[SOLVED] Can't install Windows 7 on a new computer

[Pimpom]

I'm trying to install Windows 7 x64 on a new budget computer from a USB thumb drive that I've successfully used on older systems before. The motherboard is an Asus Prime A320K-M, specced to be compatible with Win7 x64 with 2nd Gen Ryzen CPUs. The CPU is a Ryzen 5 3400G, so that should be OK.

The problem is that I keep getting the well known message "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing......" The solutions usually given for this include

1. to change the USB port. Tried this, including USB 2.0 ports.
2. to change SATA mode from AHCI to IDE. But the BIOS setting offers only AHCI or RAID. No IDE.

I'm trying to install the OS on a WD Blue 1TB HDD. I know an SSD will be much faster but there are reasons for using an HDD now, so please let's not go into that unless it's likely to be the root cause of the problem.

Is there anything else I can try?

 

[mkaafy]

You should use ASUS EZ installer, then. This tool preloads required drivers for Windows 7 installation on your USB drive. Other motherboard manufacturers provide similar apps to do the job.

Navigate to "Driver and Utility" section of your motherboard's webpage and you'll find it there. Download it and follow the steps.

You also need to enable legacy boot option from BIOS settings.

 

[Mandark]

Use a dvd instead and slipstream in the usb drivers

 

[Endre]

I'm trying to install Windows 7 x64 on a new budget computer from a USB thumb drive that I've successfully used on older systems before. The motherboard is an Asus Prime A320K-M, specced to be compatible with Win7 x64 with 2nd Gen Ryzen CPUs. The CPU is a Ryzen 5 3400G, so that should be OK.

The problem is that I keep getting the well known message "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing......" The solutions usually given for this include

1. to change the USB port. Tried this, including USB 2.0 ports.
2. to change SATA mode from AHCI to IDE. But the BIOS setting offers only AHCI or RAID. No IDE.

I'm trying to install the OS on a WD Blue 1TB HDD. I know an SSD will be much faster but there are reasons for using an HDD now, so please let's not go into that unless it's likely to be the root cause of the problem.

Is there anything else I can try?

Install Windows 7 off an optical disc.

 

[Pimpom]

Sure, installing from disc is something I intended to do if all else failed. In fact, I managed to dig up my old disc last late night but it failed to boot. Could be the disc is corrupted and I don't have a blank DVD with me right now to write another disc from the ISO I saved in my computer some 10 years ago. I'll get around to that later.

However, what I really want to do is to solve the problem with installing from USB. Apparently, once installation is initiated and the process tries to continue in a Windows environment, the USB port stops working. This is not surprising with Win7 and USB 3 but the same thing happens with all four USB 2.0 ports on the new computer.

 

[mkaafy]

You should use ASUS EZ installer, then. This tool preloads required drivers for Windows 7 installation on your USB drive. Other motherboard manufacturers provide similar apps to do the job.

Navigate to "Driver and Utility" section of your motherboard's webpage and you'll find it there. Download it and follow the steps.

You also need to enable legacy boot option from BIOS settings.

 

[Pimpom]

Thanks. I'll check your suggestions when I get back from some social obligations. As to the legacy boot option, I looked for something like that in the BIOS settings but couldn't find any. I'll look again.

 

[BogdanH]

Apparently, once installation is initiated and the process tries to continue in a Windows environment, the USB port stops working. This is not surprising with Win7 and USB 3 but the same thing happens with all four USB 2.0 ports on the new computer.

On newer motherboards (including yours) entirely new chip (specification) is used for USB (doesn't matter if 2.0 or 3.0+). That's why your board (if you check specs) only supports Win10.
The thing is, Win7 ISO has no clue about new USB (because at that time such USB didn't even exist) and hence can't use it.
Even if you try to install Win7 with DVD, it won't go, because in the middle of installation you're asked to set certain things (country / keyboard language, etc.) and you simply won't be able to do that, because mouse and keyboard won't work.. and so you can't proceed further -I'm talking from personal experience.

The only solution is, you get driver for new USB. If Asus doesn't provide it, then try at AMD (or Google for it). I had Intel system at that time, so I got it from Intel pages.
Once you have driver, you need to "slipstream" it into Windows7 ISO file. And once you have such "updated" ISO, you'll be able to install Win7 normally from DVD or USB.
There exist many tutorials on web about how to slipstream Win7 ISO.

The better solution is, you switch to Win10 -because even if you slipstream Win7 successfully, sooner or later next trouble will appear.. for example, some driver might just refuse to install on Win7.
I myself was insisting on Win7 for very long time (till early last year), but at some point one just need to move forward.

 

[Johnwmel]

A lot of modern CPU's will not let you install W7, easiest way is to install W10 & use the W7 product key.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/11182/how-to-get-ryzen-working-on-windows-7-x64
Here is an another example.
https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/7th-gen-a8-9600-apu

 

[Colif]

1. to change the USB port. Tried this, including USB 2.0 ports.
2. to change SATA mode from AHCI to IDE. But the BIOS setting offers only AHCI or RAID. No IDE.

1. eventually there won't be any USB 2 slots on outside and perhaps no usb 2 headers at all on motherboard; and
2. Finding any ryzen board with IDE would be surprising to me.

the means of getting win 7 onto new PC are being whittled away.