. I mean it’s 13 year old software. I know people have done it with Open Shell, but I was going to just try to use Windows 7. And I was using windows on my ssd from the previous hardware. Thanks for the info on 11th gen not supporting windows 7, saves me a lot of trouble. I’m sure it’ll only take a couple weeks to get the hang of windows 10 anyways.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Will almost never work trying to use old Windows installation with new platform unless they are VERY similar and use the same chipset drivers.

I hated Windows 10 at first, and I'll be honest here, I'd do the Windows 10 clean install (And use your Windows 7 activation key so you don't have to bother with 7, then upgrade to 10, then go back and clean install), then make sure it's activated and attached to YOU via a Microsoft account, just in case, and then I'd immediately just upgrade for free from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

I've had much fewer "problems" with Windows 11 than 10, Open shell works on 11 same as it does on 10 although you might have to jump through a few extra hoops to get it the way you want it, and will be supported for much further into the future since Windows 10 is End Of Life in 2025. So, that's a few years away, but at that point if you haven't already done the upgrade to Windows 11 (IF it's still be offered whenever you decide to do that if you don't do it now) you might be out of luck on getting it for free.

Still, either way, moving AT LEAST to Windows 10, now, is a pretty good idea if you have any intentions to be internet connected and value your system being at least moderately secure. Windows 7 is like putting your savings on the window sill and expecting it to be there later when you come back. Sort of. LOL.

But, if you really want to continue using 7 you can try doing a clean install of it if you have or have access to the installer, but seriously it's a much better idea to move on from it at this point.